NCVO's Trustee Board

Honorary Officers

Chair: Martyn Lewis CBE

Martyn Lewis CBE is the chairman of NCVO’s Trustee Board. His knowledge of the voluntary sector spans 29 years and includes founder and chairman of YouthNet, chairman of the Awards Committee of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, chairman and co-founder of Families of the Fallen, trustee of the Windsor Leadership Trust, president of United Response, deputy chair of the Lord Mayor of London’s Dragon Awards and vice-president of Help The Hospices, Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care. His career as a television journalist includes 32 years presenting mainstream television programmes for BBC and ITV.

Honorary Treasurer: Bruce Gordon

Until 2008, Bruce was a senior audit partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP and was a member of the Board of Partners and Partner in charge of the Southern Region.  Bruce’s clients included a number of FTSE 100 companies as well as some of Deloitte’s largest global clients. Prior to Deloitte, Bruce was a partner with Arthur Andersen, where he managed the UK Regional Practice.

Bruce now runs Thames Valley Capital Limited which advises a venture capital fund and several high growth companies. Bruce became a Trustee of Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in 1997.  He was appointed as Honorary Treasurer in 1998 and served until 2011.  Bruce retired from Guide dogs in 2011 at the end of his third term of office.  He remains Chairman of the Investment Committee and Pension Fund Trustees.

Bruce is also Chairman, and a founder, of the Honorary Treasurers Forum, a charity that promotes governance and education for Honorary Treasurers.

Trustees

Jo Ash (Vice Chair)

Jo Ash has been Chief Executive of Southampton Voluntary Services since 1992.  SVS provides independent advice and support for the local voluntary sector on all aspects of volunteering and organisational development and has a representational role in strategic partnerships on behalf of the almost 500 community and voluntary organisations in membership.

In additional to its voluntary sector support role SVS also provides high quality services directly to local people including currently SVS Family Projects, Shopmobility Service, Young Carers project , Safe in Sound  substance misuse and safety awareness work as well as MORPH an ex drug users self help project

Apart from a brief spell in the Civil Service post graduation Jo has been a senior manager and consultant in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and has worked on issues including housing and homelessness, advice services for disabled people, poverty, women and health.  She has been a SEEDA appointed voluntary sector advisor and a member of national voluntary sector working parties on Funding, Financial management, Womens issues and Constitutional change and is currently Vice Chair of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations

Jo has a BA (Hons) in Social Studies and an MA in State Policy and Social Change. She is also an accredited practice teacher for Social work.  In a voluntary capacity Jo is Vice Chair of a local neighbourhood group and has been previously been on the boards of 2 local Housing Associations each for over 10 years.  For nine years she was a Non Executive Director of Southampton City Primary Care Trust and is currently Chair of Southampton Connect the key local strategic partnership group.

Ciarán Devane

Ciarán Devane was educated at University College, Dublin where he gained first class honours in biochemical engineering.   He also holds a Masters Degree in International Policy from George Washington University, Washington DC.  He worked for ICI for 8 years before joining Gemini Consulting, an international management consultancy firm.  He has also served as chairman of a major housing association. 

Ciarán joined Macmillan Cancer Support as Chief Executive in May 2007.  Ciarán co-chairs the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative and is a trustee of the National Council for Voluntary Organisation and the Makaton Charity. He is also on the advisory council of the Cecily Saunders Institute. In January 2012, Ciarán Devane was appointed as a Non Executive Director of the NHS Commissioning Board.

Richard Leaman CB OBE

Richard Leaman took over as Guide Dogs’ new Chief Executive in March 2010, joining at a critical moment in Guide Dog’s evolution, as the new strategy – ‘Building Extraordinary Partnerships’, began to roll out. In his short time in Guide Dogs, he has increased the number of service users by 50%, delivered on two major accessibility campaigns, partnered with 42 other sight loss charities, significantly reduced core costs, and overseen double digit fundraising growth.

Richard’s previous role was as a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, where he undertook a variety of demanding operational command and leadership roles, regularly responsible for multi-million pound budgets and hundreds of people, often in highly complex and politically sensitive circumstances. Richard has directed or commanded operations in every rank from Lieutenant to Rear Admiral, in ships and headquarters all around the globe.

