What drew you to Foundation Derbyshire?
The team. Whilst I’m naturally interested in the bigger picture and in helping others (particularly locally), the team has such a sense of purpose I knew I would find the experience of becoming a trustee very fulfilling.
What excites you most about Foundation Derbyshire?
The gluten-free biscuits … Seriously, making things happen. Distributing emergency aid during the floods in 2018 and during the Covid-19 pandemic underlines why the Foundation truly matters.
Can philanthropy solve our problems?
Well, that’s not an easy question to answer. To some, philanthropy may seem to ease the pain but fails to cure the disease. But I figure, the wider our (local) philanthropic reach becomes, the greater the effect. So, I’d urge everyone to play their part (however small) in making our world a better place.
Profile
Born in the Northeast, Alison graduated from Liverpool University in 1980 with an honours degree in History.
Moving to Cardiff straight from Uni, she had a successful retail career holding senior positions with House of Fraser, Allders and Storehouse. Alison relocated to Derby in 1992, joining a Derbyshire specialist bakery as sales director.
She moved into marketing professional services in 1997, building a large marketing team from scratch for one of the country’s leading regional law firms. More recently, Alison co-founded award-winning creative agency Archer Hampson in 2010 and joined Foundation Derbyshire as a Trustee in 2018.
