While 26 is member-driven, there are a small number of volunteers who help to run the organisation. Some founding members are still very much on board, while we’ve had regular injections of fresh blood into leadership to help keep things fresh. And we’re always looking for more volunteers; get in touch if you’d like to have your say, lead a project, make a suggestion, or put your hand up for board consideration.
Sophie Gordon
26 Chair
Based in: London
Outside of 26, Sophie is the Principal Communications Strategist at FrameWorks UK, working with mission-driven organisations to reframe social issues. With a background in writing and branding, specialising in the UK not-for-profit sector, she is passionate about harnessing words and storytelling to communicate for good and change hearts and minds. Sophie first joined 26 when finding her feet as a junior copywriter many moons ago. She’s taken part in many projects over the years, and spent a long stint as the editor for 26’s newsletter. Sophie stepped into the role of Chair in early 2024.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
I love hearing from different 26ers and seeing how such a range of (very lovely) people can all be linked together by a love of words.
Martin Clarkson
Board member
Based in: London
Love of the performing arts and a unique insight into the way narrative and meaningful conversation shapes our lives, took Martin from the Board of M&S to being a founding partner and later Chairman of The Storytellers. More recently Martin and his business partner Mel, launched the consultancy create balance, with a single mission – to work with ‘good people doing good things’ who make a difference to our society and culture. They specialise in the Arts sector, helping leaders and organisations find the balance they need to survive, succeed and keep moving forward. Creating balance in both our personal and professional lives, gives us the clarity, energy and agility needed to respond effectively to the outside world.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Observing the passion for words being put in to practice.
Alastair Creamer
Board member
Based in: East Sussex
I’ve worked in the creative industries, higher education and big business (Unilever and Sainsbury’s). All that has led me to focus on developing the culture of organisations by diagnosing, auditing, embedding and sustaining them. Culture is always leader-led and people-driven so my work starts with leaders and their capability to create cultures that people want to work for. Outside of this, I’m a creative journeyman – writing, ceramics, painting, gardening, carpentry, cooking, reading. My whole education was classical music but after university I put away my instruments (violin, piano and accordion) and have barely touched them since. I’m a great believer in finding the right way to express yourself in life. The violin wasn’t it but writing, on the other hand, is essential to me.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
The creative projects and being shoulder to shoulder with superb writers who help me improve my writing. Also, knowing that there are people out there who care so much about the words they use and the impact they can have.
Andy Hayes
Director
Based in: Kingston
I’m Managing Director at Quietroom, an insight-led communications consultancy. I’ve spent 30+ years working in the creative industry, always on the commercial side. I started in business development, switched to managing projects, and now help to run a thriving, growing business. I’ve been a member of 26 since 2010 and have initiated, run and contributed to a wide range of projects. These include: Throwaway Lines, 26 Miles, 26 Treasures and 3 years of running, and creating work for, the Bloomsbury Festival. And I’m an accidental abstract artist, all my not-so-bad work looks different on paper than it did in my head. I make a mess and unfortunately have to clear up afterwards.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Working with, and meeting a bunch of, super talented friendly people.
Wendy Jones
Board member
Based in: Crystal Palace, SE London
I’m a journalist with a background in broadcasting. I worked for the BBC in a variety of roles – education correspondent, Today reporter, radio presenter, head of education policy, deputy (company) secretary – but left to go freelance. I was a co-founder of the education charity National Numeracy and its first communications director. I’m now writing my second novel and teaching English to refugees and other adults new to Britain. I’ve worked on many wonderful 26 projects and was especially thrilled to co-edit the book we produced with the prison charity Fine Cell Work.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
The people.
Martin Lee
Director
Based in: London
I’m the co-founder of an Islington based agency, Acacia Avenue. Before that, my career was in bookselling, ending up as marketing director of Waterstones, which turbocharged my book addiction. I’ve been on the board of 26 since 2005 and am also very closely involved with Dark Angels. I like to say that I write for a life, not a living.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
I love two things – being inspired to be better with my writing, but most importantly the lifelong friends I’ve made.
Irene Lofthouse
Trustee
Based in: Bradford, West Yorkshire
(Photo: Cath Muldowney)
Irene started storytelling at primary school and has never stopped, writing over thirty plays; creative content for film and educational resources; walks, talks and site specific narratives for festivals, events, museums, theatres, libraries, arts organisations. A creative writing tutor, editor, mentor, director/producer. She’s published two children’s short story collections, features in numerous poetry/story anthologies, and she’s appeared in films, theatre, on TV, radio, podcasts and videos. Irene co-founded two community theatre groups and an award-winning educational publishing company.
She specialises in bringing hidden histories and secret stories alive and kicking into the present and beyond, and works collaboratively with other artists. Irene’s a trustee of JB Priestley Society; writer, editor and trustee with/of 26Characters.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Creativity, being challenged in my writing, support of 26ers, learning new ways of approaching/using words, pushing my boundaries, opportunities through projects (published work in anthologies, in exhibitions, at festivals), developing new work, discovering new writers.
Margaret Oscar
Co-Founder and Director
Based in: Torquay, South West England
Margaret started her career in advertising but her creative copywriting soon turned into a more serious passion. She switched career paths to journalism before being drawn into marketing and a much coveted role in Brand Language and Verbal Identity for Orange shortly after its launch. There she advised and lead teams that created the network’s unique tone of voice and customer approach, and it is while there that she co-founded 26.