In 1992, whilst in command of a destroyer, Richard was awarded an OBE for his leadership of a combined-services disaster relief operation in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. In 2009, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in recognition of his work re-organising a NATO strategic headquarters in the US, and personally developing NATO’s new Maritime Security Strategy.

Richard has always maintained a healthy interest in the charitable sector, and over the years he and his ships and headquarters raised significant sums of money for a wide variety of charities. Richard has had a lifelong affection for Guide Dogs, which he regards as a genuine national treasure, and feels privileged to lead.

He is a Trustee of NCVO and Vison2020UK, an alumnus of the Manchester Business School, an associate of the Chartered Management Institute, and a graduate of the MoD’s Strategic Leadership, and Higher Command, courses.

Dominic Fox

Dominic Fox has worked in the voluntary and community sector for over 30 years. He started as a volunteer setting up a bookshop within a multicultural community centre in Bath and has worked as a youth worker and social worker.

Dominic has held a number of senior management posts including Director of the Kings Cross Homelessness Project, Acting Chief Executive at National Homeless Alliance, CEO of a disabled children’s charity, Kidsactive, was Director of the Children’s Centre Project, a collaboration of seven national charities based at the National Children’s Bureau, and was Chief Executive at Hoffmann Foundation for Autism.

He has been a member of various boards, a trustee of NCVO since 2002 and is a member of the Poverty Strategy Group at Joseph Rowntree Foundation. He was the first chair of homelessness charity Groundswell and a founder trustee of London Funders.

Dominic stood down as Chief Executive of The Stone Ashdown Trust in December 2008 when it became one of the UK's first charitable foundations to "spend out" its capital. In February 2011 he took up the role of Chief Executive at the Association for Charitable Organisations, the umbrella body for benevolence charities in the UK.

Margaret Coleman

Margaret Coleman was appointed to chair the board at Huddersfield Media Centre in October 2010. She also currently chairs the Open College Network, Yorkshire & Humber Region.

Prior to this, Margaret was appointed LSC Regional Director for Yorkshire and the Humber from January 2004 until April 2010. As Regional Director she served on the national Management Group of the Learning and Skills Council.

Born in Derbyshire, Margaret holds two degrees from the University of Leeds, including a First degree in English Literature and research on early twentieth century poetry. She has worked in all the major sectors of post-16 education, including higher education, further education, teacher education, adult skills and sixth form colleges.

Before formally joining the LSC in 2001 as Executive Director for West Yorkshire, Margaret was the Principal and Chief Executive of Huddersfield New College and was previously Deputy Principal of Dewsbury College. She has held a number of senior posts in Further and Higher Education in West Yorkshire.

She is also a director of mind the gap, a theatre company for learning-disabled adults; a director of Yorkshire Dance and a member of the Leeds University Court. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Jonathan Moore

Jonathan Moore is NCVO’s longest serving Trustee, having served four terms.  Having completed 19 years as Chief Executive of the Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations, he is currently on a brief career break pursuing some personal ambitions: writing a play, travelling and caring. 

His work has embraced local, regional and national settings and has been multifunctional: acting as trainer, speaker, changemaker, advocate, representative, trustee,  adviser, mentor, arbitrator, manager, facilitator – to name but a few.  The latest addition to his portfolio is Adventurer – planning a 4000 mile drive in a vehicle costing less than £100 in aid of his passion for supporting young people through Scouting and The Bridge Project – a local learning disabilities charity he volunteers for.

Dame Julia Cleverdon

Dame Julia Cleverdon is a renowned speaker on corporate responsibility, leadership and career development for women. She is now a Vice President of Business in the Community, a movement of 800 top UK companies committed to improving their positive impact on society and a Special Adviser to the Prince’s Charities on responsible business practice. Dame Julia’s work at Business in the Community led to her being listed by The Times as one of the 51st most influential women in Britain!

