Staff
Lizzie – Centre Director
Lizzie led the marketing and communications teams at one of the UK’s leading specialist cultural tour operators for over 9 years, managing a broad range of marketing, PR and communications campaigns. She started working for The Weir Link in June 2020 on a voluntary basis, redeveloping the website with Little Robin Web Design and launching social media campaigns.
Lizzie was employed as the Business Development and Marketing Manager for The Weir Link in October 2020 and promoted to Centre Director in November 2022.
Rita – Activities & Events Co-Ordinator
Rita has had links with The Weir Link for many years as two of her daughters attended the nursery. So she was pleased when the opportunity to work here came up and quickly applied. Rita started working for two local charity organisations in 2020, one of them being the Food Bank and that has really inspired her. She says, “there is just something special about working for a charity. It gives me a sense of achievement knowing we are there for the community and its needs.”
Rita has been working for The Weir Link in a variety of roles since January 2022.
Trustees
Mike - Chair
Mike and Liz Hayes have lived in the Hyde Farm area for twenty years.
Mike is an urban planner, whose career has mostly been spent in the public sector – including being Lambeth’s first Director of Regeneration – and for the last ten years he has worked as an independent consultant.
He has been a Trustee of The Weir Link since 2012 and chair since 2014 and is a licensed lay minister (Reader) at St Thomas’ with St Stephen’s Church.
Mike’s ambition for The Weir Link is that it is a force for good in supporting local people to fulfil their potential, bringing people together and building a strong community.
Margaret
Following a lengthy career in education Margaret has recently been working for a variety of local community organisations in business development, operational and administrative roles. She has been involved with The Weir Link for over ten years and is very passionate about using its human and physical resources to empower local people to reduce isolation and strengthen community connections.
Richard
Richard Lea has a background in Social Services, specialising in the development of services for adults with severe learning disabilities. Following retirement he became a Trustee of The Weir Link in 2011. His roles have included supervision and support of the Centre staff and he is currently Company Secretary
Laura B
Laura is a business line manager for a London-based investment company investing in line with three themes: empowering people, revitalising healthcare and building a sustainable planet. Prior to this she managed the investment team at a boutique media investment firm, and she started her career by qualifying as a chartered secretary. Laura has lived in South London since 2010, moving to Clapham Park in 2020, and has a son at the Weir Link nursery. Laura became a Trustee of the Weir Link in March 2024.
Laura H
Laura lived on the Weir Estate for several very happy years, and is staunchly passionate about the people and the community who live there. Now living only a few roads away on the Hyde Farm Estate, Laura was inspired by the work of the Weir Link after attending the Summer Party is 2023. Subsequently she began volunteering with the Homework Club, and became a trustee of the charity in early 2024.
Laura is a HR professional and, working across the UK and Middle East in various roles, has evoked a deep interest in inclusion across cultures.
Carlo
Carlo is a commercial barrister at Crown Office Chambers, specialising in commercial, professional negligence, insurance and construction litigation. He read law at Downing College, Cambridge, and spent time at PriceWaterhouseCoopers before going to the Bar. His connection with The Weir Link dates back to 2008 when he worked to develop the business and service monitoring systems. He has been on the Board of Trustees since 2017 and is currently the Treasurer.
James
James is a senior lawyer for a major global sport having previously spent nearly a decade at a US law firm in the City. He has lived in South London since 2014 initially in Brixton before moving to Clapham Park in 2020. His association with the Weir Link began when his son started at the nursery in 2021. James became a Trustee of the Weir Link in March 2024.
Rachel
Rachel is a SENDCo in a prep school in Putney and has over 20 years of experience as a teacher, including working in primary schools in Lambeth for five years. She has lived in Balham for 13 years and attends St Thomas with St Stephen's Church. Rachel used to run the Brownies in St Stephen's Church and has had links with the Weir Estate through this and her work in a local primary school. Rachel has been a Trustee of The Weir Link for a year.
Volunteers
Hilary
Hilary was a member of the congregation at St Thomas with St Stephen when the idea of transforming the old laundry into "The Weir Link" was first born.
She tells us: “I watched with excitement as a derelict site became something very beautiful at the heart of our community. I joined The Weir Link as a trustee in 2010 and served for two terms. During that time I became Company Secretary, minutes secretary and eventually book keeper. I have now ceased to be a trustee but still do the book-keeping - mainly from home now. I greatly enjoyed my time actually being in The Weir Link office and meeting all the various users of the centre and very much hope to return there to work in the future.”