What people say about us
The partnership between Live Karma Yoga and Roots to Change has been nothing but inspirational. It has been truly wonderful to be able to collaborate on such an important topic and bring awareness to the effects of violence towards women and girls within Wandsworth Borough. Roots to Change has been highlighting the importance of bringing these conversations to the mainstream so that all areas of society can work together to impact change. The workshops delivered by Live Karma Yoga as part of The Big Reshape exhibitions have enabled people from all walks of life to see the importance of healing both personally and collectively. In doing so, our community is able to stay more grounded whilst discussing difficult topics and become more resourced and resilient when tackling issues that affect everyone. The Big Reshape has been an incredible project that breaks down divisions amongst different people and allows us all to see how we can all relate to each other. Through this The Big Reshape brings awareness of how each person can play a part in creating a safer society.
Sarah Gero, Live Karma Yoga
I have worked with Polly since August 2023. Polly has been an advisor supporting Hanwell Big Local through the last 2 years of the project.
Polly has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to enhance the Partnership and the project. That is not where it ends. I am CEO of the Locally Trusted Organisation and a worker on the HBL project. Polly has given me such support and understanding, during what are challenging times for the sector as a whole. Polly goes above and beyond to ensure positive change.
Polly has helped me untangle complex issues relating to community cohesion and change. She has supported me to straighten them out again ensuring they are more efficient and beneficial to the community we serve.
I am so grateful for Polly who has inspired me and I have learnt so much from.
Michelle Bailey, CEO, EASE Hanwell
The Big Reshape is such an amazing project with a much needed mission.
The goal of making a change within today’s system is a challenging one and it feels refreshing to see an organisation (Roots to Change) take on an issue that needs some major attention with such an innovative approach.
I have had the honour of being a part of this project and not only has it been a pleasure, but it has also been a learning experience for me.
Working with individuals to paint what a safer borough of Wandsworth would look like for women and girls has further enhanced my knowledge and understanding of how important it is for the community to work together to address violence against women and girls.
Art has been such a powerful catalyst to introduce the conversation and present information at every insect. We’ve been able to work with individuals from many different walks of life and this is a generational issue so it’s been nice to have young and mature alike work together to think about what we would like see to insure safety for women and girls.
Together with Polly we’ve been able to create a beacon, a hub, a safe, creative and therapeutic space where brushstrokes echo voices of change and inspiration for change. Thank you to Polly for inviting me to be a part of this powerful project which has left a positive pitter-patter all over my heart.
Jay The Creator – Seduced by Art
Working with Polly has been an inspiring experience. From our first meeting, where I immediately gathered understanding from listening to her speak, that Polly’s heart’s pursuit is to cement justice for women and girls, and free them (us) from fear, threat and actual harm and violence of ANY sort whilst bringing the conversation to all people, not just survivors.
Fuelled by personal experiences as well as a deep awareness of what is right and wrong, and the depths of which the conversation needs to go, Polly has developed her project through researching – and whilst doing so, educating and motivating others along the way.
I have seen perseverance in times of what felt like speaking into an echo chamber, Polly has continued to bang her drum and get doors to open.
Joining forces to deliver her art workshops around Wandsworth, and expand the support network through connecting her with others, has given a collaborative and team feeling behind Polly’s project ‘The Big Reshape’, we have helped each other push forward the narrative, and reach joint audiences, bringing art lovers to the conversation, and helps those already experiencing and involved in the conversation to voice themselves through creating their own artwork. I especially enjoyed seeing how people of all ages joined in the workshops, and were welcomed without question.
This joined up working has also forged connections with others we work with, and we have brought Polly in to support other projects. It has been a professional, mutually respectful and fun friendly time together.
Thank you Polly, keep shining the light.
Sal Freckles – Seduced by Art
Roots for Change is an organisation that works hard to bring communities together to create long-lasting change. Working with Polly has been a really positive experience, with clear communication and objectives established from the start. The Big Reshape program has demonstrated that inclusivity and compassion is at the heart of Polly’s approach to research and social change.
Helena Jackson, Artanda Peace and Painting
I really enjoy working with Polly. Her tenacity to seek to understand situations, bring clarity to chaos and carve a clear pathway for all to follow, makes it easier and enjoyable for objectives and priorities to be understood and for you to achieve what you have set out to do. Polly is an excellent strategist and leader who inspires and motivates people to get the job done. I wholeheartedly recommend working with her.
Shaline Manhertz, Founder & Managing Director, Exceeding Your Potential Ltd
I have worked with Polly since 2021. Polly was a new member of the Big Local SW11 Battersea partnership committee while I was the interim independent chair.
Polly has brought clear and consistent messaging, a thorough understanding of inclusivity and its barriers and has been quick to understand the Big Local programme. Polly understands the need for meaningful engagement and participation and is a big advocate for not duplicating effort. She has been able to bring her global experience to a very local programme and understands the power of language acutely. Polly adapts her messaging to ensure those at a community level understand an issue/decision just as well as stakeholders and service providers.
To me, Polly is a safe pair of hands, she is reliable, committed and determined to find solutions. Polly has contributed a lot of her time to the work of BLSW11, most of which has been dedicated to overcoming barriers and championing transparency and clarity in all they do.