Dame Julia has recently led a review for the Prime Minister on Education and Business partnerships. She is a member of the Talent and Enterprise Advisory Group and has recently led a three-month Taskforce on Building Stronger Communities in an economic downturn. Dame Julia is also Chair of Teach First, which coaches exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields.

Dame Julia began her working career in industrial relations at British Leyland. She was Director of the Industrial Society’s Education and Inner City Division 1981-1988. Julia is a patron of Volunteer Reading Help and an Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund. She has also recently become a Business Adviser for Marie Curie and the Chair of the Newnham College Advisory Board.

Jules Mason

Jules Mason joined Merlin in late 2011 as their Head of CEO’s Office where he works with the CEO and Directors Group to drive forward Merlin’s strategic development. Prior to joining Merlin he worked at the British Red Cross as Head of Governance Support for 4.5 years where he reformed their trustee election process and introduced a development programme for potential future trustees; his time there included 8.5 months as interim Director of Strategy.

Jules has extensive experience of strategy development, membership services, governance arrangements, campaigning and business planning. He has worked with and supported membership organisations, from his time as an elected student officer (former President of his students’ union and member of the National Union of Students’ Executive Committee) and staff member in student unions to various roles at the British Youth Council. At the British Youth Council he oversaw the development of a range of innovative programmes to support and encourage young people’s involvement in civic and wider society.

Jules is on the Board of Trustees for London South Bank University Students’ Union. He is also a former trustee of the British Youth Council and the Association for Citizenship Teaching – ACT, and a former governors at Fortismere, a foundation school in Haringey, north London (from 2003-2011; the last three years as chair of governors). Jules is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an avid sports fan (including a rare Manchester United fan born in Manchester, as well as occasionally playing tennis and five-a-side football).

Matt Hyde

Matt Hyde has been Chief Executive of the National Union of Students since 2007 during which time the organisation has undergone transformational change. He is also a Trustee of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Director of NUS Services Limited and represents NUS at Endsleigh Insurance Board meetings.

Prior to joining NUS, Matt was General Manager of Goldsmiths College Students' Union, Deputy General Manager of King's College London Students' Union, President of the University of London Union and President of Queen Mary and Westfield College Students' Union. He has a first class degree in English from Queen Mary and Westfield and an MBA from Westminster Business School.

Matt has also worked in the voluntary sector over a number of years as a consultant and board member (for the Poetry Society and Student Volunteering England), is a Patron of UNLOCK (the National Association of Reformed Offenders) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. He was recently awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Queen Mary College.

Fazilet Hadi

Fazilet Hadi is an appointed member of the NCVO Trustee Board. Fazilet is Group Director Inclusive Society at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Fazilet has director responsibility for RNIB's membership scheme, corporate marketing and communications, research and political campaigning. She also leads RNIB's UK services, which include helpline and information services and the provision of accessible products and books. 

Fazilet directs RNIB's drive to create a more inclusive society for blind and partially sighted people. This involves improving the inclusivity of transport, shopping and banking services and making reading, TV and digital technologies accessible.

Fazilet started her career as a solicitor working in Law Centres in Birmingham and Brighton.  She has also worked in corporate equality roles for Southampton City Council and Lewisham Council.

Chris Wade

Chris Wade joined the NCVO trustees upon our merger with Volunteering England, where he was a board member for 3 years. Chris brings 14 years of knowledge and expertise of volunteer strategy especially for large national charities. Chris is Head of Volunteering for a Victim Support where he overseas volunteer strategy for the organisation and its 6500 volunteers.

Chris has particular interest in developing the standards of volunteer management and in the third sector making greater use of modern communication technology.

Chris has also held key senior roles in learning and development and operations management, and was CEO of Victim Support Nottinghamshire before the organisation became a single charity.

Prior to work in the charity sector Chris has worked in academia, commercial research, aviation and hospitality sectors. He has served on the board of the Institute for Community Justice Practitioners, Volunteering England, Nottinghamshire Criminal Justice Board, and several youth offending services as well on the advisory panel for our own Institute for Volunteer Research.

Tessa Willow

Tessa Willow is chief executive of Volunteer Centre Liverpool, a post she has held since 1998. She is also chair of regional infrastructure body Volunteering North West.