Grounded in Real-World Experience
Hello from Behind the Brand
The Hayes Collective was created from years of working at the intersection of systems and communities - supporting strategy, commissioning and service delivery in ways that are rooted in both practical know-how and lived experience.
With a background in local authority policy, procurement, contract mobilisation and performance, we understand how services are designed, funded and measured. Just as importantly, we’ve worked alongside communities to shape those services through meaningful co-production and honest, people-led processes.
This mix allows us to bring a clear, informed perspective to complex challenges - one that’s as comfortable in boardrooms as it is in grassroots spaces.
It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about helping organisations ask better questions, and shape strategy that reflects the realities they’re working in.
Hi & Welcome!! I’m Hayley, the heart and human touch behind The Hayes Collective.
This isn’t just a business to me, it’s a mission born from years of working alongside passionate charities, community groups, and social enterprises who give their all, often with too few resources and too many challenges.
I built The Hayes Collective because I believe that lasting social change depends on strong and resilient organisations – across both the public and VCSE sectors. Increasingly, best practice guidance highlights the importance of collaboration between public bodies and community organisations, recognising that neither can deliver impact in isolation. Too often I’ve seen services and teams, no matter their size or setting, struggle simply because they lacked the strategic support, the space to pause and reflect, or someone in their corner who truly understands the pressures they face. I wanted to change that.
At the core of my work is a simple promise: to bring clarity, strategy, and sustainable growth to the organisations that hold our communities together, without ever losing sight of the people, passion, and purpose driving them.
Every project I take on is guided by values of integrity, collaboration, and practical impact. I’ll never hand you a generic template and call it a day. Instead, I’ll listen, challenge, and co-create with you so that the solutions fit your organisation, your community, and your vision for the future.
The Hayes Collective exists to ensure the VCSE sector not only survives, but thrives - even in challenging times. And I’m here to walk that road with you.
And because we’re all human, here’s a little about me outside of work: I’m a mum to three beautiful children, a wife, a daughter, and someone who enjoys every moment (at least on reflection) of what often feels like life’s biggest joyride. I’m passionate about people and truly believe in prevention over cure, often taking an “all family” lens to solutions. That belief - that strong, supported people build strong, supported communities — runs through everything I do, both in life and in work.
Hayley Hayes -
Founder & Lead Consultant