Meet The Team

Ideas Test has a Board of Trustees as we are a charitable organisation. We also have a Consortium of local community, education, arts and health organisations that oversee our aims and activities. All our major decisions go through our Board and Consortium as a way of holding us accountable to our communities, funders and partners.

Our Board

Jatin Patel

Chair

Jatin is a fashion designer and Creative Director of Rochester-based Kalikas Armour. The brand offers bespoke commissions along with international collaborations, utilising creativity and artistic expression to open dialogue for impactful change. Jatin's experience includes lecturing and teaching as well delivering creative projects in underprivileged schools.

Rob PImenta

Treasurer

Rob is an experienced finance leader, having held senior roles in a range of travel and professional services organisations, including Virgin Atlantic, KPMG, Opodo and the Daily Mail Group. He has worked with both SME and larger businesses, as well as several start-up businesses. He is also an ambassador of child.org, a Kenyan based charity, supporting vulnerable children and single mothers.

Rebecca Brennan-Brown

Trustee

Rebecca is a Kent-based producer and event business owner and graduate of UCA. Her successes include features in The Times and Cosmopolitan and involvement in high profile events including the National Portrait Gallery Gala and UNICEF Halloween Ball.

Alex Cameron

Trustee

Now retired as product manager and chief engineer at BAE Systems, Alex is part of leadership team at the Vines Church, Co-Chair of the Cultural Consortium for the Old High Street Intra and steering committee for the High Street Heritage Action Zone, a member of Rochester Eco Hub and Medway Environmental Action Network amongst other roles.

Virginie Giles

Trustee

Virginie is a marketing and place-making expert and recently Medway Place Manager and Director.

Jane Howard

Trustee

Jane has been CEO of Medway Voluntary Action, the infrastructure organisation supporting and representing Medway's voluntary sector, since 2013. Prior to this, she worked in Further/Adult Education both as a manager and teacher specialising in adult literacy. She has led on a number of national education developments including the Skills for Life Strategy from 2001 to 2010.

Elizabeth Mellen

Trustee

Elizabeth is a visual arts focussed fundraiser and educator.

Nancy Stridgen

Trustee

A community and cultural development professional and experienced cultural programmer and producer, most recently for London Borough of Culture 2022.

Simon Hague

Trustee

Interim Director of Housing for MHS Homes.

Our Consortium

Stephen Perez

Chair

Stephen is Community Insights & Partnerships Lead for Kent Fire & Rescue Service and a director of Arches Local "Big Local", Chatham.

Christine White

Vice-Chair

Christine is Director of Swale Community and Voluntary Service (SCVS).

Xtina Lamb

Consortium Member

Artist, founder and Director of INTRA Arts and Co-Chair of Medway Arts Forum.

Clare Roach

Consortium Member

Creative Arts Higher Education Lead and Head of Medway School of Art.

Faye Thorley

Consortium Member

Faye is a Director of Raybel Charters who are restoring a Thames barge in Sittingbourne by the Barge Museum.

Stephen Wickenden

Consortium Member

Steve is a teacher at Queenborough Primary School and a member of the Swale Cultural Education Partnership.

Our Team

Tracy Brunt

Director

Tracy has oversight of the programme and delivery of our work and is responsible for fundraising and the strategic direction of the company.

Erika Collison

Operations Manager

Contact Erika for queries about finance, recruitment and staffing, evaluation, health & Safety.

Simone Mardell

Marketing Manager

Simone specialises in marketing for the creative sector. Contact Simone for all marketing, social media and website queries.

Maria Dorey

Volunteering Project Manager

Maria leads on Medway Change Makers, a partnership project funded by Spirit of 2012 and works with MVA, Creative Medway and Medway Council, to create events based cultural volunteering opportunities in Medway.

Kevin Grist

Producer & Collaborator

Kevin is a specialist in creating digital work with communities. He is the Creative Director of Electric Medway.

Adrianne Brisley

Project Assistant

Adrianne supports the Medway Change Makers programme

Harley Russell

Youth Producer

Harley is currently working on the Disquiet programme and champions youth voice across Ideas Test's work.