Jennifer Challinor
Head of Research and DevelopmentJennifer has been with the Trust since January 2018, where she leads strategic programmes and embeds whole-system, place-based and community wealth-building approaches across the organisation’s work. With a background in social enterprise, research and impact-led entrepreneurship, Jennifer develops practical, sustainable approaches that enable communities to respond to the climate emergency, demographic change, energy inequality and technology transitions. She works with colleagues and partners to support The Crichton in delivering its long-term vision through inclusive and sustainable economic development, with the Estate’s unique heritage at the core.
Jennifer coordinated the Trust’s Building the Case for a Care Campus, an innovative, community-led project that concluded in December 2020. She also led the £1.1m Community Renewal Fund programme in 2022 to develop a whole-place masterplan for The Crichton Quarter. She is now delivering this masterplan by developing projects that support our strategic vision for the Estate to become a hub for economic growth, innovation, and learning, maximising benefits for the local community. Jennifer has led a pioneering Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Glasgow and Innovate UK to develop a cyber-physical system that supports the transition of heritage buildings towards net zero.
Jennifer’s approach is rooted in design thinking and co-design, uniting multidisciplinary teams to test practical solutions. She brings expertise in programme management, impact evaluation, governance, co-development, and community empowerment. Her research and innovation work spans housing, care, energy equity, digital inclusion, and the just transition to net zero. She has published academic papers and reports in partnership with the University of Glasgow and The Open University.
Jennifer has lived and worked in the region for 16 years with her family. She is a Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and sits on the board of South of Scotland Community Housing.
