Meet the team
Governing Body
Love Southampton is managed by an executive board consisting of four churches and their leaders, and a number of charity partners represented by Paul Woodman.
This board is independently chaired by Professor Keith Brown.
Keith Brown
Independent Chair
Founding Director, National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (NCPQSW), Centre for Leadership, Impact and Management Bournemouth (CLiMB).
Professor Keith Brown was the founding Director of the National Centre for Post Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice and he is an Emeritus Professor at Bournemouth University where the social work department was ranked number 1 in the UK in the 2020 and 2021 Guardian League Table.
.He sits on the DHSC safeguarding advisory board, the joint DHSC and MOJ National Mental Capacity Leadership forum and the Home Office Joint Financial task force.
Paul Woodman
Charity Representative
Paul is a leader at City Life Church and part of the Love Southampton team. He is the Director of Ethos and Hub for Oasis in Southampton and chaplain to the Rose Road Association. He founded the CLEAR project working with refugees and asylum seekers, and currently leads work to welcome people to the city from Hong Kong. He leads the Southampton Street Support Action Group focussed on tackling rough sleeping. He is the Board Chair of Young Life International. He was recently presented with the City of Southampton Award by the Lord Mayor.
The executive board links directly with two non-executive groups; a wider board of church or denominational leaders from Southampton, chaired by Bishop Debbie Sellin; and the local leaders of our partner charities, chaired by Paul Woodman.
Saint Mary’s Church
Board of Executives
Above Bar Church
Board of Executives
New Community Church
Board of Executives
City Life Church
Board of Executives
Read other endorsements from key figures including Debbie Sellin, Bishop of Southampton and Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP.
Please also see a list of our current Vacancies.
About the Team
Jean is passionate about seeing local churches, leaders and organisations grow, seeing their visions become reality whilst providing long-term impact. Having served as a worship pastor in both London and Cardiff he is excited to join the Love Southampton team as an independent impact evaluator, making known the difference and hope that churches have brought in the city through partnering together.
Following an accident in 2013 Esther was limited hugely in where she was able to go and what she could do. It was as a result of this accident Esther started to attend Above Bar Church which is where she met Matt. During this time, she also started to pursue her interest in photography, which she continues to do.
Through her photography degree Esther is able to capture real on-the-ground images which show what Love Southampton is achieving. She is also helping with other media outlets alongside the team.
Her loves include photography, horses and animals and enjoys long muddy dog walks in the forest.
Riyah attends Southampton Lighthouse International Church and works for Young Life Southampton, a charity in the city that seeks to reach unchurched teenagers. Riyah also works alongside City Life Church and the Love Southampton team assisting in administrative tasks for various projects citywide.
Jean Hirst - Independent Impact Evaluator
Esther Lewis - Graphic Designer
Riyah Curtis - Project Administrator
For the past 7 years he has led the National research into fraud and scams on behalf of the National Trading Standards Scams team and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Since his retirement from a full time academic post he has been the Independent Chair of the NHS Safeguarding Adults National Network, the Chair of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board and the Chair of Love Southampton a body that represents three food banks and four debt advice centres in Southampton.