Chief Executive – Steve Woodford

Foundation’s Chief Executive helped establish the organisation 26 years ago, alongside the West Yorkshire Probation service. At the helm since its inception, Steve has overseen the growth of Foundation from its original roots as Timble Housing.

Operations Director – Teri Stephenson

Teri has worked for Foundation for over 7 years.  As Operations Director, she is responsible for ensuring high quality service delivery and operations that meet the needs of our customers.

Development Director – Derek Kettlewell

Derek has worked for Foundation for more than six years. As Development Director he has responsibility for securing new public sector contracts and grant funding. Derek leads on a range of other development activities.

“Working for Foundation is very different from the commercial sector, much more customer focussed which makes the work more immediate and interesting”.

Human Resourses Director – Malcolm Thompson

Malcolm has responsibility for Foundation’s HR services that offer support to more than 360 staff across the organisation. Malcolm has worked for Foundation for two years and has previous experience in engineering and financial services.

Finance /IT Director
Caroline Watson has been a qualified Chartered Accountant for over 20 years and has worked in the arts and charities sector for the last 11 of those.  Caroline joined Foundation in November 2011 and has responsibility for Finance and IT.

Chair – Colin Ions

Colin joined the Board of Foundation in 2004 and became Chair in 2007 as part of a personal commitment to contribute to a fairer society.

He was Managing Director of a Consulting Company for four years and now operates as an independent consultant.  Prior to that, he had a 30 year career in HR at a senior level.

Colin is a Trustee for Leeds University’s Pension Scheme and works part-time as HR Adviser for LSM Ltd a Metals Manufacturer in Rotherham.  He is also a lifelong ticket holder of Sunderland Football club.

David Jorysz

David has been a Board member of Foundation since 1998 and has sat on the Finance/IT Committee from that time and chaired this committee for five years to 2008.
Previously employed by Touchstone (a Leeds-based mental health service-providing charity) for 20 years, initially as their only finance worker but progressing to become the Finance Director.  During my time turnover grew from £150k to £3m – quite impressive until compared to Foundation!
David is committed to the voluntary sector and its ethos of addressing need and enabling change.  Combining this with a belief in the adaptability of all people and their ability to grow and ‘reform’, he considers it to be a privilege to be a part of Foundation.
David is also Chair of Governors at a Leeds Primary School and has a passion for mountains and hill walking.

Philip Turnpenny

Philip has been a fully fledged member of the Foundation Board since May 2008.  As well as Chairing the Marketing and Development Committee he sits on the Employment Committee.

Prior to his retirement in 2007, he was a Director of Moores Furniture Group Ltd.  Philip is now involved in a variety of roles including:

• as a magistrate in Bradford;
• as a member of the Standards Committee of Leeds City Council;
• Chair of Governors - Tadcaster Grammar School;
• Chair of the Interim Executive Board at a primary school in Tadcaster; and
• as a member of the Interim Executive Board at Sherburn High School.

“....... they make you feel you are a part of the team and not just a service user.”
Bernadette McArthur – Customer Trustee

Bernadette McArthur

Bernie joined the Board of Trustees in 2010.  Bernie a customer of our Darlington team became a GROW volunteer and has been involved in staff interviews and project meetings.  Bernie spoke to the audience at our Annual Meeting in 2010 about  how she has been able to turn her life around.

“Where I was then to now has given me countless opportunities and has led on to involvement with other organisations, including Bradford council.”

Ian Nottingham – Customer Trustee

Ian Nottingham

Ian has been a customer with Foundation since February 2009.  Having completed various courses, he now peer mentors other trainees.  He has a good understanding of customer services and client confidentiality and has been involved in some Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) audits.

Ian was a founder chair of Bradford Customer Involvement Group (C.I.G.) in Bradford.  This has empowered him to be successful in gaining, in 2010, a place on the Board of Trustees as a customer trustee for Foundation.

He has the passion, drive, enthusiasm and commitment to make a difference from a customer involvement perspective, right up to Board level and beyond.

Aidan Grills

Aiden is Chief Executive of Leeds University Union.  Aidan became a Foundation Trustee in 2009 and he is a member of the Marketing and Development Committee.  His educational background includes a degree from Loughborough University and MBA from Bradford University.  He lives in Leeds and is passionate about social inclusion and the life chances for all.  Other volunteer interests include various activities with The Salvation Army and trustee experiences include the Boards of Unipol Student Homes and Leeds Christian Community Trust.

Dr Martin Samy

Martin joined Foundation’s Board in 2010.  He is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Leeds Business School (part of Leeds Metropolitan University).  He has been recognised in the Marquis Who’s Who in the World in 2007 publication for his research in establishing a Quality Effectiveness instrument.  He researches and publishes widely in Financial Literacy and Corporate Social Responsibility areas.  Martin is a member of the Finance/IT and Performance Committees.

Ian Simpson

Ian is a former Assistant Chief Executive of Incommunities Ltd (Bradford) and now the Chairman of Sadeh Lok Housing Group Ltd.  A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.  He currently Chairs the Operations and Performance Committee within Foundation and is a member of the Marketing and Development Committee.  Ian has been a member of the Board since 2009.

David Powell

David has been a Board member of Foundation since 2004 and a member of the Finance Committee since then. 

A qualified accountant, he is currently financial controller at Berwin & Berwin, a textile manufacturer, in Leeds but with operations in China, Hungary and Germany.  Established in 1885, during the heyday of the Yorkshire woolen and textiles industries, today the company is one of Europe’s largest suit producers.

He is also a Trustee and Treasurer of Reading Matters, a Bradford-based charity that promotes literacy in secondary schools through the provision of one-to-one reading sessions with volunteers. 

Eleanor Green

Eleanor became a Foundation Board member in 2009 and she sits on the HR Committee.

Eleanor has spent much of her working life in the NHS.  Her professional background is in non medical public health as a Health Promotion Specialist.  She worked in various jobs in training, community development, women’s health, workplace health and for many years in strategic and operational management and inter-agency working with other public and Third sector organisations.  She has worked extensively on both the commissioning and provider ‘sides’ of the NHS.  Before that, she qualified in HR, taught English as a second language and was a founder member of Calderdale Women’s Centre.

Two over-riding principles have informed all her work – a focus on tackling inequalities and the importance of effective partnership working to achieve that goal.

Currently besides getting involved with Foundation, she is training to be a CAB advisor, practising TaiQi, growing vegetables, doing some paid work and spending time with her family.

Mollie Naylor

Mollie joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2010.  Her career involved senior housing management experience with a large regional Housing Association, she then went on to develop a small business and works as a volunteer parent support worker at After Adoption Yorkshire.   Mollie is currently studying for a diploma in counselling.