Tom Beale
An accredited Community Led Homes adviser
Counties: All of England and Wales
Biography: I have supported community businesses and social enterprises with business planning, governance and finance support for over a decade, and since 2017 I have been a part of Ecomotive, a not-for-profit workers co-operative supporting Community Led Housing and Self Build. At the heart of my work is supporting people to match their drive for social change with a business and financial strategy that creates genuinely sustainable and resilient projects.
In particular I offer project coaching and business strategy support to individuals and groups to get new community projects and social enterprises off the ground; supporting businesses through financial crises and disputes; governance and legal structures; funding advice and direct fund raising; debt finance; business and strategic planning; and use of various models including theory of change, business planning canvas and logical framework planning.
My experience includes many years as a funding advisor and assessor for the Scarman Trust and Big Lottery’s Local Food Grants. I was finance director of Coexist CIC from 2012-16, cofounder of Bristol Energy Coop and Bristol Green Doors CIC, and Finance Director for the National Centre for Integrative Medicine from 2017 - 2019. From 2010 to 2016 I was a part of the senior management team of property developer and homeless accommodation provider Connolly and Callaghan Group, including providing business strategy, finance and operational support for the development of the emergency accommodation business, and supported the development of a range of high-end eco-homes using Modcell modular straw bale construction.
Since joining Ecomotive in 2017 I have directly supported CLH groups in Bristol, Devon, Berkshire, Herefordshire and Norfolk; the creation of CLH ‘Hubs’ in the West of England and Kent; and supported the development of Bristol City Council’s Social Value policy for asset transfers and CLH Land Disposal policy. I am currently acting as project manager for Ambition Lawrence Weston’s Astry Close CLH scheme.
Phone: 07769970909
Email: tom@ecomotive.org
