Chain Reaction

Arthur Potts Dawson has been cooking for twenty one years. He started with a three year apprenticeship with the Roux brothers, worked with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place for two years, with Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers at the River Café for four years, Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall and Pierre Khoffman both for a year. He worked as Head Chef at the River Café and went on to restyle Petersham Nurseries Cafe, re-launch Cecconi's restaurant, and to work as executive head chef for Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Restaurant.  In 2006 Arthur created two sustainably aware urban restaurants, Acorn House & Water House in London. Arthur is passionate about the variety of food on offer in towns and cities and created a menu of 'Modern London' cuisine for Acorn House that exemplifies the diversity of the city in which he was born.  Arthur has written his first book The Acorn House Cookbook, and teaches 10 young 'trainees' a year in sustainable catering at Acorn House, is a trustee of the Blue Marble trust/the Living Medicine Project and is a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Arthur has just returned from Turin Italy where he represented England as Ambassador Chef at Terra Madre.  Arthur appears on the television show Market kitchen every week, is a guest chef on Saturday cooks, writes for the Guardian food/travel section and has worked on three shows for BBC radio 4 food programme.  The People’s Supermarket offers a new way of shopping that aims to change the way we buy food.  This is a supermarket that is run by the people, for the people, selling the best food at the lowest possible prices.  Forget anonymous superstores which make millions of pounds of profit and become a member of The People’s Supermarket.

Phil’s profile has grown with the support of the National Media and our British Public who initially felt compelled to join him on his quest to raise well over £1million for Help for Heroes. It was through his many challenges including rowing the English Channel, walking the London Marathon and Climbing El Capitan (all within a six month period) a year after being paralysed and told that it was highly unlikely that he would walk again, that has seen his inspiration and determination affect thousands. The realization that experiencing difficult and dark days when coping with disability can be hard for many, and led Phil to making a recent announcement that he would be leaving the Armed Forces and channeling his energy to supporting Young People with Disabilities. In addition to Phil’s remarkable support to six charities, his new quest is to build and found the British Inspiration Trust (BRIT); a mutli-million pound Centre of Excellence to provide a residential retreat to enthuse, inspire and provide British Best Practice for Disability. He is currently gaining support throughout the country from our Ambassadors of Sport, Culture, the Arts, Music and Business to volunteer a day a year as “BRIT Mentors”, to stay at the Centre and quite simply, relax with Young People and talk. As well as the Palace of Westminster and Government assisting him with this remarkable potential Centre of Excellence that could give hope to so many, Phil is looking to our British Professionals and British Companies to assist him with the build and long-term sponsorship through their Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies. Phil’s (http://www.philpacker.com) commitment to supporting Young People is inadvertently enthusing them as well; he is on a Quest that is undoubtedly a must for being part of.
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Tessa Jowell was appointed as Minister for the Olympics and Paymaster General in June 2007. In this role, she has direct responsibility for delivery of the Government's overall Olympic programme and reports to the Prime Minister. She also continues to have responsibility for Humanitarian Assistance, which involves providing care and support to victims of major disasters both at home and abroad. Tessa Jowell has been the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Tessa's previous Ministerial appointments were Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2001–2007), Minister of State for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities at the Department for Education and Employment (1999–2001) and Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health (1997–1999). Before her election to Parliament in 1992, Tessa had a career in psychiatric social work, social policy and public sector management and innovation.

Liam Byrne was elected in the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election in July 2004 and was made a Department of Health minister within nine months, where he introduced pioneering individual budgets, oversaw the 2006 White Paper and put dignity in care centre-stage. Help the Aged nominated him as Older Peoples' Champion of the Year for his work. Liam was made Minister of State for Police and Counter-Terrorism in May 2006 before the Home Secretary asked him to lead the re-organisation of the immigration system and the Home Office. In October 2008, Liam was made Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, attending Cabinet, where he led the charge for public sector change, helped co-ordinate the Government’s Real Help Now campaign, and co-chaired the Council of Regional Ministers. Read more about Liam Byrne MP

