The Worshipful Company of Butchers and City Livery Events

Join us at Butchers' Hall for our May Court Lunch when the guest speaker will be Donna Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer, The Clink Charity

Guest Speaker

Donna Marie Edmonds grew up in Croydon, South London. After completing a BA(Hons) at the University of Warwick in English and Theatre Studies, and then a PGCE at Institute of Education, UCL, Donna became a Teacher in 2000.

Between 2000-2022, Donna worked in several schools across London and the Southeast in both the state and independent sector. Donna has AST (Advanced Skills Teacher) status, was deployed to the London Challenge school improvement team, is a Chartered London Teacher, senior leader, advisor, and educational consultant, and most recently as a Headteacher in special need settings. Donna’s expertise is in working with vulnerable children and young people and their families, particularly those with additional needs or those facing the greatest disadvantage and challenge.

After moving to the third sector in 2021, Donna was the Head of Programmes for the arts charity Orchestras for All, and then most recently, Donna has led the education charity Farms for City Children as its Chief Executive. Following pandemic closure, Donna joined FfCC to re-open the organisation, onboard a new staff team, and drive forward a new operational strategy to grow the reach of the charity.

In the last three years, Donna has delivered a new strategy for year-round operations, increased and diversified beneficiary groups, developed three heritage sites in England and Wales, grown the network of partners and collaborators, and increased funding income to ensure the future success of the charity. A major part of her work has been in building a relationship with the Worshipful Company of Butchers and delivering the amazing Festival of Learning last year to showcase the power of the partnership.

Working across the food, farming, environmental and educational sector, Donna is now taking up the role of CEO at the prison reform charity The Clink on the 1^st April. Grounded in the belief that all people deserve second chances, The Clink provides a nurturing rehabilitation programme that reduces reoffending through training opportunities in prison by teaching cooking and horticulture to enable offenders to gain qualifications for employment in the food and hospitality industry upon release.

With ambitious plans to launch Clink College which will play a role in preventing young people aged 16-24 from entering the criminal justice system, and extending the work of Clink Events, the award winning catering service that has already delivered events for the livery including the City Food Lecture, the charity is delivering essential social justice work that serves to cut crime and to build more resilient communities, transforming the narrative around offenders.

Donna is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (FRASE), has been a school governor and a charity Trustee, and has volunteered for several charities. Donna is a mother to 3 children, and wife to Silas, a school Principal, and she lives in London. In her spare time, Donna loves spending time in nature, reading, and attending as many live music events as possible. Her passion is jazz music. She plays the guitar and has sung in many bands.

We look forward to hearing from her in May. 

Important booking info

The price of the lunch is £105 per person, inc VAT which includes drinks reception, a three-course lunch with wine, and a Stirrup Cup.

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