Charity Leader, Paula Woolven BEM, joins Board of Trustees
We are delighted to welcome Paula Woolven to the Board of Trustees at Needed Foundation.
A regular commentator on TV and radio, Paula is a prolific campaigner, fundraiser, and leader of many significant charities along the south coast of England.
Paula was honoured by His Majesty The King with the Order of the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2024 for her services to charity, particularly during the pandemic, when she ensured that critical services continued to be delivered to vulnerable people.
One of the charities she founded, Havens Community Cars CIO, received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2025 for outstanding service to people experiencing transport poverty—because they believe every journey matters.
Another charity, Havens Food Cooperative CIO, is a food waste prevention and rapid redistribution service that has prevented over £2 million worth of food from going to landfill as of January 2026.
Paula also intervened when the two local dementia-friendly day centres closed, and now Havens Happy Clubs CIO has added a third weekly venue.
She is also Chair of the Hillcrest Centre in Newhaven.
We are proud to welcome Paula to our leadership team and governance board and look forward to helping many more individuals through her support.
“I always say to my team, we start with the need.
If there is a need, we will find a way.
”
Paula, accompanied by her family, receives the BEM from the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex.
