Colette Isaaks

Director

colette.isaaks@opaal.org.uk

Colette’s early career focussed on consumer protection. Her roles required her to positively influence key UK organisations to treat their customers better. Her success was measured when organisations  provided their consumers with: better quality of services; appropriate, relevant products; and fair and transparent pricing. Her work was totally focussed on enabling consumers to make informed choices about what it is they want, and at what price.

Her accomplishments include:

• As a Ministerially appointed Non-Executive Director of the Consumer Council for Water, Colette championed the best interests of water customers who are in an economic monopoly situation. She provided consumers with a genuine ability to influence their supplier to deliver high quality services, in a non-competitive environment.
• As Head of Consumer Protection for Legal Services in England and Wales, Colette convinced legal services professionals to change their historic culture and bench-mark their services against the best in the services sector, compelling them to treat their clients as valued customers, who deserve the highest standards of customer service. She also Incentivised legal services providers to give customers a far greater understanding of the processes and pricing of legal services which enhanced providers’ performance, and delivered greater competition and consumer choice.
• As Head of Consumer Protection for the National Lottery Commission, Colette ensured that vulnerable individuals are protected from the problems that can be associated with gambling, whilst maximising the returns for good causes.

After a family orientated career break, Colette’s recent career has been in the marketing sector, taking full advantage of digital innovations to enhance the power of communications for good causes.

Colette has been involved with OPAAL since 2016, first as a Trustee Board member, then as Treasurer, before taking on the role of Director in 2021. Her aims are to:

• Deliver innovative campaigning to promote independent advocacy for older people, to ensure that everyone has an equality of choice in their lives, irrespective of age or circumstance.
• Demonstrate that independent advocacy delivers an excellent return on investment, with recipients showing far greater commitment to health and social care solutions, and better outcomes, when the individual’s needs and wants are at the heart of any care solution.
• Support, encourage and educate organisations to commit to the provision of independent advocacy in any way they can, and promote their valuable efforts and the benefits they deliver to all our older people.

Sharon Jenkins

Operations Lead

sharon.jenkins@opaal.org.uk

I have had a long and varied career in both the private and public sector.  I spent 25 years as a Project Manager and Trainer for HSBC, developing new systems and also worked in the nuclear power industry as a trainer for 5 years, working with apprentices.  I then changed direction and retrained as a charity governance officer  and worked for a couple of small charities in the West Midlands, culminating in my work now with Sandwell Advocacy as a Business Support Officer and OPAAL as the Operations Lead.

I am a gardner, crafter and enjoy sewing and fused glass making and believe very much in the power of using crafts, gardening and nature to help with both mental and physical health.

Finance Lead – email: anne.smith@opaal.org.uk