Since late 2004 Geoff Mulgan has been director of the Young Foundation. Under Michael Young, the foundation initiated dozens of new organisations and initiatives including the Open University and Which, patient-led healthcare and schools for social entrepreneurs. With a staff of over 60 the Young Foundation now combines research, practical projects in dozens of localities, creating new enterprises in the public, private and third sectors, and coordinating a global network of organisations engaged in social innovation. Between 1997 and 2004 Geoff worked in various roles in the UK government including director of the Government’s Strategy Unit and head of policy in the Prime Minister’s office. Before that he was the founder and director of the think-tank Demos and chief adviser to Gordon Brown MP. Geoff has advised many governments around the world and is a part time adviser to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; a visiting professor at LSE, UCL, Melbourne University and the China Executive Leadership Academy; on the boards of the Work Foundation and the Design Council; and chair of Involve and of the Carnegie Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society. His most recent books are The Art of Public Strategy’ (Oxford University Press, 2009) and Good and Bad Power: the Ideals and Betrayals of Government (Allen Lane, 2006).

Michael Green is the co-author, with Matthew Bishop, of Philanthrocapitalism: how giving can save the world. In a foreword to the forthcoming paperback edition of the book President Bill Clinton writes: "Our interdependent world is too unequal, too unstable, and, because of climate change, unsustainable. We have to transform it into one of shared responsibilities, shared opportunities, and a shared sense of community. Bishop and Green show us how to do it." Michael was previously a senior civil servant and has worked for nearly twenty years in international development. His new book about the financial crisis The Road From Ruin, again written with Matthew, will be published in the new year. They blog about philanthropy at http://www.philanthrocapitalism.net

Rod Aldridge OBE is one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs. Rod established the Aldridge Foundation in 2006 to further the work of his charitable trust, encouraging entrepreneurship as the catalyst for social change for young people and their communities. He believes that by empowering young people to direct their own lives, raises aspirations and enables them to realise their true potential. Rod is the Sponsor of two Academies, the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy in Darwen, near Blackburn, and Falmer in Brighton. He is also Chair of v – the new youth-led charity which aims to inspire one million new young volunteers, and The Lowry – the entertainment and arts venue in Salford. The Foundation is also involved with a number of innovative projects which aim to promote entrepreneurship as the catalyst for social change. Read more about the Aldridge Foundation

The Mondragon Co-operative started in 1956 in the Basque Country region in Mondragon, and is a business group made of 264 companies and entities organised in three sectorial areas: Financial, Industrial and Distribution, together with the Research and Training sectors. Mondragons’s mission combines the basic objectives of a business organisation competing in international markets with the use of democratic methods in its organisation and with special emphasis on job creation, the promotion of its workers in human and professional terms and a commitment to the development of its social environment. Read more about Mondragon

Sue Cooper is the Deputy Head of Business Banking at Triodos Bank and the ethical specialist’s leading expert in banking for charities and social enterprises. Sue joined the Bank in 1999, bringing over 20 years experience in a wide variety of roles at a high street bank. Triodos Bank provides a full range of banking services for organisations that benefit people and the environment. Sue helps provide borrowing facilities for some of the most progressive charities and social enterprises across the UK, from large national charities like Golden Lane Housing a subsidiary of Mencap, to The Voicebox in Derby, a venue offering expert voice tuition and music therapy. Read more about Triodos Bank

Dr. Terry Ryall is founding Chief Executive of v, The National Young Volunteers’ Service, which was launched in May 2006. v’s mission is to mobilise a new generation of volunteers aged 16 to 25 and revolutionise the youth volunteering landscape. Terry passionately believes in the transformative power of volunteering as a mechanism to actively involve young people for their own benefit, that of local communities and for society overall. Terry has an extensive background in youth and social work and previous roles have included Director at The Prince’s Trust and Chief Executive of Girlguiding UK.
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Rachel Elnaugh is one of Britain's highest profile female entrepreneurs. At the age of 24 she created the market leading experiences brand Red Letter Days on a shoestring budget from the front room of her home, which went on to generate over £100million in turnover in the 16 years that she ran it, and in doing so pioneered the UK's £250 million experiences sector. This earned her an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002, as well as being short listed for the 2001 Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award and the Growing Business Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002. In early 2005, Rachel shot to fame as one of the original Dragons in BBCTV's Dragons' Den. After the well-publicised crash of Red Letter Days in 2005, which followed the ill-advised expansion of the business three years earlier, Rachel stepped away from the media spotlight and has been working in the small business sector ever since, inspiring, motivating and helping entrepreneurs to achieve personal success Read more about Rachel Elnaugh

