A day in the life of our CEO

Our CEO, Ann Beatty gave a short talk to the St Albans Soroptimists recently on a day in the life of a CEO.



CEO sounds very grand. In a small charity like SSF with only a few employees and volunteers you have to turn your hand to many things.


Ann is normally up at 6.00 am ready for an 8.00 am start, taking calls from international partners, in West Africa for example. This morning she had calls with colleagues in The Gambia and Sierra Leone, and in between these calls found an hour to read up about a meeting scheduled for the next day. Then, when leaving to go to a meeting she discovered her car had been blocked in, causing her to worry that she might be late!


Today she is working on the Positive Periods project. Women from The Gambia taught women in Sierra Leone, then it spread to Haiti and Cuba. The project keeps growing and is now in The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Uganda, Guinea Bissau, Cuba and Haiti. So far, this project has helped over 200,000 women make reusable period pads. The women teach other women how to do this and as you can see the training is spreading fast. This enables women and girls to participate in work and school full time and without a monthly break. The projects are set up to be sustainable. In Haiti and Cuba they are going from strength to strength and branching out with their sewing machines to make and sell other products. There is now a growing market in the UK for these re-usable pads, as women can see the benefits.


The programme has evolved too, as once women were given a safe space, they talked about other experiences over their sewing, such as gender-based violence. This inspired a new project, and now training has been set up to tackle these barriers to education too.


When asked what was the most challenging thing for the Positive Periods programme, Ann commented that they were competing with charities, and organisations, who send disposable period pads out to other countries. This creates dependency and enormous problems with their disposal for the environment.


Ann was asked whether The Steve Sinnott Foundation had sponsors. She explained that they have a main funder for projects and running costs for the next three years, and several teacher unions support the Foundation’s work. They also have funding awards, individual fundraisers, legacies, and get a small amount of income from gifts and the Life-Long Learning webinars. It is not so easy to get funding at this time, when many people in the UK are living in poverty. Ann told the Soroptimists how grateful she is for their support. As well as St Albans, the Foundation is being supported by clubs from Yorkshire and Hampshire too.


When asked what time Ann switched off, she explained that the staff working on projects in the Caribbean are running late into our evenings, but she is now making herself switch off earlier (about 8.00 pm). It is important to keep in touch, and we are running projects in many different time zones, so it is hard to have ‘normal’ work hours.


One of the Soroptimists asked how many people work for the charity in the UK. Ann said that there were three employees (including herself) but not all full time, 13 ambassadors who may or may not get some remuneration, and many volunteers. Each country has employees and volunteers too.


Ann spoke about how she had become the CEO of the Steve Sinnott foundation. After working for two years in Sierra Leone with a small charity who needed her business skills, she was the ideal candidate for helping the Foundation, a charity based in Watford who works internationally.

Being CEO of a small charity is a challenge, but one which comes with the reward of instigating change and seeing life improve for so many. The close ties built over many years, enable this small charity to be nimble and effective, respond to needs and listen to local communities to make sure they can make the changes that they need.


Steve Sinnott • December 16, 2022

Change Starts with a Will: Leave a Legacy That Helps Transform Education

September 7, 2026
Most of us want to leave the world a little better than we found it. Whether that's through the people we love, the values we pass on, or the causes we care about, we all hope our legacy will make a difference. One of the simplest ways to do that is by writing a will. This autumn, we are proud to be taking part in the Change Starts with a Will campaign, allowing our supporters to write or update their will free of charge through our trusted partner, Octopus Legacy. Why writing a will matters Writing a will isn't just about deciding who inherits your possessions. It's about making sure your wishes are respected and providing peace of mind for the people you care about. Having a will means you can: Protect the people you love. Make important decisions about your estate. Reduce uncertainty for your family. Leave a lasting gift to a cause that reflects your values. Many people put off writing a will, believing it's something to think about later in life. In reality, it's one of the most important documents you'll ever create. A legacy that supports education Steve Sinnott dedicated his life to championing education as a fundamental human right. His belief was simple but powerful: every child deserves the opportunity to learn, and every teacher deserves the support they need to inspire future generations. Today, we continue that mission by working with partners across the world to improve access to quality education, strengthen teaching and support communities where education can change lives. When you choose to leave a gift in your will to The Steve Sinnott Foundation, you're helping ensure that this work can continue for years to come. After taking care of family and friends, even a small gift could help provide learning opportunities, strengthen education systems and create brighter futures for generations to come. A gift that lasts beyond a lifetime Legacy gifts play an important role in helping charities plan for the future. Your support could help us continue investing in sustainable education projects, supporting teachers and ensuring more children have access to the education they deserve. It's a powerful way to ensure your values live on long into the future. Write your will for free As part of our Autumn 2026 campaign, we're offering supporters the opportunity to write or update their will free of charge through Octopus Legacy. There is no obligation to leave a gift to The Steve Sinnott Foundation, but we hope you'll consider remembering us after you've taken care of those closest to you. Together, we can continue Steve Sinnott's vision of a world where education changes lives. Find out more If you've been thinking about writing your will, there's never been a better time. Our free will service is available until 31 October 2026 , making it easy to protect the people you love while considering the lasting impact your legacy could have on education worldwide.  https://octopuslegacy.com/online-will?channel=partner Change starts with a will. And together, we can help create a future where education is accessible to everyone.

