Ruth and Caroline met in 2008. Together, they created new ways of working as well as programmes that achieved very real and tangible change. In 2019, they decided to set up a family business together and Deeds and Words was born.
Throughout her career, Caroline has worked tirelessly to empower organisations and individuals to transform their worlds. With clients including human rights campaigning group - Liberty, insurance provider - Aviva, UK challenger bank - Metro Bank and numerous government departments. Caroline has supported people at all levels to effect positive and impactful change for themselves, their organisations, and more widely, for their societies. She was the Chair of Finance Innovation Lab until October 2019 and until recently was a Trustee of Roundhouse. She is an Honorary Fellow of UCL, awarded in recognition of her active leadership in promoting equality and social change. Caroline is now a Board Member of Opening Doors.
Ruth was the Chief Executive of Stonewall; the UK’s largest charity campaigning to improve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In her fourteen years with the organisation, she worked with more than 700 organisations in the UK and globally, as well as with schools, grassroots campaigners, and senior government Ministers, and led high profile, impactful campaigns. Prior to joining Stonewall, Ruth worked for Universities UK on equalities in higher education and was the President of the Oxford University Student Union. She holds an honorary fellowship from Cardiff University, and honorary degrees from Keele and Exeter. She was the Vice Chair of national homelessness charity Shelter and was a trustee of Engage Britain. Ruth has been appointed as a cross bench peer in the House of Lords and took up her seat in October 2019. Ruth is an accredited mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).
Deeds and Words used to be Caroline Ellis and Associates, and we continue to work with many of the same clients and people that Caroline has worked with for many years.
Stacey Dale is one of our project managers. She previously worked for the London Borough of Camden and was the Chair of Stonewall Housing.
April Guasp is our amazing expert on impact and evaluation and supports all Deeds and Words staff to ensure impact measurement is at the heart of our approach!
Carol McNab (MCIPD) enables us to deliver efficiently and effectively to new and existing clients and help us develop the systems and processes to support seamless growth.
