Welcome Ella!
“Working to improve outcomes for underserved communities and vulnerable people through the better use of data is a driving force in my working life.”
Ella is the latest addition to the DataKind UK staff team after Zoe’s recent arrival. Her role as Project Manager of data programmes helps us provide support to as many organisations as possible.
What were you up to before DataKind?
I started my career working in a therapeutic children’s home in North London, gaining invaluable experience supporting young people in care. This experience remains a strong influence on my life, professionally and personally, today. I felt that some of the problems I was seeing while working at the children’s home were systemic, and this led me to an MA in Child Studies, with a focus on children's rights, from King's College London.
This thinking led me to Foundations, and then Centre for Homelessness Impact, where I managed evaluations and randomised controlled trials of innovative interventions designed to support better outcomes for children and families with a social worker, and people experiencing homelessness, respectively.
Working to improve outcomes for underserved communities and vulnerable people through the better use of data is a driving force in my working life. Data isn’t the end point, it’s the beginning, and allows people delivering the most vital services to understand the best ways to serve their communities and help the people who need it the most.
Why are you excited to join DataKind?
My key interests lie in supporting charities to engage with data and research processes in a way that supports meaningful, positive, change. Working at DataKind UK allows me to use my skills to support the charity sector that I love and respect to do their best work with the best data available to them.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I am a volunteer counsellor with Childline. Volunteering with Childline gives me so much energy and joy, even when I have a particularly difficult or challenging conversation. Offering a non-judgemental space to young people is so powerful, with such potential for impact, and their resilience and courage in sharing what's on their mind inspires me and powers me through my day-to-day.
I also love baking to share with friends and family, and am looking forward to bringing in some bakes to share with my new colleagues. I am a keen gardener and love to share pictures of the flowers I’ve managed to keep safe from the slugs!
