Meet The Team - The Beacon Collaborative

Matthew Bowcock CBE

Co-founder and Chair

Matthew Bowcock co-founded the Beacon Collaborative with Cath Dovey. He has been Chairman of UK Community Foundations, a Council Member of Arts Council England and a trustee of The Philanthropy Workshop and Philanthropy Impact. Matthew is currently Deputy Chair of the Watts Gallery Artists Village. In 2012 he authored a report for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, “Digital Giving in the Arts – Democratising Philanthropy.” Through the family foundation, the Hazelhurst Trust, he has focused on community projects, arts for social impact and developing more and better philanthropy. His background is in technology entrepreneurship, company start-up and investment and he has established several businesses in Australia, the US and the UK.

Cath Dovey

Co-founder

Cath is a co-founder of the Beacon Collaborative and is the lead coordinator for a number of the activities. Formerly a co-founder of Scorpio Partnership, the global wealth management strategy and research firm, she led the firm’s high-net-worth and strategy research capabilities for two decades. In the field of philanthropy, Cath headed Scorpio Partnership’s global research work with major donors, family givers and family foundations. Cath chairs Rosa, the UK fund for women and girls, and is a trustee of Philanthropy Impact.

James Macdonald

Communications Manager

James is responsible for communications, content and community engagement at Beacon Collaborative. Before coming to Beacon, James ran strategic projects and communications for the social enterprise Escape The City, coordinating the development of the Top 100 Organisations To Work For annual awards. He has BSc and MA degrees in Human Rights and wrote his thesis on the use of American propaganda during the Korean War. James has also been involved in developing and organising events and films related to music and mental health. Beyond work, James plays guitar and enjoys travelling and running.

David Oduwole

Technical Project Coordinator

David joined Beacon in July 2021 as a Technical Project Coordinator. David has a BSc in Computer Science.

Sandra Lawman

Finance and Administration Manager

Sandra Lawman is a finance, fundraising and grantmaking specialist, with extensive experience in the public, private and particularly the voluntary sector. She has sat on a number of charity boards and has forty years’ experience of administration and governance matters. With financial qualifications and an Msc in Grantmaking Management from Bayes Business School, she supports the funding requirements and reporting at Beacon and produces the management accounts. She funded and helped to set up a now successful start up in International Public Relations, and managed a foundation for five years with an £80m endowment. She has a number of connections across the sector and has experience of dealing with High Net Worth Individuals as well as having been an elected councillor for 11 years, and Chair of Social Services. Sandra speaks Japanese and has written a book on mental health care in Japan. She enjoys theatre and dining out and is on the local jazz committee.