Trustees
Volunteering England is governed by a Board of Trustees meeting quarterly. In addition, the organisation is supported by number of committees, advisory and working groups involving a wide diversity of people.
Office holders:
Other trustees:
- Heather Benjamin
- Fiona Ellison
- Robin Evans
- Kristina Glenn
- Mark Gore
- Jenny Green
- Catherine Johnstone
- Joel Loader
- Matthew Plumridge
- Chris Reed
- Lynne Regan
- Helen Simpson
- Chris Wade
- Tessa Willow
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, Chair
As Chair of Volunteering England, Sukhvinder leads the strategic development of the organisation. Previously, she spent 8 years as CEO of the Barrow Cadbury Trust a grant-making foundation promoting social justice. Prior to that she was CEO of the Runnymede Trust where she developed seminal projects around the Equal Treatment Directives and British Muslims and Islamophobia. For the last 18 months, Sukhvinder has been operating a portfolio of activities while helping her adopted girl settle into school. Amongst her other current activities, Sukhvinder is on the Board of Consumer Focus and the Office of Public Management, Chair of the Audit Committee for the Social Care Institute of Excellence and leading communications for a Ministry of Justice board on simplifying complaints handling. Sukhvinder has served on the Governments Better Regulation Commission and five years on the board of Severn Trent Water.
Carole Kincaid, Vice Chair
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- County Co-ordinator for Volunteering, Kent County Council
- Magistrate (JP), East Ken Bench
Previous roles/posts of note:
- 30 year career in local government as social worker/manager
Interests/areas of expertise:
- Currently involved in fundraising for cancer charity 'Odyssey'
- CQSW DipSW
- Experience in change management, team development and partnership working
Nick Thomas, Honorary Treasurer
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Director, Corporate Finance, KPMG LLP
- Treasurer of the Friends of Cannizaro Park (Grade 2* listed historic garden and park) Wimbledon
Memberships of note:
- FCA (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)
- FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts)
Interests/areas of expertise:
- Nick is a Chartered Accountant of over 20 years standing qualifying in 1985. He was amongst the first to take up the new Corporate Finance Qualification when this was introduced recently by the ICAEW and qualified through the experienced practitioner route.
- As a Director in KPMG’s corporate finance practice, Nick specialises in advice to the public sector on Public Private Partnerships and has worked with many of the major central government Debasements and Agencies, including the Department for Communities and Local Government, Defra, the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and others.
- Nick was educated at grammar school in Surrey and then at Emmanuel Collage Cambridge where he read History (MA Hons).
- Volunteering England is a new agenda for Nick but he has a strong commitment to community engagement and a firm belief in the importance of mobilising people to engage in voluntary and extra-curricular activities.
- Nick is a regular opera goer and has a keen interest in the performing and fine arts and the environment. He is a friend of numerous bodies active in these fields.
Other members of the trustee board:
Heather Benjamin
Position held on board
- Chief Procurement Officer, Centrica
- Non executive board member, National Outsourcing Association
Previous roles
Non executive board member, International Association of Contract and Commercial Management
- Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (Fellow)
- Institute of Directors (Member)
- Institute of Personnel and Development (Member)
- International association of Contract and Commercial Management (Fellow)
Fiona Ellison
Other current posts/responsibilities:
2012 Programme Manager, National Union of Students
Previous roles/posts of note:
- Trustee of Student Volunteering England
- Sports Action Coordinator at Loughborough University
Interests/areas of expertise relevant educational qualifications, published works, honorary titles:
- Graduated from Loughborough University with a 2:1(Hons) in Sport and Leisure management in 2007.
- Keen sports volunteer I try to split my time between playing Netball and coaching school children.
- I have a passion for travel having spent 3 months teaching in Ghana, and 3 months travelling in SE Asia before University.
Robin Evans
Other current posts/responsibilities:
Chief Executive British Waterways
Member of Council University of Reading
Previous roles/posts of note:
Director Historic Royal Palaces
Chief Executive The Landmark Trust
Memberships of note:
Fellow of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Companion of The Chartered Institute of Management
Kristina Glenn
- Chair of Volunteering England Grants Committee and member of Volunteering England Board
Other current posts/responsibilities:
Director of Cripplegate Foundation, a grant giving trust in Islington. The Foundation aims to address poverty, increase access to opportunities and promote social inclusion. It does this through a highly pro active grants programme as well as supporting core and project funding for voluntary organisations
Previous roles:
Kristina has worked in or with the voluntary sector for over 25 years. This is mainly through funding the sector. She has worked for local authorities, central government and other grant giving trusts.
Kristina has been an active supporter of women’s ex prisoner organisations for over 20 years and a member of management committees ranging from toy libraries to youth projects.
