Natalie Brandon (she/her)

Natalie received an Advanced Diploma in Grant Funding from the University of Derby, where her final thesis explored the balance between centralised and localised decision-making in public funding.

Before joining CPI, Natalie spent eight years at The National Lottery Community Fund, supporting charities across the North West of England to secure funding and successfully deliver their projects. Her role involved guiding organisations through the entire grant lifecycle — from application to completion — and she found it deeply rewarding to see so many projects come to life, supporting both beneficiaries and local communities alike.

Alongside her professional experience, Natalie has spent the past five years volunteering with the Manchester Refugee Support Network, where she creates safe, engaging spaces for children and young people. Through play and craft activities, she helps foster joy, connection, and a sense of normality in their daily lives. She also volunteers with the Migrant Destitution Fund, assessing applications for emergency cash grants and helping secure essential funding to support those in crisis.

Natalie is inspired by the work CPI is doing with Google to make the benefits of AI accessible to everyone. She is passionate about expanding digital and AI skills in ways that champion inclusion, opportunity, and innovation. She feels fortunate to work alongside such talented and mission-driven colleagues and is excited to continue learning and growing in her role.

Outside of work, Natalie finds joy in spending time with her family and friends, volunteering, travelling, reading, watching The Traitors, and cheering on Manchester City. Her loved ones would probably describe her as someone whose curiosity and compassion shine through in everything she does — and, as they’d proudly point out, she’s even followed by Barack Obama on X.