Contact us
Telephone
01245 268 303
Email
info@cityofchelmsfordmencap.co.uk
Board of Trustees
"CCM has a strong trustee team of knowledgeable and passionate volunteers who share their expertise for the benefit of our staff and service users alike. In return, we all get that priceless feeling that we are helping to make a valuable difference to the lives of those who depend upon our charity."
Anthony North, Chair of Trustees
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Our Board
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to the trustee's biography
Anthony North
Chair
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Lucy Burgess
Trustee
Alan Stoppard
Vice Chair
Phil Preston
Trustee
Strategy & Projects Lead
Chris Newson
Vice Chair and Treasurer
Rachel Scott
Trustee
Safeguarding Lead
Abi Krone
Trustee
HR Advisor
Ruth Thompson
Trustee
Sharon Symon
Trustee
HR Lead
Meet our Trustees
Anthony North
Chair of Trustees
A proud native of Yorkshire (and never shy to remind you of it), Anthony studied Management Sciences at the University of Manchester before making the bold move down south in 1989 to build a successful career in financial services. Over the years, he worked in Romford, Brentwood, the City, and Canary Wharf - covering everything from client relations and business sales to corporate communications and project management. His CV includes top-tier firms such as Save & Prosper, Robert Fleming, JP Morgan, and Bank of New York Mellon.
In 2013, while still immersed in the financial world, Anthony co-founded TradePending, a tech start-up focused on bringing innovative software solutions to car dealerships. Fast forward a few years, and the company was thriving, officially recognised in 2019 by the prestigious Inc Awards as one of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the United States.
With TradePending in safe hands and the daily commute firmly in the past, Anthony set his sights on something closer to home: giving back to the local community. He didn’t have to look far. In summer 2019, just weeks after leaving the corporate world behind, he attended Chelmsford’s annual Volfest event, where he met our Services Manager. It was one of those rare, lightbulb moments – within minutes, he knew he’d found the charity he wanted to support.
By October 2019, Anthony had joined our board as a trustee, balancing governance responsibilities with hands-on volunteering in the Outreach Academy. That direct involvement remains important to him today – he closely follows the progress of every student and takes immense pride in their achievements.
Since July 2020, Anthony has served as our Chair of Trustees, where he plays a key role in shaping CCM’s strategic direction. Along the way, he’s kept himself busy – overhauling board protocols, leading our pandemic response, and championing the IT transformation that delivered the Virtual Academy in just two weeks. He often describes the VA as “the best example of genuine teamwork I’ve ever been part of”.
In addition to being Chair, Anthony is a member of our finance, HR, strategy and governance committees.
Anthony was also instrumental in CCM’s conversion to a new charitable structure, the CIO – a milestone that brought to fruition the hard work of many former trustees and Chairs. He is immensely grateful for their dedication and vision, which helped shape CCM into what it is today.
Outside of CCM, Anthony splits his sporting loyalties between north and south, following both Bradford City FC and Essex Cricket. It’s a delicate balancing act – and one that regularly puts his patience to the test!
Alan Stoppard
Vice Chair of Trustees
Alan was born and educated in Chelmsford, attending Thriftwood School between 1986 until 1999.
In his role as a member of a facilities team, Alan was based at Chelmsford Borough Council between 2004 and 2011, before transferring to County Hall in 2012, where he continues to maintain Essex County Council’s headquarters.
Alan is a lifetime member of City of Chelmsford Mencap and became a student at its lifelong learning service, The Outreach Academy, in 2008. He excelled in various courses, particularly pottery, in which
he assisted the tutor and his peers.
As a dedicated advocate for people with a learning disability, Alan became a trustee of City of Chelmsford Mencap in 2011. He was the first trustee with a learning disability to join the Board and, since 2022, has held the role of Vice Chair. He works closely with the Chair to oversee the development of the charity and to support the Board and senior management team. His lived experience is invaluable for the charity’s understanding of service users’ needs. He continues to volunteer at Mencap Centre, assisting with kitchen duties and sports sessions. Alan also supports CCM’s events and has taken central roles in key awareness campaigns, including I, Too, Am Able, which showcased his abilities as a trustee.
Alan is passionate about sports, especially football, and ensuring the local community has inclusive provisions for young people and adults with a learning disability. He was Chair of City Mencap Football Club from 2013 to 2016 and gained a coaching qualification to support players’ development. He continued his coaching role when the football club transferred to Disability 4 Sport in 2023 and now also sits on the Dovedale Flyers Sports Club committee.
