Newsletter Article

The Team

Shaping Norfolk’s Future now has a full team in post after a recruitment campaign that began in February of this year.

Chris Starkie joined in May 2008, after five years as Business Editor of the Eastern Daily Press, the country’s best selling regional morning newspaper.

While at the EDP Chris was named Business Journalist of the Year for the East of England three years running.

His career has also included spells on the newsdesk of Anglia Television in Norwich, as assistant news editor of the Western Daily Press in Bristol and news editor of Bristol radio station Star 107.3. Chris was also previously business editor of the Bristol Evening Post and began his career as a journalist with the Burton Mail in Staffordshire.

He was educated at Nottingham University and Cardiff University, and is married with one daughter.

Emma Finn continues as Director of Marketing. She has spent the last 18 months seconded to the organisation from Norfolk County Council’s Economic Development Unit.

Emma has worked within the private, public and voluntary sectors securing major corporate and trust funding within a range of organisations including the British Red Cross, the Metropolitan Police Service and the communications agency, Educational Communications. This included securing £1 million from Yellow Pages for the sponsorship of Neighbourhood Watch in London.

She has lived and worked in Sydney, Australia and has enjoyed extensive travel in India, Thailand and the USA . She is married with a son.

Jason Middleton was appointed Partnership Manager and has been in post since June 2008. Jason Middleton is Partnership manager for Shaping Norfolk’s future and brings with him ten years experience of working with the private, public and voluntary sectors on a wide range of rural regeneration activities.

Born and raised in Northamptonshire, he moved to Norfolk in 1999 to pursue his career in rural regeneration, initially with Norfolk Rural Community Council and then as Rural Development Officer with Norfolk County Council, where he led a range of rural regeneration activities.

Having lived in Wales, Gloucestershire and Surrey, he has a passion for landscape photography and is a director of Creative Arts East.

Frances Piggott fills our new post as Projects Officer in July 2008. Frances recently graduated from Cambridge University, and, prior to joining Shaping Norfolk’s Future, was a Management Trainee at Broxbourne Borough Council, where she delivered research and projects for the Environmental Services Team.

Frances went to school in King’s Lynn, and has recently moved back to Norfolk.

Also joining us in July is Sharon Arthurton as Shaping Norfolk’s Future’s new Administrator. Sharon joins us from Connexions where she has been working for the past six years as PA to the Team Manager, lending administrative support to a team of 30, as well as helping out with events.