The Team Behind the Programme

Chloe Smee

Chloe leads our programme delivery, working with partners to ensure SFP responds to our members and advocates for them.  This includes coordinating and cohering our multiple workstreams, managing budgets, building regional coherence and enabling meaningful participation. 

Chloe lives in York, wrangling teenagers and a brown spaniel.  Wild swimming, Crossfit, counselling training and long walks keep her busy outside of work, as well as the occasional Berlin techno club.

Andrea Gibbons

Andrea leads on the coordination of the  SFP members' network. She is your point of call for questions about becoming a member, and supporting connection and collaboration. She thinks an awful lot about democratising networks and environmental justice, building on her old community organising days back in the U.S.  

Andrea lives just outside Newport, where she also works as a Food Partnership Coordinator. She is a bit obsessed with writing, social movements, dancing, fruit growing (though veg is alright too), runner ducks and country wine. 

Ben Messer

Ben leads SFP's work on engagement, participation and representation and specialises in the facilitation of participatory research, workshops, events and the co-design of processes, guides and tools. He is an expert facilitator, with over 30 years experience in the UK and the Developing World, helping communities and organisations to work collaboratively and fairly. Ben is also leading our peer to peer networking and mentoring work as well as SFP's response to the #BlackLivesMatter campaign through the REDI for Change programme focused on Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in food sector organisations.

When not facilitating you might find Ben on stage playing saxophone or hunting for owls in ruined barns on the South Downs.

Vera Zakharov

Vera leads on Good Food Movement-building for Sustainable Food Places and the annual Day of Celebration and Action, as well as coordinating the Veg Cities campaign. Her focus is on galvanising local action across the network to drive change at a national level, as well as sharing best practice around supporting public and community action at a local level.

Vera hails from the USSR by way of USA, and lives with her young family in East Sussex. She enjoys foraging, wild swimming and writing poetry when not working or clearing up after little ones.