Nicky Willshere, CEO
Since Nicky joined as CEO in 2014 the role has changed greatly, as pressure to attract funding to cover costs becomes more difficult and the need for diversification to deliver projects and offer services that meet the needs of the community increase.
The role requires experience in Project Management, Financial Skills, HR skills, Performance and Operational Management Skills, as well as diplomacy to challenge decision-makers. Partnership working is high on the list, including working across the VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations) and building relationships with our statutory bodies and funders.
Nicky’s 20 years as a senior civil servant bring a wealth of experience to the role, including seven years as a Fraud Investigator and a variety of management positions, with teams of up to 120 staff across the county. During this time, she was also seconded to Deloitte Consulting for a period of 2 years, and her final role was that of Lean Development Centre Manager for the East of England, with National responsibility for Decision Making and Appeals. She was also the manager at Sudbury Citizens Advice before joining Ipswich in 2014 when the position became available.
Nicky has always maintained her connection with the local community, including working as the Stowmarket Town Forum Co-Ordinator for 4 years, as well as having been instrumental in the development of the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts. Currently, Nicky is also a District Councillor in Mid Suffolk District Council.
Margaret Vane, Chief Operating Officer
Margaret joined as Operations Manager for Citizens Advice Ipswich in August 2020. Margaret’s responsibilities include senior management of the Generalist Core service, Money Advice, Welfare Benefits, Income Maximisation, Connect for Health, Long Covid and REACT social prescribing teams, as well as wider operational areas around performance and quality, contractual compliance and service delivery planning. Margaret started her career within the energy industry and spent 23 years in public relations, finance, and operational management roles, before moving to an international fitness brand leader for another 10 years. During this time, Margaret held the post of UK service manager, combining P&L responsibility with the management of customer service, contracts, back office, and technical field teams supporting fitness facilities across the UK. Following a year as Change Manager within a European systems implementation team, she joined SmartestEnergy in Ipswich as Head of Operations and then Operations Improvements Manager, before joining Citizens Advice Ipswich in August 2020. Margaret’s interests include weight training and travel, and she was born and bred in Ipswich.
Helen Bloomfied, Advice Services Manager
Helen has spent a large part of her career working with Citizens Advice. She is an experienced Money Adviser, staff and volunteer trainer, and has expertise in Quality Standards. Helen rejoined Citizens Advice Ipswich in October 2024 as our Advice Services Manager, heading up the 'CORE' Generalist Advice team. In addition to managing the daily advice sessions - with clients accessing our services either in person at our Tower House offices or by telephone or email, the CORE team supports the recruitment, training and co-ordination of volunteer advisers. The CORE service is the heart of our organisation, Helen is taking the lead on Quality of Advice to ensure standards are met and maintained.
Melanie Chew, Contracted Advice Services Manager
A welcomed addition to the Management Team in 2024, Melanie has a background of working in senior positions in the voluntary sector, holding posts at the Seckford Foundation, EACH, The Princes Trust and other prestige organisations. Melanie’s Team covers many of the contracted projects we deliver; The Money Team deliver a debt advice contract on behalf of the Money Advice and Pensions Service and work in partnership with St Giles Trust providing debt advice for probationers. The Specialist Welfare Benefits team undertake complex casework challenging welfare benefit decisions, writing appeals and supporting vulnerable clients. The IMAX (Income Maximisation) team, deliver casework for Cadent, helping clients reduce their costs through energy saving advice or changing suppliers and providers of services. They also investigate additional income that they could possibly be eligible for. In addition, we have recently introduced a new role: the Housing & Employment Specialist who is dealing with complex cases in these fields.
Lisa Baxter, Business Support Manager
The vital role of Business Support is now in Lisa’s capable hands. Lisa has a career history of Office Management and higher-level support to Senior Leadership Teams. Her knowledge and experience are continually tested in the fast-moving business, she supports the entire business, including volunteers, staff and trustees alongside helping manage the premises and office needs. Lisa joined Citizens Advice Ipswich in January 2023
Our Staff and Volunteers
Our amazing team comes from all walks of life, with an incredible variety of skills and previous experience that they bring to their roles to advise, support and empower our clients to find solutions to their problems.
We share a passion to make a difference to the lives of people living and working in Ipswich, and we celebrate all of our successes as a team.
We’re proud to be a disability confident employer, we champion equality and we celebrate diversity.
