Alison Seabrooke was appointed as Chief Executive of the Community Development Foundation (CDF) in 2005. Prior to this she was seconded for a year to the Home Office and Department for Education and Skills, bringing with her skills and knowledge from working within communities. Between 1996 to 2004 she was the volunteer founder member and later chief executive of an ambitious new-build community facility in Yorkshire. She developed a range of services to meet local to national needs and grew the centre into a successful social enterprise, winning two BURA awards. Since joining CDF she has developed and strengthened its role as a public body, building on the organisation’s 40 years’ experience of acting as a bridge between government and communities.