Since then, she has worked with many well-known names including O2, Nokia, Sainsbury’s, Hamleys, Tate & Lyle, John Lewis, Sotheby’s, Paddy Power, Mothercare, Diageo, Horizon Nuclear Power, BP, to mention a few. Today, she is an Employee Communications Consultant who supports businesses with people that are experiencing company-wide change and evolution. She does this with words that rally people around a shared brand and corporate purpose so they understand their role in driving organisational success. Forever an advocate for communication language that is meaningful and human, she strongly believes carefully chosen words is the key to building a robust relationship between an organisation and its people.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
The community passion and the endless creativity we see from our members.
Max Parfitt
Newsletter Editor
Based in: London
Max Parfitt is a freelance producer, writer, and content creator based in London. After studying music at Oxford University, he worked with the Learning and Engagement department at Glyndebourne, and then with touring opera company Wild Arts. Coming on board to write their programmes and web content, he has since taken a regular production role, company managing their 2023 tour and semi-staged production of Handel’s Messiah, and producing their 2024 Summer Season.
As well as his work with 26 (editing their newsletter and leading the annual Wordstock Festival), he has created programmes for Thaxted Festival, the London Mozart Players, Armonico Consort, and Voces8. He also leads creative writing workshops for story platform Scribeasy, working with children and young parents with special educational needs.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Every month through the newsletter, people choose to share their writing with me. It may not always be some grand poem or short story, but being part of that community and receiving those fragments is always a delight. This is a group who love (and believe in the power of) words, and that’s magnetic.
John Simmons
Co-founder, Board director
Based in: London
John Simmons is a consultant in the world of branding, with particular expertise in verbal identity – it’s often said that he invented the discipline. He writes books on effective writing in the world of business, including We, Me, Them & It (recently republished in its 21st anniversary edition), The Invisible Grail and Dark Angels.
He’s a highly experienced writer, a trainer and communications consultant. John co-founded 26 in 2003 and he continues to lead 26’s creative projects with partners such as the Imperial War Museums, the Wildlife Trusts and Bloomsbury Festival. His poetry has appeared in numerous 26 projects. He was one of the featured poets (with Therese Kieran and Tim Rich) in Dark Angels: Three Contemporary Poets published last year by Paekakariki Press, and in a second volume And So We Grow published in 2024. His poem Berliners was shortlisted for the 2023 Live Canon Pamphlet Competition and is being published at the 2024 Bloomsbury Festival.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Supporting writers to develop their creativity
Elise Valmorbida
Board member
Based in: London
Elise’s communications agency word-design offers a rare mix of brand strategy, design and writing services. Her internationally published books include the award-winning novel The Madonna of the Mountains (Faber). Elise teaches creative writing at Central Saint Martins, Arvon, Guardian Masterclasses and Faber Academy. She’s been a D&AD President (Writing for Design), External Examiner for Falmouth University’s MA in Professional Writing, and Edinburgh International Film Festival Trailblazer. For 26, her pet projects include training, design, writer-awards, Wordstock, 26 Writers Norwich, PEN International and Fine Cell Work. Visit her website here.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Getting to know and work with brilliant people I would not otherwise meet.
Julia Webb-Harvey
Board member
Based in: Cornwall
Julia Webb-Harvey is a creative writing practitioner and doctoral candidate at Falmouth University, researching J M W Turner’s 1811 Tour in Cornwall. Julia’s work will follow in the footsteps of Turner in Cornwall, travelling with the traces of him. In 2018 Julia completed her MA Professional Writing, also at Falmouth. Julia mostly writes non-fiction, occasionally poetry, and is experimenting with fragmented narratives. With Tom Scott, Julia was the project lead for 26 Places in Cornwall (2023). Julia is Chair of Wildworks, a Cornwall-based landscape theatre company and is a volunteer researcher with The Museum of Cornish Life.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
It’s so inspiring! Incredible projects with wonderful people creating the most fantastic work.
Paul White
Board member
Based in: Kohimarama, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Paul has been creative director of four advertising agencies (one in the UK; three in NZ) and founding partner of two. For 18 years he also ran NZ’s first and only university Ad Creativity course at Auckland University of Technology. While there he says he learned heaps – from the students, many of whom have gone on to be luminaries all over the world – gained an M.Phil with honours and taught on the university’s post-graduate Brand Communication course. These days he earns a crust as a freelance copywriter. In between crusts he writes poetry and short fiction. His poetry has won the odd prize and been published by the NZ Poetry Society.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
The projects, the people, the partnerships and the possibilities.
Sue Wilcox
Company Secretary
Based in: The Wirral
My background is in commercial management and merchandising. This includes many years at Marks and Spencer in a variety of roles across procurement and as the founding Director of M&S India. I created Dhara Associates to provide commercial and retail consultancy, as well as consulting on sourcing sustainable clothing, Fairtrade and Living Wage. In addition I work with Counterculture LLP on business and strategic planning for a range of charities, commercial and not for profit organisations including some of the UK’s most loved Arts institutions.
I have been involved with 26 since 2004. Although I am not a writer I enjoy being part of the organisation and participating in events. I took on the role as Company Secretary for 26 Characters in 2013.
What do you love most about being part of the 26 community?
Appreciating the output of projects and enjoying the tremendous events 26 hosts.