Our Team
All of the staff at Navigate are qualified and highly experienced in their respective roles. Most of all, we have a heart for helping people.
Our management team ensure that all strategic decision making and delivery of services places the client at the centre.
Our Guru (CEO) – Mel Allen
Mel works full time for Navigate and is driven by her desire to tackle social and financial exclusion. Mel worked for Wessex Resolutions CIC for 13 years, with 10 years as a senior manager for the organisation. Mel was instrumental in the development and implementation of money and debt advice services and has been responsible for all advice activity since its inception including; fundraising, building stakeholder relationships, managing and monitoring performance and developing new products and services in response to the growing needs of people facing social and/or financial exclusion.
Mel is supported by an experienced team of advisers and community development officers. Navigate are committed to delivering high quality, accessible services and all of us are extremely proud to be part of a team effecting positive change and achieving incredible, sometimes life changing, outcomes for the people we work with.
The Team
The Trustees
About Claire …
Claire was originally employed as a Money Advice Caseworker with Wessex Resolutions CIC in 2017 and moved into the role of Service Delivery Manager in 2020. She has nearly 20 years of experience in money, benefits and debt advice and is also an Approved Intermediary which means that she can apply for Debt Relief Orders on behalf of our clients.
Claire also holds the Certificate in Money Advice Practice (CertMAP). The Certificate is the only debt advice qualification specifically for free-to-client debt advisers in England. The certificate is awarded by Staffordshire University in partnership with the IMA. CertMAP is a university level course which covers all the main aspects of a debt caseworker’s role.
Having direct experience of working hand in hand with clients and the personal knowledge of how it feels to advise and support clients who may be in crisis and in distress, Claire is the listening ear for the team. She is also instrumental in ensuring that our services remain relevant and efficient and in supporting the team with their professional development and their money advice casework. Claire leaves no stone unturned when working with our clients or the team to ensure the highest quality service and best outcomes for the people we work with!
If you are interested in this role – please find out more here:
Money Advice Team Leader • Navigate (navigatecharity.org.uk)
About Nikki …
Nikki has worked for Navigate since 2019 and has a varied role within the charity including compliance, accounts and business support. She is often the first person that clients or referrers speak to which makes the job very interesting.
Nikki has completed various qualifications since starting with Navigate including a qualification in teaching in the lifelong learning sector which has enabled her to deliver our financial literacy sessions, Navigate the Money Maze (NtMM).
Nikki says she truly enjoys working with our clients and she hopes that she can give them helpful tips and tools to manage their finances moving forward. Seeing a learner take on some of our guidance and advice is very rewarding as Nikki knows she has played a part in empowering them.
Nikki feels privileged to be part of the Navigate team and our aims and ethos are something she feels very passionate about.
About Roxi …
Roxi is the Marketing and BGET Partnership Lead for the rural areas of mid and north Devon. Roxi is enthusiastic, driven and gregarious with professional passions for building resilience across communities and within individuals. She enjoys connecting people so that collaboration produces effective and efficient outcomes.
Roxi is a mum of 4 young children. She loves to be outdoors, dance, read and is actively involved in her local community in a voluntary capacity. She likes to challenge herself and strive to continually learn – she has recently become a National Numeracy Champion.
About Julie …
Julie joined the team in October 2020 to work for Navigate in the rural areas of Torridge and west Devon within the Transitions project. Julie comes from a background in education, both in schools and adult education. Julie has worked within mental health settings, care homes, learning disability services and social care and has extensive experience of working across Devon in community-based projects, in both an employed and voluntary capacity.
Julie enjoys networking and bringing people together to make positive things happen, and much of her work has been around this. She brings a lot of creative energy to the post, and enjoys thinking outside the box and approaching things in an original way.
About Jan …
Jan has been a valued team member for over 8 years and works in the Transitions service in Torridge and West Devon. Jan is an experienced money, debt and benefits adviser and is the first port of call for any new referrals into our service. Jan supports clients and referral partners in checking they are eligible for the service and providing immediate advice and support over the phone to ensure there are no emergencies that need immediate intervention. Jan is always willing to go the extra mile to support people and ensure they receive the best possible service!