Chris Newson
Vice Chair of Trustees and Treasurer
Chris Newson was born and educated in Essex. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant before joining the first UK financial services regulator, IMRO. After two years, he moved into financial service businesses and accumulated over 25 years’ experience working at fund managers and investment banks such as Janus Henderson, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup. During this time he was a regular speaker at conferences and actively involved with industry bodies, including lobbying regulators and tax authorities.
In 2019, Chris started work as a consultant for major fund management firms, helping them improve profitability and compliance with new regulations. He also used his extensive knowledge and skills to help a friend set up a charity to promote the interests of people with disabilities in the local community and continues to be both treasurer and trustee for that charity.
In 2021, Chris started working with the Altilium Metals group and is now the Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer. However, he was keen to extend his involvement with local charities, so he joined the board of trustees at City of Chelmsford Mencap as treasurer in 2022. He was appointed Vice Chair in September 2024.
As Treasurer, Chris works closely with CCM’s Financial Administrator to oversee the charity’s financial affairs and ensure that the other trustees and senior CCM staff have a good understanding of the fiscal position of the charity. When he is able, he enjoys helping out at the charity’s services, including driving the minibus to outings and the allotment, where he shares his horticultural skills with students.
As Vice Chair, Chris liaises with the Chair to oversee the development of the charity and to support the Board and senior management team.
In his spare time, Chris enjoys open water swimming, dog walking and gardening.
Abi Krone
Trustee and HR Lead
After completing a BSc(Hons) in Environmental Science at the University of Nottingham, Abi qualified as an accountant and worked initially for Deloitte LLP where she focused on audit and risk management. She then became a Commercial Controller at Fleishmann Hillard UK before promotion to her current role as Finance Director. Abi specialises in strategic planning, financial management and governance, particularly within the PR and communications industry.
During her university years, Abi played premier league hockey. She now gets plenty of exercise running around with her two young sons, who are affectionately known as CCM’s ‘Tiny Trustees’!
On her return to her hometown, Abi wanted to get involved in her local community and give something back. As supporting people with a learning disability is a cause close to her heart, and she had experience of the positive impact of CCM’s services, she was keen to use her skillset and professional experience to enhance the charity’s board and its services.
As part of her trustee role, Abi advises CCM on HR matters and aims to bring elements of corporate best practice to our small independent charity, ensuring its wonderful staff and volunteers are well supported. She also liaises regularly with the Treasurer on financial matters. Abi loves nothing more than dropping
into Mencap Centre and interacting with the students, and to see them always so enthusiastic and
engaged in their learning.
Lucy Burgess
Trustee
Lucy has over 10 years of experience in the charity sector. As Event Fundraiser with The J’s Hospice, then Havens Hospices, she worked on a variety of major fundraising events, including the Chelmsford Marathon and Pedal for The J’s. Through this role, Lucy developed organisation skills, budgeting, risk management and supporter development, encouraging engagement and sponsorship through persuasive supporter communications.
Currently serving as Senior Trust and Statutory Fundraising Officer at Gingerbread, a national charity that supports single parent families. In her role, Lucy manages a diverse portfolio of funders maintaining strong relationships through thoughtful stewardship, emotive applications and detailed reporting.
Outside of work, Lucy enjoys playing her guitar, dancing, making cards and trips to Devon in her campervan.
Having fed into organisational budgets from the front line, Lucy is eager to develop and expand her awareness of the role trustees play in charity finance. She is also passionate about bringing her fundraising experience to board level for a local charity serving her community. With a personal connection to learning disability through her aunt, who had Down Syndrome, she feels City of Chelmsford Mencap is a perfect fit.
Lucy plans to use her keen understanding of the importance of inclusive support and social opportunities for people affected by learning disability to develop her interest in charity governance. She is excited to contribute her skills to City of Chelmsford Mencap to help broaden and diversify the charity’s income and increase financial stability.
Phil Preston
Trustee and Strategy & Projects Lead
Born and educated in Southampton, Phil is a retired education service senior manager. He has been head of education planning, school organisation, strategy and capital programme management in a number of local authorities in North East London and the South East of England. As a senior consultant in a major international project management company, he supported and advised a number of education providers in developing innovative models of education provision and programmes of school improvement both in the UK and abroad. And, at a time of major change and challenge in the education sector, Phil undertook the roles of governance consultant and chair of a large multi academy trust in the Church of England.
