Celebrating Lisa Healings: A Legacy of Leadership, Collaboration and Community

Photo credit to VAST

When Lisa Healings moved from Finance Director to Chief Executive of VAST in October 2019, she stepped into leadership at a pivotal moment for both the organisation and the city. Taking the helm during a period of financial constraint and organisational transition, she quickly established herself as a calm, strategic and values-driven leader, helping to reshape VAST into a respected and influential voice for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. 

Within months of her appointment, the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge. Working closely with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, local charities, community groups and volunteers, Lisa helped coordinate the sector's response, ensuring vulnerable residents continued to receive vital support during one of the most difficult periods in recent history. Under her leadership, VAST became a key connector between communities, voluntary organisations and public services, helping the city navigate the crisis with resilience and compassion. 

As the city emerged from the pandemic, Lisa led the reinvention and re-establishment of VAST as the recognised Local Infrastructure Organisation for the VCSE sector. She championed the four core functions of infrastructure support: leadership and advocacy, partnerships and collaboration, capacity building, and volunteering, culminating in VAST becoming one of the first Local Infrastructure Organisations in the country to receive NAVCA’s new Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation on March 2025. During her tenure, VAST strengthened its support offer, expanded opportunities for volunteering, enhanced its role as a sector advocate and continued to develop The Dudson Centre as a thriving community hub. 

One of Lisa's defining achievements has been her commitment to collaboration. She played a significant role in rebuilding and strengthening relationships across sectors, creating opportunities for charities, public agencies, businesses and communities to work together on the city's most challenging issues. This collaborative approach helped support initiatives and networks that continue to influence community development and social change throughout Stoke-on-Trent. Many of the city's strongest partnership programmes have their roots in the culture of cooperation that she helped foster. 

A visible expression of this leadership has been the success of the Totally Stoked movement. Under Lisa's stewardship, Totally Stoked grew into a flagship programme celebrating the belief that "everyone has something to give", encouraging the sharing of skills, resources, knowledge and time across the local VCSE sector. The annual Totally Stoked Conferences, and triennial Totally Stoked Awards have became important events in the city's civic calendar, bringing together hundreds of organisations, volunteers and community leaders to learn, network and collectively strengthen and celebrate communities across Stoke-on-Trent. 

Among Lisa's most significant recent achievements was helping to develop and secure the Stoke-on-Trent VCSE City Alliance, a landmark agreement between the VCSE sector and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The Alliance established a shared framework for collaboration, built on principles of partnership, transparency, empowerment and inclusion. The signing of the agreement in 2024 marked a major milestone in recognising the strategic role of the VCSE sector in shaping the future of the city and represented years of relationship-building and collective leadership. 

Lisa's influence extended beyond the VCSE sector. She played an active role in the city's Centenary celebrations, serving as part of the wider leadership and partnership effort that brought organisations together to showcase Stoke-on-Trent's history, identity and community spirit. One unforgettable highlight was her involvement in the organising team behind the successful Guinness World Record attempt for the World's Largest Cream Tea Party held across multiple venues in July 2025. The achievement brought together around 15,000 people across the city and became a fitting celebration of Stoke-on-Trent's centenary year and its tradition of collective action. 

Lisa pictured receiving the World Record Certificate for the Stoke-on-Trent Centenary Tea Party

Throughout her seven years as Chief Executive, Lisa has consistently demonstrated that strong communities are built through relationships, trust and shared purpose. Her background as a qualified accountant brought financial discipline and organisational stability, while her passion for the voluntary sector ensured that people and communities remained at the heart of every decision. 

Perhaps her greatest achievement is not a single project, partnership or event, but the position in which she leaves VAST: a strong, stable, respected and influential organisation that is recognised as a champion for the VCSE sector and an essential partner in improving lives across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. 

As Lisa prepares to conclude her tenure, she leaves behind a legacy of resilience, collaboration and community leadership. Her impact can be seen not only in the organisations she has supported, the partnerships she has built and the initiatives she has championed, but in the stronger, more connected sector she helped create for future generations.

Thank you, Lisa, for your leadership, commitment and belief in the power of communities to achieve extraordinary things together.

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Story credits to VAST