About Us
"We are all just walking each other home"
Ram Dass
Rippleacts is a Norwich-based social venture working with long-term unemployed people who wish to make a positive change to their lives. Following an evidence-based approach, we help our participants to overcome deeply ingrained personal barriers, and get back to work step by step.
We do this with a combination of cognitive-behavioural coaching, project work, accompanied work experience and peer-mentoring. As part of this journey, we support local charities with small hands-on projects, helping our clients unlock their skills for the benefit of their local community. In doing so, we create a chain of far-reaching positive ripple effects.
Our Values
The way we work is strongly aligned with our five key values:
Purpose
We believe that following what gives us meaning is essential to live a happy, healthy life. We help our clients to live purposefully and in accordance with their personal values.
Development
Our work is based on the fact that as humans we constantly change and develop over our whole life time. It is never too late to learn something new, change a habit, chase a dream or overcome a fear.
Empathy
Everything we do is driven by deep empathy and compassion for our participants. We acknowledge that we can't walk in someone else's shoes. Everyone has their own story, background, strengths and vulnerabilities, and will act accordingly.
authenticity
We believe that good things happen when we dare to be our true, honest selves. In our work, we create safe spaces for our participants to become aware of their real goals, dreams and obstacles, and open up to others.
connection
Feeling connected with others is a key element for mental wellbeing. We help our participants recognise themselves in others and create meaningful connections, using their own wisdom and lived experience to support each other on the way.
Dr. Verena Niyadurupola
Founder & CEO
I’m a sociologist who has specialised in the evaluation of social impact.
Originally from Germany, I worked in international development projects
in Latin America, Europe and the UK for over 10 years, and advised organisations such as Oxfam and the UN labour agency (ILO).
I then changed my focus to follow my passion of supporting people
to live their vocation. I completed a PhD in labour studies/work psychology and trained as a life coach, while publishing and practising successful strategies to tackling unemployment. I have since mentored and advised people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including start-up entrepreneurs, long-term unemployed, refugees and ex-offenders.
I love human nature in its diversity, light and shadow, strength and vulnerability. I'm convinced that small changes on our pathway can
have big ripple effects, and that tomorrow we might already be in
a place we never imagined.
I enjoy helping people to recognise their inner beauty, unlock their potential and live a fulfilled life - both professionally and personally.
Rippleacts is where my skills, personal experience and passion
come together to offer a different type of support, in order to tackle one of society's biggest challenges.
Amy is CEO of Citizens Advice Diss, Thetford & District, a partner in a range of pivotal support, employment, wellbeing, and health inequalities initiatives throughout the region. Amy has wide-ranging life experience having worked and volunteered in many roles from shop floor to senior leadership across sectors, as well as travelling extensively whilst teaching English. She has professional expertise ranging strategy, operations, project management, careers and education, with a passion for fostering personal growth and development in others. With an MSc in Information Management, she enjoys exploring data analytics and examining statistics to uncover patterns and opportunities.
Amy Griffiths
OUR
BOARD
Our Board of Non-Executive Directors bring an array of professional skills, expertise and experience to our organisation.
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Hover over the photos to read more about them.
Matthew has spent his entire career in Financial Services having joined Barclays straight from school.
After gaining his professional qualification, his career accelerated into leadership, and he has run a variety of teams in Corporate and Business Banking for over 20 years.
This complemented with voluntary work has provided a deep understanding of people and built a passion for allowing people to thrive through providing opportunities to develop. Matthew returned to study gaining an MBA in 2021. You will him with his family at Carrow Road watching Norwich City and playing with the Salvation Army Band where he is a church elder.
Matthew Peek
Diane has 40+ years of experience in customer service. For the last 18 years, she has worked for the DWP in Norwich in different roles, including as employer adviser and work coach for adults and youth. Her responsibilities included supporting vulnerable customers in progressing to work, sorting out life problems 24/7, addressing employer’s needs and matching them with the right people.
In previous roles, Diane crunched the numbers of an energy company in Australia and was responsible for international production chain management at Lotus.
Diane Walker
Simon is the Founder of Wingfield Consultants Ltd. He has decades of experience and expertise in working with (and for) ‘blue-chip’ companies, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, BP, Mondelez, and Shell; and has held senior positions in global, regional and local organisations. His specialisms include business planning, category management, trading, procurement, brand strategy, data analytics, research and insights, coaching, and mentoring. Simon holds academic qualifications and professional accreditations from the University of Kent, Cornell University (USA), and Northwestern University (USA) and is also an Associate Tutor at the University of Anglia’s Norwich Business School.