Darek Karwacki
Chief Executive Officer
Darek is a homelessness professional with over 15 years of experience ranging from street outreach to assessment and specialist services for people with experience of homelessness and migration.
He has a passion for innovation and evidence-based service design. He led the discovery phase of Solidarity Initiatives programme for a local charity; planned change through community driven design (co-design) and facilitated co-production sessions to involve residents, the local authority and local charities in the transformation of Solidarity Initiatives.
He collaborated with people at all levels of seniority in the UK and EU countries to make sustainable change locally for present and future populations experiencing homelessness.
Darek has in-depth understanding of current housing and immigration legislation. He managed the Greater London Authority funded services, which aimed to support rough sleepers to find sustainable routes off the street through a combination of immigration advice and specialist support to access housing in the UK and abroad. He developed a number of innovative partnerships, including universities and service design agencies to inform and transform people’s experience of the services.
Darek holds a MA in Education and focused his research on links between critical pedagogy and independent theatre and its impact on social movements in Poland in the 80s.
In his free time, he works on a family-owned apple and cherry farm.
(DAH-rek Kar-VAT-skee)
Alexis Bailey
Communications Manager
Alexis is a communications professional specialising in digital comms and social media. She studied psychology at Liverpool University, women’s studies at Exeter University, graphic design at Central Saint Martins and documentary making at the London Academy of Media, Film and TV.
Alexis has worked for central and local government including Number 10 and the Cabinet Office. She has also worked in arts marketing and administration at several venues including the Royal Opera House, the National Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre.
Alexis wants to improve WSUP’s strategic communications and lead WSUP into campaigning to influence systemic change around structural inequality.
Lucy Callaghan
Business Relations Manager and Deputy Head of Operations
Lucy was previously a volunteer for around two years whilst studying before starting her employed role.
Lucy has overcome a lot since joining WSUP, after struggling with her mental health for many years, and fighting against it at her worst when joining, it all gave her the confidence to achieve more within her studies and help her to further cement her belief that she wants her future career to be helping people.
In doing this she was given the amazing opportunity to work within WSUP on an employed basis.
Lucy loves the work that she does meeting new people networking and spreading awareness of what great things the charity does for people in need. Alongside this, she also enjoys greatly the side of her role where she interacts with the guests on a regular basis trying to help as much as she can.
She notices that there are challenges that come with working for the charity. Funding is low and this is needed to help make WSUP grow to what it needs to be. Having said this, she is extremely proud of WSUP and what it has achieved so far. The only way is up!
Jas Sahota
Head of Operations and Community Relations Manager
Previous to my employment I was a volunteer for WSUP for eight years, so I know the service well. Whilst a volunteer with WSUP I worked at Woolwich Common Community Centre and was a market manager at the Royal Arsenal Famers Market. These were mainly community engagement roles.
I took part in my first ever 10k run at Greenwich Park to raise money for Mencap which is a charity for people with learning difficulties, and then I took part in a half marathon from Tower Bridge to Greenwich. I raised money for WSUP and Greenwich Migrant Hub.
My main achievement is overcoming my drug addiction to class A drugs, which I was addicted to for most of my adult life. I have been in recovery for nearly 15 years now.
Since I have been involved with WSUP, we have become a multi award winning charity. We put on our first ever classical concert which was held at St Peter’s Church. I would like to put on more musical fundraising events in collaboration with St Peter’s Church in the future. I also want to see WSUP recognised as a service provider in Woolwich.
Ruth Wild
Senior Manager
I became a volunteer at WSUP in March 2018 to learn about and be able to speak to people who are homeless, rather than seeing them as a statistic or someone in a doorway. I feel fortunate to have never lacked anything in my life, but I have been challenged by relationship breakdown, bereavement, time off through stress and serious illness.
After washing up for a year I started to use my organisational skills by filing the paperwork. This led me to write job descriptions, set up annual reviews, get involved with recruitment and onboarding and, after the move to Brookhill Road, take on a leadership role in getting the new service up and running.
Inputting much of the material on SharePoint, representing WSUP at the Women in Management and Greenwich Business Award ceremonies, setting up Charity Suite, and supporting volunteers and peer managers are among the achievements I am most proud of. Most recently I have exploited my knowledge and experience in teaching and therapy to arrange and jointly facilitate a series of courses to reduce anxiety and boost self esteem. I would like to continue to be involved in supporting guests and volunteers with their mental health and to help facilitate access for all to affordable therapy.