Helen Johnson

Experience

• 

  Voluntary Norfolk

  Aug 2006 - Mar 2012

  Voluntary Sector Development Officer

  Provided governance and capacity building interventions to VCFSE organisations, identified funding opportunities and assisted organisations to access and apply for funding. Supported organisations with monitoring and evaluation processes, project plans, sustainability, and project delivery. Facilitated networking opportunities and partnership arrangements and organised sector and community meetings. Delivered small grants schemes and monitored 80 organisations/projects in Great Yarmouth and the administration and development of process and documentation. Show less

• 

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  Jul 2012 - Jun 2013

  Development Officer

  Worked with VCFSE organisations and the public sector to promote funded programmes (180 organisations) and helped develop project proposals prior to applying. Carried out outreach activities, workshops, presentations, and surgery sessions and undertook small grants and single-round grants assessments.

• 

  East Suffolk Council

  Aug 2013 - now

  Leading on council-led cultural initiatives across Lowestoft. Building the capacity of creative enterprises – ensuring inclusive growth and levels of participation are increased. Securing investment and working with stakeholders to deliver cultural programming and capital investment. Overseeing the conversion of the former Post Office into an art gallery and creative hub. Securing funding and working in partnership with Lowestoft Town Council to restore the Grade II former Town Hall into a community and heritage venue. Managed a team to deliver the Lowestoft Heritage Action Zones, delivering heritage-led regeneration in areas of socio-economic need.Directly involvement in securing over £6.5 million of public investment for projects in Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk. Show less Managed 16 work packages including building participation in heritage activities and worked with commercial property owners to access grant funding to repair shopfronts. Worked closely with Historic England (funder) to ensure conservation practices were followed and undertook regular monitoring and end of project evaluation. Managed the Project Board and reported back to Cabinet. Ensured aims and objectives were met through working with other Council departments and external stakeholders, including Lowestoft Vision, Lowestoft Town Council and Norse. Key achievements delivered.• Secured £4,004,791 of public investment.• Secured £267,645 from the Architectural Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to progress a project to restore and redevelop the former Lowestoft Town Hall, with the aim to bring the building back into use in late 2025. • Worked with private sector landlords to jointly fund the repair and reintroduction of historic features in buildings within the historic High Street. At the end of the PSiCA/BAR schemes, it is expected to have benefited 15 buildings/units equating to £366,536.53 of public funding and £132,613.91 of private investment. • Delivery of an array of cultural engagement since the HAZ’s inception in 2018. Show less Led a partnership of cultural organisations across Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth to deliver cultural programming to build community participation. Led the strategic vision and embed placemaking into policy and Council initiatives. Reported back to Project Board and funders (NLHF, ACE and Historic England) on progress and budget spend (global budget: £863,751). Key achievements delivered.• Created 745,884 audience opportunities.• Engaged 13,131 participants in new arts and heritage activity.• Worked with 199 volunteers.• Engaged with 63 schools.• Developed 50 new networking opportunities.• Participation of 6,300 school pupils• An exceeded take take-up of teachers and schools (61 teachers against a target of 50 and 63 schools against a target of 20)• Evidence of high level of enjoyment recorded by audience, participants, and volunteers.• Evidence of high level of pride provided by the planned events and activity Show less Provided funding support to Economic Development and Communities Team. Identified new opportunities, developed projects, and undertook research. Built relationships with funders and wrote EOIs and full applications. Built the capacity of VCFSE organisations in East Suffolk through project development and application support. Governance advice and funding advice workshops delivered to public and VCFSE organisations. Worked with Members to allocate locality budgets and set up eligibility, application, monitoring, and finance systems. Successful in supporting the DMO and partners to access CCF which saw £490,000 being cascaded down to tourism and cultural organisations along the Suffolk coast. Supported Waldringfield Flood Defence Group to access £633,470 of CCF funding and liaised with Defra to secure funding through Repair and Renew Grant. I Managed the Enabling Communities Fund which had an annual budget of £220,000 (2013/14 and 2014/15) and funded 276 new community initiatives between January 2014 and April 2015. Show less

  • Culture and Heritage Programme Manager

    May 2021 - now

  • Project Manager

    Feb 2020 - May 2021

  • Project Manager

    Aug 2017 - Feb 2020

  • Funding Officer

    Aug 2013 - Aug 2017