MEET THE TEAM
CARL WALKER
The Alliance for Dignified Food Support is a grassroots movement, coordinated by a small team of volunteers. We all work full-time on other projects, so it might take us a while to get back to you, but we love receiving your feedback and questions.
Email us on info@alliancefordignifiedfoodsupport.org.uk
We are grateful to our steering group of experts for their support & guidance:
Andrew Forsey, Director, Feeding Britain
Kayleigh Garthwaite, University of Birmingham
Isabel Rice, London Food Poverty Campaign Coordinator, Sustain
Sarah Woolley, Secretary General, Baker’s Union
Mari Burton, National Campaign Manager, National Education Union
Di Robinson, Interim Director, Feeding Bristol
Ali Ghanimi and Emma Brown, Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
Hilary Schan, Lewes District Food Partnership
Zoe Miles, Tower Hamlets Food Partnership
Alex Colas, Birbeck, University of London
Alex Doyle, Birmingham Food Justice Network
Bruno de Oliveira, British Psychological Society
Hilda Mulrooney, London Metropolitan University
Brian Devlin, Worthing Food Foundation
Mark Erickson, University of Sussex
Reyna Kothari, Old Boat Community Centre
Dr Carl Walker (he/him) is a chartered community psychologist with over 25 years’ experience in academia, community engagement, community coproduction of wellbeing services, community food infrastructure, local authority strategic development and industry.
His work has involved leading action research projects on community wellbeing and coproducing community initiatives to address mental health and wellbeing needs. He has published widely in the field of mental health and community activism with nine books and over seventy peer reviewed publications.
Carl has also been a Borough Councillor for several years and has run a number of local community food organisations. His recent research on hunger trauma and moral injury in community food staff and workers led to his co-founding the Alliance for Dignified Food Support.
STEF LAKE
Stef Lake (she/they) is a campaigner and activist who specialises in working with grassroots organisations that are changing the way people access food. They do a whole range of things from communications and brand to facilitation and community engagement, but participation and people are at the heart of everything they do.
In 2022, they co-founded the Alliance For Dignified Food Support to develop resources that support emergency food aid providers to embed dignity in their practice. Now, they use their spare time to campaign for a Food Bank Free Britain.
From 2023 to 2025, Stef was chair of Lewes District Food Partnership, and they think food partnerships can change the world.
RONALD RANTA
Dr Ronald Ranta (he/him) is an academic, food scholar and former chef. His research focuses on food insecurity and the intersection between food and politics, society, and culture. This research is informed by his experience of working as a chef, being a trustee of a community food support project, and volunteering with community food support groups.
Ronald’s trustee and volunteering work have given him first-hand exposure to the issues and challenges facing community food support projects, and the scale and gravity of the food insecurity crisis faced by many in our society.
LAURA REYNOLDS
Laura Reynolds (she/her) is a nutritionist and health & wellbeing coach. She spent five years in human resources and recruitment coordination, covering project management, data quality and central query administration before she went on to study a Masters in human nutrition. Graduating in December 2024, her dissertation work focused on creating a now published toolkit for best practise when implementing and conducting participatory research within the community.
She is now focused on providing evidence-based nutrition and behaviour change support to private clients, and community outreach to improve access to free healthcare services across central London boroughs.
courtney laver
Courtney (she/her) has previously worked at YMCA, working directly with individuals with substance abuse issues, helping them to access emergency food aid and supporting with benefits claims. She also has first-hand experience of navigating support services herself.
She studied Psychology at the University of Brighton and has volunteered with the M.E. Association to conduct research on NHS coding practices and the impact that has on patients accessing the right care and support.
