Our Board
After our 2023 restructure, we're proud to welcome our largest and most skilled board of directors ever!
Team Blossom
83.34%
of our board identify as women or non-binary! Making us an organisation led by minority genders!
Demographics
33.3%
Of our board are neurodiverse or have 'additional access needs' which is why accessibility makes an ongoing part of our commitment.
Diversity
100%
Of our board have a personal link to the LGBTQ+ community with 83.3% identifying within the community themselves.
Demographics
We're beyond proud to call these people
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
At Blossom we know that leading with experience is vital, we have an experienced and diverse board of executive and non-executive directors with incredibly strong stakeholder relationships within our local community and the broader LGBTQ+ community. Our board has a strong bias to action and with our extensive experience across multiple sectors, projects, and skills we’re proud to call this group our leadership team.
We’re proud to have representation of people of faith, people with additional needs, trans people, women, and people from working socio economic classes within our board of directors. As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, we’ll actively promote new board opportunities in locations that’ll help us increase the presence of under represented communities on our board.
We’re proud to have representation of people of faith, people with additional needs, trans people, women, and people from working socio economic classes within our board of directors. As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, we’ll actively promote new board opportunities in locations that’ll help us increase the presence of under represented communities on our board.
Non-Executive Board
The Non-Executive Directors provide an independent view on the running of our business, governance and boardroom best practice. They oversee, constructively challenge and hold to account, management & executive directors in their implementation of our operational strategy and alignment of actions with funding focuses. Our non-executive board are souly volunteers and are only compensated for any expenses that they may incur as part of their role.
Danielle Bekker (She/Her)
Non-Executive Director
Danielle Bekker is an established Executive & Non-Executive director having worked as a senior executive in a number of FTSE 100 businesses. Danielle is an outstanding entrepreneur who has founded then established a botanical brewery company. Beyond her work in business, Danielle is experienced innovation consultant & advisor to businesses all whilst sitting as a trustee for a leading domestic violence charity.
Sofia Kotlarz (They/She)
Non-Executive Director
Sofia Kotlarz is an established Diversity and Inclusion consultant working with local authorities whose passion for creating change for marginalised people is regularly described as intersectional, powerful, and inspiring. Sofia has an incredibly in-depth understanding and proven track record of consulting on & implementing work around Diversity and inclusion issues including LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Beyond this, Sofia is a passionate performing artist and has consistently demonstrated the ability to create collaborative, inclusive, and above all else engaging workshops for LGBTQ+ people to explore the arts whilst feeling safe.
Beyond this, Sofia is a passionate performing artist and has consistently demonstrated the ability to create collaborative, inclusive, and above all else engaging workshops for LGBTQ+ people to explore the arts whilst feeling safe.
Executive Board
Our Executive board play an active role in the day to day operations of Blossom LGBT CIC by participating in and leading strategic planning, understanding the operational workings of organisation, and working closely with the wider board to impliment agreed upon actions. Our executive board focuses on leading daily operations and reporting to the board of directors or shareholders.
Oscar Hoyle (They/Them)
Chief Executive Officer
Oscar Hoyle a nationally recognised & award winning LGBTQ+ figure. They boast an extensive portfolio of LGBTQ+ inclusion work with some of the UK’s largest organisations including Tesco’s, Ovo Energy, TikTok, and The Home Office. Oscar specialises in supporting workplaces to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive cultures including policy, training, and schemes such as reverse mentoring. They’re also an established service development manager and a director at Trans In the City, the largest global network of organisations working towards trans inclusion. Oscar also has almost 10 years of youth & community development experience with a key focus on supporting unengaged, shut out, lost young adults.
DEAN CROXSON (He/Him)
Director of Social Spaces
Dean Croxson is one of Surreys most active, although often overlooked, community change makers. Having led LGBTQ+ community groups for 5 years and consistently taken an active role in advocating and creating change for under represented communities, Dean is a friendly & empathetic face of the LGBTQ+ equality movement. Beyond their community work Dean is a recognised D&I change maker having been nationally recognised with his work supporting inclusion in early years child care settings.
Our boards vision
Our Empower strategy sets out our vision for how we will deliver work & grow as an organisation between 2023 & 2025. All of our actions will align with our clear vision & goals.
