The Reverend Frederick William (Fred) Milson (1912-1983), as a lecturer and Head of Department (1960-1977), had played a significant role in the development of youth and community work, contributing to the professionalisation of the field.
She then spent four years as the Youth and Play Work Training Coordinator at the Centre for Public and Voluntary Sector Development at Goldsmiths, University of London (1996-2000).
She worked as a consultant and trainer, primarily collaborating with local government and the third sector on organisational development, community solutions, and evaluation services.
YFA also designed and delivered tailor-made accredited learning and development programs and Field mentored and coached over 40 women-led businesses and start-ups.
The part-time positions in academia provided Field with the space to pursue her passion for community development and social justice, leading to the launch of The Ubele Initiative in 2014.
Ubele, derived from the Swahili word for "the future," is a national social enterprise founded by Field in 2014 to address the historical lack of funding for Black and racially-minoritised communities.
Formerly a local authority parks and gardens depot, the site has been transformed into a thriving space for sustainable growing, education, social enterprise, and community engagement in north London.
Later that month, Field welcomed the call by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for an independent public inquiry into the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Minoritised communities.
In June 2020, Field, along with Derek Bardowell and Sado Jirde, resigned from an equity working group organised by the National Emergencies Trust, citing disillusionment and a lack of meaningful dialogue.
The same year, Ubele launched, and currently leads, Elevate, a leadership development programme for Black and Racially-Minoritised individuals who identify as female, in partnership with four universities.
It is a grant-making initiative aimed at transforming Black and racially-minoritised communities and was established in partnership with six Regional Leads and with the support of several UK funders, including The Youth Endowment Fund and the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales.