Anna Clarke is one of IACD’s Regional Trustees for Europe and Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2019. A professionally qualified community work practitioner, Anna’s career began in Liverpool, as a neighbourhood community worker on urban estates on the outskirts of the city, followed by roles in cooperative enterprise development, and immigration support work with refugees and asylum seekers.
Moving to Northern Ireland in 1996, Anna managed an EU-funded Peace and Reconciliation programme before taking up the role of Community Development Learning Coordinator with a non-profit organisation working with rural communities across Northern Ireland. She now runs Prospect Community, a social enterprise focusing on community development, learning, and organisational governance. Anna works with communities, organisations, and agencies to design, deliver and measure the impact of programmes and services that contribute to improving community development practice and supporting social change. Areas of work include learning design, training, and facilitation, community-based action research, community, and stakeholder engagement, strategic programme planning, design, and impact evaluation.
Particular areas of professional interest include; Community Development Standards, community leadership, and models and practices of community participation and engagement. Anna also holds a MA in Human Rights and Equal Opportunities and an MSc in Community Planning and Governance.