Jennifer Challinor

Since joining the Trust in January 2018, Jennifer has led key programmes that bring together whole-system, place-based, and community wealth-building approaches across the organisation. With experience in social enterprise, research, and community development, she creates practical, sustainable solutions to address the climate emergency, demographic change, and new technologies. Jennifer works closely with colleagues and partners to move forward, The Crichton’s long-term vision, focusing on inclusive and sustainable economic growth while keeping the Estate’s unique heritage central to the organisation’s work.

Jennifer led the Trust’s Building the Case for a Care Campus, a research project developed with local partners to explore ageing in place. The team spoke with people of all ages across the rural region to explore how community, placemaking, care, housing, and technology could better support ageing well. The project created a plan to help communities become more intergenerational, climate-resilient, and supportive so people can age well.

She also led the £1.1 million Community Renewal Fund programme in 2022, which created a masterplan for The Crichton Quarter. Jennifer is now putting this plan into action by developing projects that support the Estate’s vision as a centre for economic growth, innovation, and learning, thereby benefiting the local community. She has also led a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Glasgow and Innovate UK to develop a cyber-physical system that helps heritage buildings move towards net zero.

Jennifer uses design thinking and co-development to bring together teams from different backgrounds and test practical solutions. She has skills in programme management, impact evaluation, governance, entrepreneurship, and community empowerment. Her research interests include housing, care, energy equity, digital inclusion, and the transition to net zero. She has published academic papers and reports with the University of Glasgow and The Open University.

She is a Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and is on the board of South of Scotland Community Housing. Jennifer has lived and worked in the region for 16 years.