A performer with the Chelmsford Singers, Phil is passionate about the arts - expressive, visual and performing - particularly their role in supporting persons with learning disability. Phil also enjoys cool jazz, snooker and rugby (watching, not playing).
Phil’s main interests within CCM is in exploring and fostering links with other organisations and in ensuring that the activities and priorities of our entire charity community stay true to our vision and mission. Phil chairs CCM’s Projects and Strategy Committee and also contributes, through Royal Mencap Society, to the development of other Mencap groups.
Rachel Scott
Trustee and Safeguarding Lead
Rachel is passionate about social equality and has devoted her career to working with vulnerable populations. Her career began whilst completing her MSc in Social Policy at London School of Economics when she volunteered on England’s first refugee resettlement scheme, originally with the Refugee Arrivals Project and later Migrant Help. From there she went on to direct a community education charity in Canada which worked with communities who were experiencing homelessness, mental health and addiction issues.
Since returning to the UK, Rachel has taken on senior leadership roles at a number of national charities, including The Bell Foundation which seeks system change and equity for people who speak English as a second or additional language across all walks of society. Rachel currently leads the front line services of Scotty’s (no relation!), a national charity that supports service children who have experienced the death of a parent, providing 1:1 bereavement support, respite breaks for families, and education support.
At home Rachel runs a pesticide-free, no-dig small holding, with rescued and rare breed farm animals including sheep, goats, alpacas, duck, geese and chickens. And when she isn’t cuddling goats and wondering if the slugs will ever stop eating her lettuces, she likes to paint.
CCM holds a special place in Rachel's heart. She has an unwavering love for front line community charities that make a big difference to the lives of those they work with. Her husband's family, and now
her children, have balanced Robertsonian translocation of chromosomes 13 and 21 which means she has
a particular interest in learning disabilities including Down Syndrome. In her career Rachel specialises in helping charities grow, introducing impact data collection, research, and policy influencing. And it is in those areas that she aims to support CCM. She is also the Designated Safeguarding Trustee for CCM, working closely with the senior management team on policies and procedures.
Ruth Thompson
Trustee
Ruth’s entire career has involved supporting people and families with neurological conditions, from learning disability and autistic spectrum disorders to her current role in a dementia charity. Ruth has had various roles ranging from frontline social care work to writing legal documentation to provide young people with the SEN support to which they are entitled. Her current role involves leading carers’ support services, ensuring that carers of people with dementia have the information and support they need to navigate the journey they have found themselves on. As part of this role, Ruth delivers various training courses to individuals and organisations supporting people with dementia.
Ruth has two dogs and loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside with them. She also loves
to crochet and to escape to various places across the world with her family when the opportunities arise.
Ruth’s drive to support City of Chelmsford Mencap comes from her career and seeing first-hand the impact of the charity. Having worked within the social care and charitable sectors, she looks forward to using her experience and skills to support City of Chelmsford Mencap and to offering strategic guidance to help the charity to continue to grow and fulfil its vision and mission. Ruth is a member of CCM’s Strategy and Projects committee and supports staff and volunteers with a variety of initiatives.
Sharon Symon
Trustee
Sharon’s first career in her native Scotland was in sales and marketing, during which she worked for the building trade and a pharmaceutical company. She then went to university as a mature student to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming a Speech and Language Therapist. Throughout her 20 year career, Sharon worked for community learning disability teams, including three years as Professional Lead. Her roles included assessing and managing communication difficulties, contributing to the management of complex swallowing difficulties and writing and delivering training packages for colleagues, carers and families.
In addition to her main role, Sharon has been involved with young people and performing arts for the last 15 years. Sharon owned a theatre school in Scotland and now manages a school owned by her daughter. Sharon’s other interests are gardening and her many grandchildren!
Sharon is keen to use her professional knowledge and experiences to benefit CCM and its service users as she is aware there is still work to do to ensure people with a learning disability have equal access to the opportunities others take for granted. She believes that providing really good quality services is protective and supportive and can be the difference between a “happy life” and not. She has a particular interest in carrying out meaningful conversations with service users and ensuring they are included in decision making. Sharon chairs CCM's HR Committee and also uses her skills, voice and energy to assist with the development of CCM’s services.
Chair of Trustees
Vice Chair of Trustees
Trustee
Chair of Trustees