People Profiles

Craig Owen - Gold Star Communities Project Manager. cowen@wcva.org.uk

Craig is the full-time staff support for the Gold Star project and Wales Africa Links Network, and joined WCVA after 6 years with Oxfam. During this time Craig coordinated Oxfam's global issues campaigning work with communities across Wales, including 2005's Make Poverty History campaign, and during 2006 managed Oxfam International's Tsunami Relief Programme in Aceh, Indonesia. Craig has also travelled and worked in Africa in Angola, South Africa, Lesotho, Kenya and Uganda.

Peter Davies - Coordinator of Wales Civil Society MDGs Task Force. peter@pdpartnership.co.uk

Peter coordinates the work of the MDGs Task Force and provides management support to the Gold Star Project, as well as connecting these international activities into his role as Sustainable Development Commissioner for Wales. He brings extensive experience and connections to the development of the project - click here for Peter's biography.

John Whitaker - BUILD Trustee. jnhwhitaker@hotmail.com

John is a very active voluntary trustee on the board of BUILD (Building Understanding for International Links in Development), with a particular role in supporting and advising on development of the Gold Star Communities Award pilot in Wales and elsewhere. John's huge experience includes ten years as Deputy Director (Marketing) of Oxfam GB, and his wide ranging consultancy work has included the development of strategies for the UK Government's Department for International Development (DfID) for supporting community linking. John represents BUILD on the Gold Star Awards Assessment Panel.

Dr. Kevin Higgins - Chair of UN Gold Star Awards Assessments Panel

As Director of the British Council in Wales, Kevin is a lead member of the MDGs Task Force who brings extensive knowledge in particular from the British Council's work in supporting global schools partnerships and educational links.

Cathrin Daniel - MDGs Task Force Advisor and Gold Star Awards Panel

As Director of Dolen Cymru, the Wales - Lesotho Link, Cathrin brings great experience of coordinating a wide range of linking activities and volunteering between Wales and Africa. Cathrin has previously worked with UNA Exchange and VSO.