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
By Ann Beatty October 13, 2025
In our continued commitment to ensuring quality and inclusive education for every child, we’ve taken our advocacy to a new level by empowering the next generation to lead the conversation. In partnership with The Gambia Teachers Union, we recently convened the Foundation’s Young Ambassadors for a vibrant day of engagement dedicated to promoting the right to education for all. The event brought together passionate students from selected senior secondary schools across Region One, including St. John’s School for the Deaf, to explore what it truly means to make education inclusive, equitable, and accessible to every learner. 
By Ann Beatty October 3, 2025
The Steve Sinnott Foundation is proud to celebrate the inspirational winners of the 2025 Seeds of Hope for a Better Future competition, a global initiative supported by UNESCO that brings together creativity, community, and a shared commitment to peace and sustainability. This unique project invited schools across the world from nursery and primary through to secondary and high school to explore the values of peace, cultural understanding, and care for the planet. In the face of climate change, young people were asked to tell their stories through art, performance, and digital creativity, highlighting how small seeds of action can grow into powerful movements for hope. The results have been extraordinary. Schools in France, the UK, Gambia, Haiti, and Kenya have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, with projects ranging from community gardens and sculptures to dance performances and illustrated stories. Each winner has shown how young voices and imagination can nurture peace and sustainability in ways that inspire us all. The full Awards Ceremony can be watched linked here: S eeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025 Highlights from the Winners Oak View Primary and Nursery School (UK) created Faces of Feeling, a collection of joyful sculptures already exhibited in a local gallery. Judges praised their work as supporting the wellbeing of others and embodying the idea of children as true “Seeds of Hope.” St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School (Gambia) painted Campaign for a Sustainable Banjul , reflecting real-world climate action in their city. The judges described it as “a most deserving and robust winner.” In France , the Jardin d'Enfants des Nations Unies (United Nations Nursery School) won hearts with Wind of Peace , where 5-6 year olds combined drawings, paintings, and tree planting to champion reforestation. Lyng Hall Secondary School, Coventry (UK) collaborated with Henley Green Primary and the UK Literacy Association to produce The Heart Shaped Hole – an innovative and metaphorical take on Seeds of Hope. Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry (UK) impressed with Primary Plot , a project that included gardening with the visually impaired, reflecting inclusivity and sustainability. A remarkable cross-collaboration between 21 schools across West Yorkshire, Essex, and Tower Hamlets (UK) resulted in Lights, Camera, Score , an ambitious combination of animation, music, and storytelling. CIMA Community School of Hope, Haiti shared Konbit - a video of dance and solidarity, inspiring villages to work together for peace and dignity. Daraja Academy, Kenya presented an ambitious and optimistic project integrating sustainability into everyday school life. Celebrating Creativity and Peace This year’s competition was judged by an impressive panel of artists, writers, and cultural leaders including Sir Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Dame Liz Forgan, Hugh Quarshie, and Rathna Ramanathan. Their collective expertise highlighted the quality and depth of the entries, each of which showed how art can be a powerful tool for global understanding and change. The Seeds of Hope initiative is part of UNESCO UK’s Arts and Culture for Peace programme, first launched in 2022. It has grown from earlier collaborations such as the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Islands of Peace Japanese Garden , opened in 2021 a living reminder that seeds planted in communities can continue to flourish. Highlights from the ceremony can be found here at this playlist Looking Ahead As Ann Beatty, UNESCO ASPnet UK National Coordinator , shared: “The quality of entries was extraordinary. We are delighted at the response to this amazing initiative in collaboration with our international partners.” And in the words of judge Jannette Cheong : “Young people around the world understand well the value of peace and tolerant relationships between cultures. Their creativity is an inspiration to all of us.” At The Steve Sinnott Foundation, we believe that education is the seed from which hope grows. The Seeds of Hope competition is a shining example of how young people through creativity, compassion, and collaboration are already shaping a more peaceful and sustainable future. You can access the full online awards presentation here: Seeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025
By Ann Beatty August 18, 2025
The journey to strengthen the well-being and success of learners in The Gambia continues with a renewed commitment to guidance and counselling in schools. By August 14th 2025, we have successfully trained 140 educators across 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 & 𝟒 under our Guidance & Counselling Programme. A programme designed to equip educators with the skills to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development. Region 3 Teachers Complete Level 2 Training On Wednesday, 6th August, thirty teachers from Region 3 (North Bank Region) began a three-day Level 2 Guidance and Counselling training at the Christian Council in Kanifing. This programme built on their earlier Level 1 training in Farafenni, with a focus on deepening their capacity to serve as school-based counsellors. The training concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony, recognising the teachers’ commitment and marking an important step in their professional development. These certificates symbolize more than an achievement; they represent each teacher’s readiness to provide psychosocial support, guidance, and mentorship to learners across their schools.