Meet the team

Dan is director of 3ni, a new social value partnership, recently spun-out from Local Trust. 3ni brings together policy, practice, and the latest research and cutting-edge data and diagnostic tools to support local government and public sector partners to work with disadvantaged communities to transform neighbourhoods across the country. It also hosts the national network for neighbourhood improvement, sharing best and next practice to support community-led regeneration.

He incubated 3ni at Local Trust, where he previously led the policy team, in particular on the work and research programme for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods, advocating for a Community Wealth Fund, and making the case for C4, the ESRC-funded Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness. Dan has a background in local and regional government, working for the elected Mayors of London and in the north east of England, in regeneration policy at the Homes and Communities Agency, and for the think tanks Localis, New Europe, The Young Foundation, and Collaborate. He has been an elected leader in the British co-operative movement, serving as Vice-President of the Co-operative Group where he led on the creation of its community strategy and as a trustee of the Co-operative Foundation. He is a Fellow of the RSA.

George brings over 15 years of experience across the public and third sectors, having held senior roles at organisations including Designability, The Bishop’s Palace, and Capacity. His background spans heritage, health, and community-focused charities, with experience leading clinical service delivery, managing complex capital projects, and overseeing charity strategy, finance, and impact. Before joining 3ni, George worked as a Senior Designer and Doer at Capacity (host of 3ni), where he led place-based projects for local authorities and VCSE partners, while helping to shape the organisation’s internal learning, systems, and business development.

At 3ni, George draws on a strong foundation in operational leadership and systems thinking to co-create practical strategies for neighbourhood improvement. Passionate about community-led change, he brings a thoughtful, delivery-focused approach to strengthening local social infrastructure and helping public services work better for the people they serve.

Célia started her career by joining the Charityworks programme and spent four years in social housing, working in community development and insights. She is passionate about developing genuine co-production methods and supporting people to develop opportunities from the ground up. Before joining 3ni, Célia spent some time supporting grassroot organisations  with their grant management and general business development. She is also a Rising Leader Fellow at Aspen UK.

In her current role, Célia coordinates all of 3ni’s member activities and events, as well as our communication strategy. She also uses her experience of working in neighbourhoods to support the team in developing innovative strategies for local authorities.