Local charity welcomes seven new trustees

Stockport-based disability charity, The Together Trust, has appointed seven new trustees from the local third sector and business community.

Based in Cheadle, the charity cares for and champions the rights, needs and ambitions of care-experienced children and people with disabilities, autism and mental health differences.

Giles Gaddum, Chair, said:

“After a busy season of interviews, the Together Trust is delighted to welcome yet more passionate and committed trustees to its board. They bring a range of experience in safeguarding, social care, fostering, education and autism services, in addition to their varied professional knowledge to enrich our team.

Our aim is to deliver long lasting social impact with a board that champions the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support.”

The seven new members of The Together Trust’s board of trustees are:

• Gani Martins – a registered social worker and an Improvement Consultant and also Chair of Board of Trustees AFRUCA – Safeguarding Children.
• Geoff Durbin – a foster carer, Vice-Chair of the Stockport Foster Carers’ Association and Vice-Chair of the supporting people subgroup at the Together Trust, who also brings 35 years’ commercial, marketing and fundraising experience to the Board.
• Jane Grime – link governor for careers and employability at Together Trust’s Inscape House School.
• Jane Walapu – an Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff with the Co-op, and former support line volunteer at Stockport based charity, NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood).
• Lyndsey Stark – a consultant to the Executive team at the Youth Endowment Fund where she has led a large operational and cultural transformation programme.
• Marcell Edwards – a Global Talent Acquisition Manager with Adidas and is an advisory board member of the Leaders Black Excellence Advisory Board, supporting access to sports industry careers for people from disadvantaged groups.
• Nick Lowry – Chief Education Officer for a large multi-academy trust, serving Ofsted Inspector, and former executive headteacher and headteacher of mainstream secondary schools in areas of high socio-economic disadvantage.

Jane Walapu, new trustee at the charity said:

“I’m incredibly proud to become a trustee at the Together Trust. In the short time I’ve spent with the team so far, I’m humbled with how the trust puts the children, young people and adults we support at the centre of the decisions, changes and services we provide. I’m excited to bring my experience in HR, diversity and inclusion to the trust to support increasing our reach and accessibility across the North West”

Geoff Durbin, trustee, added:

“I have long been an admirer of the phenomenal work of the Together Trust, so I didn’t need to think twice when the opportunity arose to join their board.  

“Hopefully, the combination of my foster carer role with significant commercial and fund-raising experience will prove to be an asset to the board as we look forward to the next 150 years of delivering care, support and education services within the North West”.