About Matt …
Matt began working for Navigate in 2021 as our BGET Devon Client Liaison Officer, keeping in contact with clients from their very first contact with us until they are allocated an adviser. Matt co-ordinates all the new enquiries in his project area and builds relationships with our referral partners. He demonstrates every day how our clients remain at the centre of every decision.
Matt previously worked in mental health and in occupational health which makes him well placed in helping our clients. He is friendly and knowledgeable whilst always providing that much needed reassurance to those who may be struggling.
About Gill …
Gill originally worked in education as a teacher but felt she needed a change in vocation and moved into criminal law. She found the greatest satisfaction in supporting her clients to find ways to improve their situation and increase their self-esteem helping them to reduce the risks of reoffending.
After moving to the Westcountry she was looking for a fresh opportunity to help people change their lives for the better. Gill started working for the Wisermoney project in September 2020 as Trainee Money Advice Caseworker across Devon and Somerset. Since her time with Navigate, and through her professional development, Gill has been able to help clients deal with problem debts, budgeting, financial literacy and maximising income.
In May 2021, Gill became the in-reach worker for the Torridge Rough Sleepers Project. She uses her skills obtained through her previous job roles to help newly-housed clients gain the skills required to maintain their tenancy. This wrap around service relies on Gill’s ability to develop trusting working relationships with her clients and finding creative ways to support them. Gill also works as the Transitions Client and Partnership Liaison Officer where she triages clients into the service and focuses on our social policy by highlighting how decision making can sometimes unfairly disadvantage some of our more vulnerable clients.
About Jo …
Jo joined us in 2021 as a Money Advice Caseworker in west Devon and Torridge for the Transitions project. After satisfying a year’s practice and training requirements, Jo became an Approved Intermediary meaning she can complete Debt Relief Orders on behalf of her eligible clients.
Jo’s background includes working as a community support worker where she enabled people in the local community to live as independently as possible. She has experience of dementia, complex illness and end of life care, all of which is of enormous value to her role. Jo has always been drawn to helping others and she enjoys working with people to build their motivation, confidence and capability to help them achieve their personal goals. Jo’s approach is one in which she spots a problem and will immediately focus on resolving it right away and she has achieved some amazing financial gains for her clients.
About Becky …
Becky is one of our very experienced Debt and Energy Advisers working on behalf of the BGET project in Somerset. Becky often helps her colleagues and is very solution focused in her approach.
Becky delivers debt and money advice to people who often have additional requirements such as a health condition, disability, communication difficulties or those who might be struggling with mental health issues alongside their financial problems. Becky is an Approved Intermediary which means that she can guide her eligible clients towards obtaining a Debt Relief Order.
She enjoys being an advocate for people who do not have a voice as well as encouraging them to take action for themselves. Becky has a very pragmatic approach and with a background in education, she thinks it is important for clients to identify their own priorities and work alongside them as they gain confidence. She is enthusiastic about money saving and is a keen follower of Martin Lewis from the moneysavingexpert.com (she loves to find a bargain!).
About Maria …
Maria joined Wisermoney in October 2018 as a Mental Health Caseworker working alongside the money advisers. Maria’s background is in the statutory sector, working with a variety of people of all ages with various physical and mental health issues. She quickly became very inquisitive regarding the client work the money advisers were doing and joined us as a trainee money adviser. Maria is one of our most experienced advisers, helping more people work towards their financial goals and deal with their problem debts.
Maria has completed the Certificate in Money Advice Practice (CertMAP). The Certificate is the only debt advice qualification specifically for free-to-client debt advisers in England. Awarded by Staffordshire University in partnership with the Institute of Money Advisers, CertMAP is a university level course which covers all the main aspects of a debt caseworker’s role.
Maria builds a great rapport with her clients and she often spots other concerns that they might have otherwise kept hidden and will invest the extra time needed to organise specialist agencies and support for them. Maria has an encyclopaedic knowledge of services in her local area. The testimonials that Maria receives from her clients speak volumes about her ability to form trusting and meaningful relationships with her clients.
About Sheryl …
Sheryl joined Navigate in 2022 and works across mid Devon. Sheryl supports clients, many of whom have mental health needs to assist them in navigating their financial situation and difficulties, offering advice and guidance whilst empowering them to become confident in managing their finances.