Other interests:
- reading
- gardening
- community development
- her two teenage daughters
Mark Gore
Other current posts/responsibilities
Head of the National Transport Coordination Centre for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Previous roles/posts of note
Commander, Metropolitan Police Service, including responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary and Volunteer Programme.
Interests/areas of expertise
- employer support programmes
- change management and partnerships
Jenny Green
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Regional Fundraising Manager at Diabetes UK
Previous roles/posts of note:
- Head of Community Fundraising at Demelza Hospice Care for Children in Kent
Interests/areas of expertise:
- Honours Degree from York University
Catherine Johnstone
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- CEO, Samaritans
- Trustee, Directory of Social Change
Previous roles of note:
- Originally a nurse (RCN)
- Interim CEO of Capacitybuilders (2008/9)
Interests:
Football (Aresnal)
Joel Loader
Other current posts/responsibilities:
Partner, I-Motus, Brand engagement
Memberships of note:
RSA, Chartered Institute of Marketing, International Visual Communication Association
Interests/areas of expertise:
Global brand engagement
Matthew Plumridge
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Manager, Volunteer Centre Guildford (Paid)
- Owner, MJ Plumridge Training & Facilitation (Paid)
- Treasurer & Trustee, Positive Action Client Support Ltd (Charity No: 1099146, Company Reg: 4610678) (Unpaid)
Previous roles / posts:
- Trustee and Director of Disability Initiatives (Charity No. 1049002, Company No. 3029077) (Unpaid)
- Executive Member, Toc H (Charity No. 211042) (Unpaid)
- Vice Chairman, Toc H Germany (BAOR British Army on the Rhine) (Charity No. 211042) (Unpaid)
Interests:
Founder Member, Benevolent Confraternity of Dissectologists
Chris Reed
Chris Reed has been Head of Volunteering at NHQ since 2010, taking responsibility for establishing the new Volunteering Department within the Operations Directorate. He is responsible for leading the drive to improve and enhance the volunteer experience throughout St John Ambulance.
He joined the organisation having spent 6 years leading one of the country’s most successful Volunteer Centres, based in the City of Westminster. His previous volunteering roles have included a Scout Leader and Chair of University of Warwick LINKS unit, all providing insight which adds to his extensive experience in the voluntary sector.
Outside SJA he is a Trustee of Volunteering England and a member of the Award Committee for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.
Lynne Regan
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Manager of Volunteer Centre Bexley
- Chair of Volunteering England’s Volunteer Centre Advisory Group (VCAG)
- Trustee of Volunteer Centre Greenwich (volunteer)
- Member of the East London Volunteer Centre Network & also the London Change-Up Volunteering Sub-Group and EVDC London
Previous roles/posts of note:
- Vice Chair of Greater London Volunteering – Trustee 2004 - 2009
- Secondary School Parent Governor and LEA Primary School Governor
- Trustee of Volunteer Centre Swanley
- Special Police Constable
- Warranted Brownie Guider & Scout Beaver Leader
Interests/areas of expertise:
Expertise:
Lynne is a passionate advocate of the role of Volunteer Centres in the volunteering infrastructure in England.
Her expertise lies in the following areas:- Human resources; corporate strategy; change management, partnership working; fundraising applications; operational development of services; campaigning, marketing and promotion, service level agreements, commissioning processes and Local Area Agreement Indicators and Delivery Plans for NI6 (Regular Volunteering).
Interests:
- Animal welfare issues – Lynne is a dog-owner and a keen supporter of the work of the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust.
- Volunteers within the Criminal Justice System – having had experience in the Metropolitan Police Solicitor’s Department and been a Special Constable
- GirlGuiding and Scout Association
Helen Simpson
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Director, Volunteering, BT Group
- Vice Chair, Church Pastoral Aid Society
- Chair, Open House Community Cafe
Chris Wade
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Head of Learning and Volunteer Development at Victim Support.
Previous roles/posts of note:
- Regional Manager, Victim Support
- Chief Executive Victim Support Nottinghamshire
- other roles in higher educaton, students’ union movement, research and in the private sector.
- Volunteer roles on several committees and boards, as a school governor.
Memberships of note :
- Institute of Neighbourhood Justice Professionals
Interests/areas of expertise:
- Strategic Management, Learning theory and practice, Organisational development.
Tessa Willow
Other current posts/responsibilities:
- Chief Executive, Volunteer Centre Liverpool
- Chair, Volunteering North West (regional volunteering infrastructure network)
- External supervisor to local HIV charity
- Administration Manger, West Holts Stage, Glastonbury Festival
Previous roles/posts of note:
- Trustee, National Association of Volunteer Bureaux / Volunteer Development England (2002-2005)
- Programme Manager, Greater Merseyside Change-Up, 2005-2006
Interests/areas of expertise:
- Volunteering and its infrastructure
- Equalities and diversity, particularly LGBT issues
- Partnership and collaboration
- Live music – listening, performing, promoting
