Introducing your Central Area Fellowship Councillors

The role of Fellowship Councillor is two-fold – to help support and build Fellowship activity and to support governance of the RSA.  From helping you to start or grow local activity to representing your interests to the Fellowship Council, Fellowship Councillors are here for you.  So, this is a brief introduction each of the Central Fellowship Councillors so you can begin to get to know them and approach them with your interests and questions.    

I hope you will join me in congratulating all of them on their appointments. We look forward to coming together to see what positive change we can make happen in the Central area over the next few years.  

In the meantime, do keep an eye on the RSA Central webpage for details of Fellowship activity: from an online conversation exploring the potential for an RSA systems-thinking network, to a family-friendly change-making day in Chesterfield, to an event in rural Warwickshire exploring community energy schemes.  

Abigail Campbell, Area Manager

Peter Clitheroe 

Fellows of the RSA have a long and enviable track record of collaboration, creativity and influence stretching back over 250 years.  

Of course, times have changed and ways of working have continually adapted, often ahead of the curve, to ensure that today, collectively with the RSA staff team we are in an enviably potent position to “enrich society through ideas and action”. 

Part of the role of the Fellowship Council team in Central is to encourage and enable all Fellows to connect, collaborate and achieve change for the betterment of our society. There are fascinating local differences and much of common concern. To exert our most effective influence we need to connect locally and, on common themes, across the area. 

As a Fellowship Councillor, my key role is to help forge connections and enable collaboration. I happen to be based in Suffolk but, wherever you are, I’d love to hear from you. As Margaret Mead put it: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”. 

MyRSA link 

Rachel Sharpe 

As a community participation professional in the arts and heritage sector, I recognise the vital role the RSA network has to play in today’s challenging world.  

Throughout my career I have strived to make a lasting difference through the creative arts locally, regionally and through recent work nationally, to support the development of opportunities for those who so often don’t have a voice. 

As a parent carer, I believe in the positive effect of the arts, heritage and green spaces: people’s interaction with place, space and contemporary issues directly affects their decisions and perceived horizons. I’ve made a deep commitment to enabling and nurturing that relationship throughout my career in learning, participation and leadership work.   

I am passionate about the Midlands, an area I was born and grew up in. 

As a Fellowship Councillor for the Central area I want to support other fellows to connect and lead new ideas with authenticity and a commitment to creating honest and sustainable connections for greater positive change. 

MyRSA link 

Jay Singh-Sohal 

I'm a journalist by trade and currently work in communications and engagement - so I'm very interested in people, what interests them and how we can better work together to achieve shared goals. 

My career has taken me far and wide, from working at a thinktank in Washington D.C to working with one of the UK's largest local authorities. So I've a vast amount of experience which I enjoy utilising to help shape projects. 

At the RSA, I'm interested in meeting people with a story to tell and collaborating on ideas that shine a light towards creating better understanding about people and culture. I'm big on ideas and helping develop them into practical solutions - so look forward to meeting many of you and bringing those bright sparks into fruition. 

MyRSA link