What happens when creativity, young people, education and community come together?

By Ann Beatty • August 25, 2026
Seeds of Hope are everywhere! “I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I arrived at Stage at the Lake…” But it was special to meet all of the Calderdale team in person, who had brought this four-day event together so successfully. Sometimes an event stays with you long after the final performance has finished. My visit to Stage at the Lake at the beautiful Shibden Hall in Calderdale was one of those occasions. As UNESCO ASPnet UK Coordinator, I was delighted to be invited as a guest, but what I experienced was much more than simply attending an event. Here, in the grounds of a house steeped in history, the past, present and future seemed to meet. The English Chamber Orchestra filled the setting with music, Northern Ballet brought movement and storytelling to life, and throughout there was a wonderful sense of creativity, community and possibility. And then there were the parklets; a unique gardening festival at Shibden Park celebrating community, creativity and the power of nature to bring people together. At its heart was a specially commissioned trail of ten micro show gardens, designed and built by community groups from across Calderdale. It was wonderful to see spaces where ideas, conversations and creativity were flourishing and connecting through Seeds of Hope. I cannot wait to see them transported to their ‘forever homes’. Standing there, I found myself thinking about what we mean when we talk about education, culture and hope. 

Alfa Liv Kalkil - Math concepts for popular literacy classes in Haiti

By Chancy Jak • August 25, 2026
2025 During the annual fomasyon for Alfa monitors, Antoliyis Pye gave an extensive presentation on how best to introduce and develop basic math concepts in literacy classes. The response to his insight and enthusiasm led to our decision to create our own math book for Alfa participants.  In Haiti and around the world, illiterate market women and peasant farmers develop their own techniques for calculating and recording numbers. However, in providing literacy for the development of our people, we must also introduce the world of conventional numeracy. These skills lead to logical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to interpret and make informed decisions on numerical evidence. For a year we worked together to draft the contents of our Alfa Liv Kalkil, seek illustrations, create layout, and finally take our product to the local printer. Funds were provided for 350 copies, enough for each Alfa participant at each of our sites at the present level of attendance. 2026 Our next step was to fully engage each Alfa monitor in the process for introduction and use of Liv Kalkil in Alfa classes. Our two day fomasyon for 2026 was dedicated to ensuring that each member of our team was familiar with the book and comfortable in implementing the concepts with Alfa participants. The sessions were a great success. Every monitor was extremely pleased with this new tool which will allow them and their classes to work together in the world of mathematics. Liv Kalkil is now in service for every participant throughout Alfa, from Limonade itself out to sites in the hills and along the river. It is with some excitement that the monitors and participants are beginning to use our very own, home-grown, math book. In the same way that we already had Goute Sel*, Lekti Netale*, Ti Koze Sou Istwa Peyi Dayiti*, we are proud to have this math book which advances our shared work for the development of our people. We are profoundly grateful to all those who have encouraged and supported us in developing this book. We want to thank our dedicated team of monitors, the Alfa support team in Columbus, Ann Beatty and the Steve Sinnott Foundation, and the many others who contribute to our literacy programme. Chancy Jak (Alfa Co-ordinator) Antoliyis Pye (senior monitor) *Goute Sel: Taste of Salt (base text for Alfa literacy classes) *Lekti Netale (reading comprehension) *Ti Koze Sou Istwa Peyi Dayiti (stories from Haitian history; Alfa second level)