New staff at ADCA

Strengthening Our Team

Introducing Nicola Cooper and Katherine Bentahar

We are delighted to warmly welcome Nicola Cooper and Katherine Bentahar to the ADCA team.
Nicola Cooper joins us as Charity Administrator, bringing a strong background in charity and voluntary sector work, alongside experience in business administration and supporting families and community organisations. She has held a range of voluntary roles with organisations including Motherwell, Chance Changing Lives, and Her-Place Charitable Trust, contributing to service development, recruitment support, and lived experience work. Nicola is passionate about reducing isolation and improving wellbeing within local communities.

Alongside her voluntary work, Nicola has worked as a Business Administrator with Smart Bright Training CIC, supporting families of children with Special Educational Needs and liaising with partner organisations and parent forums. Her work has strengthened her skills in communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement. Nicola’s commitment to community support is further reflected in her personal dedication to caring for her elderly grandparents, ensuring they remain active, connected, and supported within their community.

We are equally pleased to welcome Katherine Bentahar who joins us as Community Engagement and Carers Lead, bringing extensive experience across the voluntary and community sector, with a strong focus on inclusion, engagement, and supporting vulnerable people. Her background includes work with VAST Stoke-on-Trent, Scope, G4S/Serco, and ARCH Refuge, covering areas such as volunteer coordination, housing support, asylum services, domestic abuse support, and disability inclusion projects. She has also led and supported a wide range of community initiatives across the West Midlands and North Wales.

Katherine’s experience spans micro-volunteering coordination, disability inclusion projects, refugee and asylum support services, domestic abuse refuge work, and offender rehabilitation mentoring. She has also played a key role in developing community partnerships, delivering engagement projects, and facilitating inclusive initiatives across the West Midlands and North Wales. Her work consistently demonstrates a strong focus on co-production, equality, and ensuring that services are shaped by lived experience.

Both Nicola and Katherine bring a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and practical experience to ADCA. Their combined strengths in community engagement, volunteer development, and support for vulnerable people will be a real asset as we continue to grow and strengthen our services for older and isolated people across our communities.

We are very much looking forward to working with them and welcoming them into the ADCA family in early June.
Phillip Baker
General Manager