Martha Lane Fox co-founded lastminute.com in 1998 with business partner Brent Hoberman, floated the business in 2000 and remained on the company’s board until its sale in 2005. It is currently still Europe’s largest travel and leisure website. Martha is founder of Lucky Voice which currently has four bars and a growing online application. Martha is also Founder and Chair of Antigone.org.uk, her own grant-giving foundation. Martha is a Non-Executive Director at Marks & Spencer plc, Channel 4 Television and Mydeco and a Trustee of Reprieve. In 2009 Martha was appointed the government’s first Champion for Digital Inclusion. Read more about Martha Lane Fox

Shaks Ghosh is the first Chief Executive of the Private Equity Foundation. For the previous nine years she was Chief Executive of Crisis, a homelessness charity in the UK. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Shaks pursued a career in housing and regeneration working at Community Housing Association and the National Housing Federation. The Private Equity Foundation’s mission is Full Potential. It is focused on helping disadvantaged young people to develop as learners, workers and good citizens. Our model borrows tools and techniques from the business sector and supports community organizations to increase their scale and impact. We are committed to engaged philanthropy and provide opportunities for our members to make a real difference to the communities and where they do business. Read more about the Private Equity Foundation

Helen is the Managing Director of the UK online centres - a division of Ufi. She is responsible for ensuring the success and development of the UK online centres network. Helen has over 20 years experience of working in the e-learning industry starting in 1985 in the private sector with The Times Network Systems, developing online education services for schools. She has been at Ufi, the organisation behind learndirect and UK online centres, since 1999 Read more about UK Online Centres

Angela Smith has been MP for Basildon and East Thurrock since 1997. Prior to taking up her appointment in June 2009 as Minister for the Third Sector at the Cabinet Office Angela's previous posts included: Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister (June 2007 - June 2009, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (May 2006 - June 2007), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (October 2002 - May 2006), Assistant Government Whip (June 2001 - October 2002), Parliamentary Private Secretary to Paul Boateng Home Office Minister (October 1999 - May 2001).

 Rajeeb (23) - who has been named as one of the UK’s “rising stars of the business world” by Spectator Business Magazine - is the Founder & Chairman of the English Secondary Students’ Association (ESSA) – a national young people led organisation empowering secondary school students and giving them a voice in education. ESSA has engaged thousands of students in campaigning activities via its “Campaign for Change” initiative. Rajeeb is also the Founder/CEO of Enternships.com, a service providing “entrepreneurial work placements” by connecting talented students and graduates to start-ups, SMEs and “intrapreneurial” firms around the world Read more about ESSA

 Sophi is Managing Director of Divine Chocolate Ltd, the pioneering Fairtrade company co-owned by farmers. She has a high profile as a champion of the company’s mission to improve the lives of smallholder cocoa farmers in West Africa through a fairer trading relationship, and is an innovative marketeer, creating a brand that delights and engages consumers. Read more about Divine Chocolate

Rajay Naik is Former Chairman of the British Youth Council. With over 150 members after being set up by the FCO in 1948, BYC is the voice for young people in the UK. Rajay is also a UK Board Member of the Big Lottery Fund – the largest national lottery grants distributor which has allocated £2.5 billion since 2004. He is also a Commissioner of the Standing Commission on Carers which advises Ministers on how to support the UK's 6 million carers. Rajay is a college Governor and chairs a subgroup of the Local Strategic Partnership in his hometown of Coventry. He formerly served as a Trustee of several charities and was a council member of the Learning and Skills Council. In 2006 he was commissioned by NESTA to co-author 'Learner Voice' and in 2007 was the UK's youth representative to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda. Rajay has previously worked at the RSA and Office of the Third Sector and is an ambassador for the Make Your Mark campaign. He was first inspired after being one of 30 pupils on the hit Channel 4 TV show, ‘That’ll Teach ‘Em’ which placed young people in a recreated 1950’s boarding school. You can follow Rajay here: http://www.twitter.com/RajayNaik

Chris is a group facilitator, mediator and organisational change consultant, whose experience and current activities span a broad range of sectors, industries and situations. Chris’s base is 14A, a small but perfectly proportioned consultancy in Greenwich, which he founded with his business partner Ann Lyon in 2002. Chris is a trustee of the Youth Sport Trust, and a Board Member of the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership Read more about 14A