Who We Are
Our History
In March 2020, due to COVID-19 offices were shut down and we began a journey of working from different locations removed from day to day physically being together. The impact on the development sector was critical - funding streams ceased and many funders asked charities to cut their overheads.
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In June 2020, a working group of 8 people from different international charities formed to raise the voices of small charities working across borders as many felt they were forgotten. In our first survey, 51% of participants expressed they did not feel supported and, although their funding had dropped dramatically, the need for support had increased. This was the beginning of a new era for SIDCN as local media picked up on the numbers and survey results which led to SIDCN being featured in many news articles and evening newscasts.
In September 2020 another survey was conducted in the network to gain a better insight into the financial implications of COVID-19 and the decrease in funding. 85% of participants reported COVID had a negative impact on their organisations with an average loss of 33% income per charity.
There are 10,000+ registered small charities in the UK working internationally. We believe small charities have the biggest impact at a grassroots level - changing dynamics of development and delivering on the vision for empowered people and communities.
Moving forward our role is to connect members, enable peer to peer engagement building impact, amplification of member influence through showing their impactful work to stakeholders whilst supporting our members to empower individuals around the globe and champion locally-led development.
Our Trustees
Trustee, and Investment Principal at Soros Economic Development Fund
Corey Karaka
Corey is the Chair of the Influence Working Group. Corey is a philanthropic investor with a focus on economic development and climate justice for communities across Africa and other developing geographies. His work focuses on accelerating energy access and protecting the natural environment for inclusive economic growth in collaboration with other philanthropies, civil societies, development finance institutions and local entrepreneurs.
Trustee, also CEO Kids Club Kampala
Olivia Barker White
Olivia is passionate about championing and raising the voices of small international development charities. She is the founder and CEO of Kids Club Kampala, an international development charity supporting vulnerable children in Uganda and has a background in international development project management.
Trustee, also Consultant of DLA Piper
Caterina Cedolini
Caterina is the Co-Chair of the Influence Working Group. Caterina works as an environmental, social and governance (ESG) consultant at a law firm in London. She has previously worked in corporate social responsibility and is passionate about cross-sector collaboration and solutions. Caterina has always been a strong supporter of volunteering, in particular in support of international development, social mobility and environmental causes. Caterina holds a master's in international social and public policy from the LSE, where she focussed her dissertation on innovation in the charity sector and the social enterprise model.
Treasurer, also an accountant
Lizzy Bird
Lizzy works as a Charity Accountant supporting small charities with their annual accounts and examination. She has a particular interest in international development having volunteered for UK charities with reach into Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, Albania and Romania. Lizzy completed a masters in Charity Accounting in Sept 2021 and wanted to use this experience on the board of SIDCN.
Chair, also a small charity consultant
Amber Shotton
Having worked closely with SIDCN and Vic Hancock-Fell, during her time at the FSI, Amber has been volunteering since May 2022, helping the Trustee and Working Groups to turn the strategy into actions. She has extensive experience of working in the Small Charity Sector, within an infrastructure/member organisation, as well as working with FCDO and other government departments. Amber agreed to join the board as an interim Chair in October, with an initial 1-year term, but committed to a full term at the January AGM 2023.
Trustee, also CEO Power for the People (PFP)
Janine Edwards
Janine is inspired by the thousands of #SmallYetMighty charities that are working to change our world and is excited to join the Board of SIDCN. A member of SIDCN since she joined PFP in 2021, she has seen the power of peer support to enable small organisations to deliver even greater impact. Janine has extensive experience in the small charity sector, having worked in various infrastructure and membership organisations since 2009.
Trustee, Creative Humanitarian & Feminist Leader, also Founder of Afrikala Arts
Marlene Kawira Kinyua (Marl)
Marl (she/her) is a passionate creative humanitarian working at the intersection of art, mental health, social justice and sustainable development. She is the founder of Afrikala Art, fostering healing and empowerment through art therapy, sports and storytelling and also Hello MEARL, where she simplifies MEARL for small charities and grassroots organisations. Marl is also a mental health advocate, podcast host/producer and seasoned consultant, dedicated to humanising systems, amplifying voices and creating inclusive, people-centred solutions.
Trustee, and fundraising researcher
Yan Chen
​Yan is passionate about improving others' lives, especially through fostering connectivity and understanding between people, cultures, and worlds. She is currently supporting service-minded leaders through fundraising research at a leading educational charity in Oxford. She has worked in community building and programming for an equity-oriented global fellowship, at a startup focused on financial inclusion, and in the creative industries. A graduate of Oxford, Harvard, and Nanjing Universities, she was elected for a Rhodes Scholarship, which cultivates future leaders with a focus on concern for others, energy to lead, and public service. Yan is from China.
Trustee, and Head of Global Foundations at Save the Children International
Anna Ferron Brooker
Anna is a global foundation & philanthropy fundraising and partnerships specialist. She is passionate about human rights and international development and has over 20 years’ experience working in senior management and advisory roles at INGOs and UN agencies. Anna also provides support to small and large charities as a global fundraising consultant and trainer. Anna is based in Sweden and has a master’s in development management.
Trustee and Founder of Crafting Civic Change
Ania Mendrek
Ania is an international labour market and employment services specialist with extensive experience designing and delivering inclusive programmes. Her work supports women, young people and marginalised communities to access employment, training and entrepreneurship. With two decades of experience across Europe and beyond, she has worked with international institutions and development agencies to strengthen employment services, create citizen-centred programmes and build long-term organisational capacity.
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She is strongly committed to the mission of small international development charities, particularly amplifying grassroots voices and shaping policy and funding environments that enable their impact.
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Ania now leads her consultancy, Crafting Civic Change, supporting public, private and non-profit organisations to develop effective, people-centred services. She brings expertise in governance, service design and strategy to SIDCN’s board, together with a commitment to thoughtful voluntary leadership that strengthens the sector.
Trustee and Vice Chair
Awaz Raoof
Awaz is a UK qualified lawyer with over a decade’s experience in the international development sector as a child rights consultant and researcher. As Deputy Director of Coram International, Awaz works with the UN, civil society, children’s groups and governments to protect and promote children’s rights. She has worked in a wide range of countries including Bangladesh, Belize, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Moldova, Nigeria, Poland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, and Zambia. Awaz is a committed advocate of inclusion and equity in the international development sector and is dedicated to supporting small charities and grassroots organisations to have a ‘seat at the table.’
Trustee
Zahrah Ali
Zahrah Ali is a policy professional specialising in climate change mitigation for cities. She has worked on innovative and pioneering decarbonisation strategies for London. Outside of work, she is involved in initiatives relating to climate justice, including supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers through a local community centre, amplifying the social and environmental effects of the global fashion industry on the Global South, and examining the health co-benefits of climate action.
She brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise, combining evidence-based policy design, systems-level thinking, and a deep commitment to equity and justice to support communities most affected by climate change.
Our Staff
Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator, also volunteer at Afrikala Arts, a small charity in Kenya
Alice Njonjo
Alice is part of the Marketing & Communications team with Izzy. She is passionate about building connections and driving impactful projects through customer relations, project management, and social media. Alice also volunteers at Afrikala Arts to support her community.
Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator, also UK Development Manager of a little bit of HOPE
Izzy Elton
Izzy is part of the Marketing & Communications team with Alice. She has a BA in International Development and has worked in the charity sector since 2010. Izzy also manages the UK side of a little bit of HOPE, a small charity working in eastern Uganda.