Our Trustees

Andrew is a public servant and social entrepreneur with three decades experience of in helping bring positive change to the lives of underserved citizens and communities by putting collaboration and people centred-innovation at the heart of governance, strategy and communications. His current focus is on building a cross-sector coalition of Government, business and civil society organisations to ‘engage the disengaged’ in policy and action that reduces carbon emissions to meet net-zero goals.

He was for fifteen years director of the UK Branch of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which helped establish the Campaign to End Loneliness and raise awareness of this major cause of ill-health in later life. He spearheaded the Foundation’s work to champion the ‘civic role’ of arts organisations and helped found new ventures including Arts and Homelessness International and the international Social Innovation Exchange.

Andrew joined the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation where he led the policy and communications functions and previously held senior roles at the National Consumer Council, prioritising the interests of disadvantaged consumers in the regulation of markets across a range of economic sectors, the financial services company HSBC, and Arts Council of England.

He has served in a non-executive capacity in a wide range of organisations across the arts and the wider social sector including as chair of a housing association in special measures and as the senior independent member of Healthwatch England until 2020. He is a Church Warden at St Dunstan-in-the-West in the City of London and has served on the Guild Church Council for more than 20 years. In 2021, he was awarded an OBE for services to social change.

Anderson is the lecturer of World Christianity and Religious Studies in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University, UK. He is an Anglican theologian and priest from the Church of South India (an Anglican Province).

He currently serves the Church of England in Lancashire, North West of England. His research interests and publications lay in the lived facet of World Christianity and its theological and missional engagement with other faith communities.

Anderson is also deeply passionate about social justice as a Gospel imperative and currently involved in a number of inter-religious and peace initiatives. Alongside being an expert in South Asian and West African Christianity, he is also conducting research on the diverse ethnic and racial make and its implications for Christianity in Britain. Anderson has published widely in the areas of Contextual Theology, Mission and Ecumenical Studies, and Culture and Christianity.

Alec is the strategic lead for involvement for one of twelve national learning programmes within the Fulfilling Lives initiative. Employed by Plus Dane Housing, he works with people who are often excluded from the support they need, and bring lived experiences of homelessness, offending, substance misuse and/or mental ill health.

A community development worker and activist at heart, he was instrumental in establishing a number of grassroots initiatives including the West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission and the Welcome Network (part of Feeding Britain).

Alec is currently an external trustee of the Student’s Union at the University of Chester and has been a trustee of his local parish church.

Alec was previously the Living Wage Campaign Co-ordinator for Church Action on Poverty. Before that, he worked for ActionAid UK and also led the West Cheshire Foodbank where he worked alongside the board of trustees to catalyse social action initiatives and to campaign for food justice.

Sue is a retired housing association Chief Executive.

Sue is passionate about social housing, rural communities and the environment. She helped establish the Homes for Cathy group of housing associations that work to prevent and address homelessness.

Sue’s other interests include a community link with Tanzania and chairing her local Flood Group.

Sue was previously inaugural chair of the Rural Housing Alliance; co-chair of the Rural Housing Network; a Trustee of the National Flood Forum; Chair of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers and Chair of Gordon House Association (charity for compulsive gamblers).

Sue’s church is St Andrew’s, Paddock Wood, where she is lay Chair and was warden for seven years. Sue chairs the Bereko Community Partnership (church, schools and Town Council) and its parish link with Bereko, Tanzania. Sue also chairs Rochester Diocese’s Clergy Houses Committee and its Kondoa Companionship Group.

Rob is now the director of a small consultancy focussed on supporting principle led leadership. Prior to this he has had an extensive career in the John Lewis Partnership retiring in 2020 as their Head of Partnership Democratic Engagement.

Committed to using his leadership experience Rob has supported many Christian and other organisations channel their energy and focus to deliver their key aspirations. He has taken on many speaking engagements including at the Faith in Business conference but especially enjoys talking about engaging effectively with employees. Encouraging leadership and supporting social enterprise are real passions of his.

He has been a Board Director of Westminster Abbey Enterprises since 2013 and along with his wife Liz runs a small Christian retreat house in north Norfolk providing much-needed recuperation for church leaders and staff.

In his previous commercial responsibilities, Rob was Managing Director of four separate John Lewis branches between 1997 and 2013 - most latterly overseeing the opening of the new Cambridge store in 2008. He has been a governor in schools and held a leadership role for many years in Bretton Baptist Church, Peterborough where he and Liz are still active members.

From 2001 to 2016 Alison was Finance Director at Business In The Community, one of a group of not-for-profit organisations of which the Prince of Wales is president. From 1993 to 2000 she was Finance Director at ECHG, which provides supported and sheltered housing services. Prior to that she worked in retail and IT as a senior Finance professional having qualified in 1976 as a Chartered Accountant. Alison was educated at Harrogate Grammar School and St Hugh's College, Oxford, and has an MA in Mathematics. She is also a Trustee of All Nations Christian College and All Souls Serve the City CIO so she endeavours to stay current with changes in charity finance.