CV Life is excited to welcome Eilis O’Donnell as Social Impact Director and new addition to the organisation’s Senior Leadership Team.
With an extensive background in education, Eilis’s previous role saw her working at the widening participation charity IntoUniversity. She brings a wealth of experience in supporting social inclusion and driving initiatives that empower young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In her new role at CV Life, Eilis will work on connecting the organisation’s strategies with Coventry’s wider city partnerships and frameworks, with a focus on ensuring CV Life’s programmes and outreach activities contribute effectively to the city’s efforts in improving the lives of residents.
Talking about her new role, Eilis said: “I’m really looking forward to working with everyone at CV Life. Every time I talk to someone, I find out about another thing that sounds brilliant so I can’t wait to start understanding the full breadth of what’s happening in the organisation.
“I am really interested in contributing to improving people’s lives. I love asking questions and unpicking things, understanding what’s working well and then looking for ways of improving further. The opportunity to do that with an organisation like CV Life that has such a wide offering across multiple sectors – it’s fascinating and exciting to me.”
Eilis worked as a teacher and leader in a North London school, an experience she found both challenging and rewarding.
“In a former life I was an Assistant Head of Sixth Form,” Eilis shared. “A big focus of that was helping students get into university – it was amazing and really emotional being able to guide children into Higher Education, particularly when they came from backgrounds where university wasn’t expected of them. It also helped me understand the layered, inter-connected challenges of growing up in poverty.”
Originally from Yeovil in Somerset, Eilis moved to Coventry just prior to the pandemic. She spent nearly a decade at widening participation charity IntoUniversity, most recently as their Director of Programmes and Delivery, which allowed her to explore her passion of encouraging and guiding those from under-represented backgrounds into university and other opportunities.
As Social Impact Director, one of Eilis’s key tasks will be to represent CV Life in citywide strategic discussions about social and community impact. She will also be responsible for collaborating with external partners to shape impactful strategies that address issues such as inequality and under-representation across the city. Additionally, Eilis will play a crucial role in identifying areas where CV Life can focus future programmes to meet emerging needs.
Talking about her new role, she said: “Honestly this is like a dream, golden opportunity. I feel like I can take what I know from my time in education and social justice, and direct that passion into supporting the mission of CV Life.
“I’m looking forward to working with people of all ages, and seeing how we can maximise social impact across the unique blend of sports and culture, programmes and outreach, at CV Life. I can’t wait to get started”.
And just in case you’re wondering, and you probably are, Eilis is pronounced “Ay – lish”.
“Pretend it starts with an A instead of an E, and pretend it ends with a H,” she laughed when asked about it.
CV Life CEO Paul Breed said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Eilis to the organisation. Making an impact on the people of Coventry is an imperative part of what we do, so I hope having someone to lead and drive on that shows our intent.
“It was an incredibly talented pool of candidates for the role, literally from all over the world, but Eilis’s knowledge, experience and sheer passion just made her stand out so much.
“Throughout her career she has thrived in education and social impact settings. I know she will be invaluable as we continue to deliver our community-focused programmes. Eilis’s ideas and drive align perfectly with our commitment to inclusivity and making a real difference in people’s lives.”