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

STEM programs in Haiti

By Ann Beatty • February 14, 2026
On 23rd January at the Cima Community School of Hope (ECEC), the first workshop was held with the first group of students as part of the STEM program. This activity marks a promising start to the program's implementation. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is crucial for children because it fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity from a young age. It nurtures natural curiosity, helps children understand the modern world, and builds resilience through hands-on experimentation. Additionally, early STEM exposure prepares them for future academic and career success. A total of 20 students participated in this first session. The session focused on a general presentation of the importance of computer programming in today's world. The students were also introduced to the Scratch software interface, an educational tool well-suited for teaching children programming. This initial experience went smoothly and generated considerable interest and strong motivation among the students.

Make This Spring the Season You Secure Your Legacy

By Steve Sinnott • February 14, 2026
At the Steve Sinnott Foundation, we know that planning for the future is one of the most important things you can do for the people and causes you care about. That’s why we’re delighted to offer our staff and volunteers the opportunity to write or update their will this Spring. Whether you’ve been meaning to get started for years, or you simply need to make a few updates, this is the perfect time to take that important step. Join Our Free Will Writing Webinar To help you get started, we’ve partnered with expert estate planners Octopus Legacy , who will be hosting a free webinar(s) covering everything you need to know about writing or updating your will. Staff & Volunteers 12pm, Thursday 5th March Online via Zoom - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uvirWft7S12lJUby6oUtnQ#/registration Supporters 12pm, Tuesday 10th March Online via Zoom - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xxJNZd6ZQYKMOs-2fNz0Gg#/registration During the session, you’ll learn: Why it’s important to have an up-to-date will What to consider when writing or updating your will The different types of will-writing services available How Lasting Powers of Attorney work and why they matter How to claim your free will this Spring This webinar is designed to make what can feel like a complex process simple, clear and manageable. Why Having a Will Matters Having an up-to-date will ensures your wishes are respected and your loved ones are protected. Without one, the law decides how your estate is distributed and that may not reflect what you would have wanted. A will gives you peace of mind. It allows you to: Provide clarity and security for your family Appoint guardians for children if needed Make specific gifts to individuals or causes Ensure your estate is handled efficiently Updating your will is just as important as writing one. Life changes marriages, children, property purchases, or changes in circumstances can all affect your wishes. Claim Your Free Will This Spring As part of this initiative, eligible staff and volunteers will have the opportunity to claim a free will-writing service. Full details will be shared during the webinar, including how to access this benefit. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Writing or updating your will is one of the most responsible and caring decisions you can make for yourself and for those you care about. Register Now Spaces are available now, simply register using the link below: Staff & Volunteers - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uvirWft7S12lJUby6oUtnQ#/registration Supporters - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xxJNZd6ZQYKMOs-2fNz0Gg#/registration We hope you’ll join us on Thursday 5th March and take this positive step towards securing your future.

The Foundation supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

By Kaylem James • February 3, 2026
In my time as an assistant at The Steve Sinnott Foundation (SSF), one of my research tasks was looking into how the Foundation contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I really believe in the work of the Foundation and I have also been raising funds as I believe that every child must have the right to education. SSF is a UK-based educational charity focused on promoting quality education worldwide. It plays a supportive role in achieving the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 4: (Quality Education), but its work contributes to several others as well. Here's how the Foundation supports the SDGs: Goal 4 – Quality education (core focus) The Foundation's main mission is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It supports teachers and educational initiatives in developing countries. It runs programmes like: The Education for All Campaign – advocating for universal access to education. Teacher empowerment projects – providing training and resources to educators in under-resourced countries. Girls' education programmes – encouraging and supporting girls to stay in school and complete their education. Goal 3 – Good health and well-being Through education, particularly health-related programmes, the Foundation contributes to raising awareness about hygiene, nutrition, and mental health. The Foundation has developed a range of webinars to promote health and wellbeing and these can be found on YouTube. Goal 5 – Gender equality The Foundation promotes girls' education, directly addressing barriers that prevent girls from accessing and completing school. It advocates for the rights of women and girls, especially in patriarchal or disadvantaged societies. Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth By improving access to education and vocational training, the Foundation helps create employment opportunities. Educated individuals have better chances of securing decent work. Goal 10 – Reduced inequalities It supports marginalised groups, including children in rural or conflict-affected areas, contributing to reducing global inequalities in education. Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions Promotes education as a force for peace and conflict resolution. Supports democratic participation and awareness through educational programmes that foster community engagement. Goal 17 – Partnerships for the goals Collaborates with NGOs, unions, schools, and governments to deliver and advocate for education projects. Builds international partnerships to achieve the SDGs through education. Summary While The Steve Sinnott Foundation's primary focus is on Goal 4, it contributes to many of the SDGs by empowering communities through education, particularly: Gender equality (Goal 5), Health (Goal 3), Economic growth (Goal 8), Reducing inequality (Goal 10), Peace (Goal 16), and Partnerships (Goal 17).  The Foundation’s programmes also contribute to the achievement of other SDGs through the power of the provision of education and life-long learning; 1. No Poverty, 2. Zero Hunger, 13. Climate Action. We believe that all of the 17 SDGs are only achievable by ensuring that all children, wherever they are born, deserve the human right of quality education. Over 250 million children are still out of school and the global out-of-school population has reduced by only 1% in nearly ten years, according to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2024. There is still much work to do in achieving equitable and quality Education for All.