I am very thankful for her involvement with Big Local SW11 and I am sure there will be other entities that would benefit from her skills and experience.
Sophie Cowdell, Big Local Advisor, Sophie Cowdell Consulting
Polly is an outstanding facilitator! Her warmth and welcoming personality is reflected in the excellent rapport she quickly builds with people of all ages. Her clear and engaging communication skills allow her to connect with all kinds of people and put them immediately at ease. I thoroughly enjoyed participating in Polly’s workshops, which I found to be knowledgeable and insightful, and focussed on the positive drive for good. Polly and her work are true assets to our community.
Marika Rauscher, participant in focus group discussion
The deep knowledge and experience gained from her international development work and engagement with UK civil society, has given Polly a keen insight into the way organisational and institutional practices often depart from their stated missions. Polly’s approach is from a rights perspective, inclusive, open to criticism and to the voices, concerns and interests of all parts of society. Her ability to crystallise complex issues and ideas to enable others to participate and contribute, is outstanding! Above all Polly has a powerful sense of justice and fairness and a strong self-belief in the possibility of positive change.
David Stone, Big Local SW11
Polly is highly committed and always produced work on time and to a high standard, often going beyond what was initially expected of her. Her positive attitude, her flexibility, sense of humour and solutions-focused approach makes her a pleasure to work with.
Francesca Traglia, ACT Alliance
The team at Gede Foundation and I learnt a lot from Polly through our work on the Time to Change Global mental health anti-stigma and discrimination programme. We will miss her amazing inputs and support in keeping the programme in focus.
I can be sure that our paths will cross somehow and somewhere in the near future and look forward to working with her again.
Godwin Etim, Gede Foundation, Nigeria
Throughout my close to two decades of work around mental health, it’s always been a challenge to find allies that would support work around national, regional, and international advocacy. I met Polly 2 years back and she has been amazing! Mental Health Uganda has massively benefited from her knowledge and skills in developing and implementing programs around mental health stigma, policy and human rights.
Her always great sense of humour, cheerfulness and communication always support good mental health for people around her.
Derrick Mbuga Kizza, Executive Director, Mental Health Uganda
During her time at GambleAware, Polly set up and managed a set of complex and diverse research and evaluations projects that were commissioned by GambleAware. As well as being an effective programme manager, she also has strong analytical ability and evaluation skills. This allows her to clearly see a problem and identify solutions, and she was key to providing strategic thinking within the team.
She succeeded in developing and maintaining excellent relationships with a complex and varied group of stakeholders, including people with lived experience of gambling-related harm, service providers, researchers, policy-makers and colleagues. This is in part to do with her collegiate and participatory style of working, and her effective communication skills
Alison Clare, Director of Research and Evaluation, GambleAware
Polly is a highly experienced research and evaluation professional, who brings with her great knowledge of evaluation processes and best practice. Polly also has extensive experience in the international development field, and has worked with communities all over the world to ensure people’s voices and experiences are heard and understood.
Polly is incredibly hard-working, methodical and thorough, and I enjoyed working with her on gambling-related harm projects.
Dr Bianca Bailey Wilson, GambleAware
Polly worked for Finn Church Aid Cambodia as an independent consultant on two different assignments in 2016/17 and 2018: a context analysis of Cambodia, especially related to education, livelihoods and peace; and an assessment on Cambodian youth. Both included desk studies, focus group and key informant interviews, analysis and making recommendations.
Working with Polly is always a pleasure. She is thorough but quick, communicates very clearly both in writing and orally, listens carefully and has excellent analytical and writing skills. She always delivers on time, with high quality.
Polly is not afraid of making suggestions how to make improvements to an ongoing process. Polly is also very good at using participatory methods during her assignments and communicates with ease and always respectfully with different kinds of stakeholders.
I look forward to future opportunities working with Polly.
Saara Lehmuskoski, Former Country Director, Finn Church Aid, Cambodia
Polly is a highly experienced and resourceful person who has an efficient way of working while still assuring quality throughout her work. Her work included facilitating meetings in multi-cultural environment mixing people from international and local organisations with different backgrounds and capacities. She is motivated and enjoys working with people, bringing enthusiasm and sensitivity to situations.
Her communication is engaging and she has vast contextual awareness in different situations. Her analysis and reporting are performed with care, while still ensuring quality and timely submission. She is appreciated by the people around her and takes initiative to contribute to the best possible outcome of a task.
Mari Laaksonen, Finn Church Aid, Cambodia
I appreciated working with Polly whose support to agencies focussed on different aspects of disasters, disability, human rights and development enabled them to provide high-quality outputs to the donor. Her collaborative and solutions-focussed approach and products help foster more collaborative partnerships amongst key stakeholders working towards common goals. I first met her in Dec 2013 during a consultancy she was doing for Plan International and became familiar with her other work in Myanmar. This included her work leading the Views from the Frontline research study for Global Network for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) for CWS Myanmar and was impressed with the report produced for Myanmar.
I also value the work she did in developing good practice guidance for inclusive, community-led disaster risk reduction.
Loy Rego, Independent Facilitator and Learning Practitioner