The team behind the programme

Leon Ballin

Leon leads our programme delivery, working with all operational staff to ensure the programme best responds to the needs and challenges of our members. This includes coordinating our multiple workstreams and grants to members, managing budgets and overseeing our communications and events.

Leon lives in Sheffield and enjoys spending time in the Peak District, especially with his grandchildren, and is an enthusiastic supporter of the micro-brewery revival. 

Syama Wynn

Syama leads on communications and the coordination of the ever-growing SFP members' network. She is also a doctoral candidate at Cardiff University, exploring the potential of alternative food movements.

Syama lives in Bristol and loves cycling, making wonky pottery, and the weird and wonderful microbial worlds of fermentation and soils.

Ben Messer

Ben leads SFP's work on engagement, participation and representation and specialises in the facilitation of participatory research, workshops, events and the co-design of processes, guides and tools. He is an expert facilitator, with over 30 years experience in the UK and the Developing World, helping communities and organisations to work collaboratively and fairly. Ben is also leading our peer to peer networking and mentoring work as well as SFP's response to the #BlackLivesMatter campaign through the REDI for Change programme focused on Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in food sector organisations.

When not facilitating you might find Ben on stage playing saxophone or hunting for owls in ruined barns on the South Downs.

Callum Etches

Callum is a facilitator, researcher and evaluator who supports the Sustainable Food Places Programme in broadening stakeholder engagement and demonstrating impact. Callum’s work focusses on building inclusive, representative, and engaged food partnerships through participatory methods and community engagement. Alongside this, Callum is a post-graduate researcher at the University of Sussex where he explores the relationship between food governance, democracy, and social empowerment.

When not at work, Callum can be found swimming in the sea, playing music with friends, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Vera Zakharov

Vera leads on Good Food Movement-building for Sustainable Food Places and the annual Day of Celebration and Action, as well as coordinating the Veg Cities campaign. Her focus is on galvanising local action across the network to drive change at a national level, as well as sharing best practice around supporting public and community action at a local level.

Vera hails from the USSR by way of USA, and lives with her young family in East Sussex. She enjoys foraging, wild swimming and writing poetry when not working or clearing up after little ones.