Throughout her career, Sheryl has worked in supportive services and roles including general housing, tenancy sustainment and managing mental health support services. She is extremely passionate about fairness and equality, growing up in the social care system has given her many tools and great insight into what works well and the struggles of navigating services for people. She enjoys being part of people’s journey to reach their goals and aspirations and is something she finds truly rewarding.
About Martine …
Martine joined us in 2021 as the Community Health and Social Care Team Voluntary Representative for the Complex Care Teams for Barnstaple, Torrington, Holsworthy, Bideford and Ilfracombe. Previously working for Wessex Resolutions CIC for 14 years where she was instrumental in helping clients achieve a safe, warm and secure home, Martine can now bring all her skills with her as she joins us at Navigate as the BGET Devon Benefits and Energy Adviser.
Martine is committed to supporting clients by maximising their income through what can seem like a very complex benefits system. Martine will also help clients with supplementary applications for other benefits and passported entitlement.
About Abbie …
Abbie joined the team in November 2018 as a Debt and Energy Adviser for the BGET project. Abbie has become an extremely skilled adviser and delivers money and debt advice across the Mid Devon district through home visits.
Abbie’s background is in housing and homelessness and she has a wealth of experience to support clients with their financial difficulties. Abbie has a “can do” approach to her role and is driven by her desire to help people and effect positive change. Abbie is an Approved Intermediary which means she can guide eligible clients towards completion of Debt Relief Orders. Many of the clients Abbie works with experience very poor mental health which makes their ability to engage with us more difficult. Abbie is extremely skilled at customising her approach to ensure these clients are given every opportunity to work with us and she will often provide the money and debt advice alongside the Money and Energy Mentor from Mind who can build in extra time and reassurance to help the client succeed.
About Emma …
Emma joined Navigate in 2022 as a Debt and Energy Adviser working with the BGET Somerset project. Emma wanted to be a social worker from an early age but life got in the way and she fell into working within local government including within the council tax recovery team. During that time, Emma experienced setbacks including bereavement and poor health which, she says, helps her understand the needs of our clients as she has plenty of lived experience.
Despite living with a chronic health condition, she made the decision to do everything she could to work again but this time she was going to follow her desire to help others. Emma had worked previously in partnership with Citizens Advice, so she approached them with regards to becoming a volunteer case worker. Emma has also worked for a local credit union which gave her the insight and skills around understanding responsible lending and affordability. These roles strengthened her passion to work within money advice and, now, fast forward 5 years and a path that wasn’t always as straightforward as she would have liked, she finally feels she has the job she wanted to do for so long!
Emma finds the job fulfilling and values the many opportunities she has been given to develop her skills. Navigate as a charity does so much to change people’s lives and Emma says she is proud and privileged to be a part of the Navigate family.
About Kim…
Kim joined the partnership in May 2020 and joined Navigate as the BGET Debt and Energy Adviser in 2022. Kim has become a very confident adviser and has become an Approved Intermediary which allows her to process Debt Relief Orders for eligible clients.
Kim says her work gives her a sense of great self-satisfaction, and that working with people who do not know where to turn and changing their lives is joyful.
Prior to joining the partnership, Kim had always worked in financial services, again roles which helped people achieve their life gaols. Kim says she has always been drawn towards helping others and build their confidence, motivation and capability to enhance their lives.
See ‘Work For Us’
About Jeremy…
Jeremy is a chartered accountant who has spent most of his career working with small and medium sized fast-growing businesses in a variety of sectors, most of which have been backed by private equity.
Now retired, he is taking a more leisurely pace, enjoying walking and surfing (badly) in Devon and Cornwall, cycling, playing tennis and walking the dog with his wife Sally. With a daughter in the Royal Navy he is also travelling the world vicariously!
Jeremy joined Navigate as a Trustee in August 2022 and became Chair of Trustees in April 2023. He is a strong believer in the values of Navigate and the immense benefit that it brings to people in real need.
About Andrew …
Alongside being a trustee for Navigate, Andy is Chief Operating Officer for Mind in Somerset, a local mental health charity and a trustee for Taunton Heritage Trust, a local almshouse charity.
Married with two children, Andy and his family enjoy playing tennis, cycling and walking on the Quantocks. Andy is also a Green Party Councillor for West Monkton & Cheddon Fitzpaine Ward in Somerset West and Taunton.
