Our Mission and Vision
What is ACE
Alnwick Community Enterprise (ACE) is a dynamic community-led organisation established to drive inclusive economic growth and regeneration of Alnwick and North Northumberland.
We are focused on driving local projects that improve skills, jobs, health, housing and community well-being.
We are established as a company limited by guarantee with charitable purpose focused on investing all we generate in community-focused outcomes.
We bring together passionate residents, employers, young people, public services and regional partners to unlock funding, coordinate delivery and ensure all our communities, businesses and partners benefit from major national, regional and local investment opportunities.
Why ACE is Needed
We are proud.
Alnwick is a gem, rich in history, culture and natural & built assets, but (as with many rural communities) we face structural challenges:
- An aging population
- Youth out-migration
- Limited training and skills provision
- Low-paid seasonal work
- Increasing inequalities across education, employment, health and housing.*
We have listened and engaged in out community and our employers often struggle to recruit skilled staff, levels of higher education are below national averages and our young people report uncertainty about a future in their town, with only 20% expecting to stay here as adults.
At the same time, we know national and regional investment is growing, and a strong community led organisation can make all the difference to advocacy, connectivity and delivery capacity.
By coming together with a clear strategy and co-ordinated plan, we want to secure our share of the available investment to drive our initiatives that we as a community identify.
ACE exists to close these gaps.
*Central and East Alnwick now sit within the most deprived 25% of areas nationally, with education and health outcomes worsening in our most disadvantaged communities
© 2026 Jane Coltman
How ACE works
ACE's first portfolio focuses on four pillars of sustainable growth, each addressing a root cause of local inequality and reinforcing the others.
These are:
- Skills
- Enterprise
- Place
- Housing (No current projects)
Community engagement and participation are at our core. ACE aims to embed participation via three permanent structures:
- Alnwick Community Catalyst - Practical support for local groups, enabling new community projects annually, strengthening belonging, wellbeing and social structure.
- Alnwick Business Alliance - A forum for co-ordinated business collaboration focused on economic growth and providing skills development for business, networking opportunities across all sectors and advocacy for a stronger local economy.
- Young Alnwick Youth Forum - A structured voice for 11-19 year olds to shape regeneration and local decision making, responding to young people's call for more opportunities and spaces.
© 2026 Jane Coltman
Meet The Board
Our Board is made up of a cross section of the community - all of whom are volunteers.
Mark Brassell
Mark is a Chartered Management Accountant and has served as CEO of The Alnwick Garden for over a decade. During his tenure, he has driven the Garden’s commercial growth and expanded its positive impact within the community. Passionate about Alnwick and its potential, Mark works closely with regional tourism and economic development organisations to champion the area’s continued growth and success.
Ian Brown
Ian is a rural entrepreneur, the driving force behind Lee Moor Business Park,(4 miles east of Alnwick) a venture that transformed his family's farm into a hub for 18 different businesses. Ian has created 15 of his own businesses over the last 40 years and split his time equally between Governmental roles, private business and charities/social enterprises.
Rosie Bush
Councillor Rosie Bush is the representative from Alnwick Town Council on the ACE Board. Rosie represents Alnwick Hotspur Ward and is also a teacher of English and Classics at Duchess Community High School. Rosie is also a trustee of BOOST, which supports young people attending the high school.
Helen Dean
Helen is an experienced CEO and Board Chair with a track record of delivery in a range of diverse roles within Government, financial services, and the charity sector. Previously an advisor to Government ministers, she was until recently the CEO and founder of Nest, a significant financial institution with assets now, of over £60 Billion. She is now following a portfolio career including being the Chair of the Standard Life Mastertrust Pension and the Senior Independent Director and Trustee of Step Change Debt Charity and a Trustee of the Bailiffgate Museum in Alnwick.
Hugh Ferrand
Hugh worked in Financial markets for 43 years, working in Sydney, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Edinburgh and London in a variety of roles. Hugh was also a Governor of Birkbeck College, University of London, for 9 years. He sat on and chaired two committees over a longer period, Finance and General Purposes, which covered all aspects of the College apart from teaching, and the Investment Committee which oversaw the College’s endowment. Amongst other interests, Hugh is a Trustee of The Gefrin Trust and on the Investment Committee of a large charitable Endowment based in London.
Nick Jeffreys
Nick has recently retired from his role at UNESCO where he was Assistant Director-General for Administration and Management. Prior to this Nick held the position of Comptroller at the World Health Organization.
Mark Jones
Mark is a well known local entrepreneur with deep roots in this area, commercial acumen and a track record of delivering several successful local catering businesses including the highly successful transformation of the Dirty Bottles.
Fiona McCusker
Fiona was brought up in Alnwick and with over 20 years’ experience in outward-facing roles, she has a strong track record of strengthening partnerships across sectors and engaging a wide range of stakeholders. She currently works as a Strategic Partnerships Manager at Newcastle University, supporting some of the University’s most significant industrial collaborations. Fiona is also passionate about the arts and proud to serve as a Trustee of Alnwick Playhouse.
Melanie Thompson-Glen
Melanie is Head of Business and Innovation at the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). She has 25 years of experience working in rural business support over which time she has held a variety of roles providing practical support for rural businesses to grow and export.
Carl Watson
Carl is a Global Legal Director within a large, international design and engineering firm. Carl is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer who works globally and recently returned to live back at “home” in Northumberland. He is a Trustee at the Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery and Member of the Advisory Board of Newcastle University Law School.