Andy is a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainer. Navigates work has been of interest to Andy as he helped Mind nationally develop a mental health and financial capability training course, and believes that if we meet people’s basic needs of a safe home, living needs, and fulfilment many mental health issues would be prevented.
About David…
Before taking early retirement in 2017, Dave spent most of his working career as an Independent IT Consultant with varying roles in a variety of blue chip companies, including BP Exploration, Oracle, Glaxo, the DTI, SWEB and Thorn EMI. He had significant experience in design and development of software projects, and later in technical authoring and bid writing. Dave has just completed nine years on the board of a Taunton homeless charity, and is a trustee for the Handcycling Association of the UK (a national charity) as well as their treasurer. He also acts as treasurer for a local church PCC.
Dave has had multiple voluntary roles over many years. With a keen interest in kayaking he qualified as a paddlesports coach and taught many people canoeing and kayaking, for fifteen years, was chair of a local wheelchair sports club for people with physical and learning disabilities, is a qualified cycle coach and helps run sessions at the local children’s cycle club, and runs coaching sessions at Stoke Mandeville for disabled people trying handcycling for the first time. In his spare time Dave does a lot of handcycling, including acting as occasional ride leader for a local cycle club, is a keen competitor in Blokarting (a form of land sailing), runs a monthly singers and musicians circle, sings and play the guitar, makes things from pallet wood and is a keen DIYer.
About Andrew…
Andrew spent the first 23 years of his career working for HSBC Bank, undertaking various lending and operational management roles in the Bank’s branch network. A growing dissatisfaction with the culture of retail banking led Andrew to the conclusion that it was time to find a more ethical career path. Andrew was privileged to have the opportunity to create and establish a new Home Improvement Loan Scheme with what was then Wessex Reinvestment Trust. The business grew and diversified over time but as Chief Executive and Managing Director, Andrew was able to lead a team of gifted people who succeeded in making Wessex Resolutions one of the leading Community Finance providers in the South West. Navigate Charity grew from within this setting, led so ably by Mel Allen, and Andrew is excited to be part of the continuing story of success.
In his spare time, Andrew undertakes exam invigilation duties for a local school and also serve as a Magistrate. He also enjoys reading and spending time with his grandchildren.
About …
Contact us to find out more about working for Navigate.
About Claudia….
Claudia Mcvie is a dedicated advocate for grassroots development and community empowerment and has spent most of her career in the third sector starting may years ago with Oxfam in their retail division. With a passion for driving positive change at a local level she has committed her personal and professional life to making a difference in communities. She has first hand experience of developing projects that have transformed individuals and neighbourhoods the most notable being the launch of mobile chemotherapy units.
In addition to her passion she has a wealth of skills and attributes including strong analytical skills and a keen ability to think critically all no with clear thinking and logical reasoning.
Claudia lives in London with her partner and their black Labrador Nisha. She has two children and 6 grandchildren 4 of whom sadly live in NZ. She loves travelling ,is a member of her local rock choir and works as a volunteer for several charities.
About Dawn …
Dawn is volunteering as a trustee for Navigate alongside her current role as Director of Fundraising and Communications for The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, an equine welfare charity improving the lives of horses, ponies and people. She’s been fortunate to build skills across fundraising and marketing communications disciplines in the charity sector over the past 20+ years.
More recently, Dawn has qualified as an equine assisted learning facilitator with a specific purpose certificate in life and workplace coaching and is a Mental Health First Aider. It’s the combination of helping animals and improving people’s wellbeing and helping them see the best in themselves that is of great interest to Dawn.
She’s drawn to Navigate for the individual and expert support offered to individuals and families facing financial hardship and how they’re given the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their money.
Dawn lives in East Devon and considers herself to be an artist-in-training, practising mindfulness while attempting oil paintings of landscapes, seascapes and animals! She’s married and has one child and two cats. When not painting, Dawn enjoys walking, mountain biking and kayaking as often as possible.
About Jen …
Jen Windsor serves as the Training and Development Manager at Navigate Charity, leveraging over 20 years of expertise in Welfare to Work and Education contracts. Having lived in Somerset since birth, Jen is committed to improving communities and the lives of individuals in the South West. A strategic and innovative leader, she specialises in bid writing, securing government contracts, and delivering operational excellence. With a focus on performance management, partnership building, and team development, she excels at transforming complex information into actionable delivery plans that drive impact and growth..
