Our People

Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Rt. Hon. The Lord Shuttleworth

President

James C. Armfield O.B.E

Patron

The Bishop of Blackburn. The Rt. Rev Nicholas S. Read

Patron

The Bishop of Lancaster. The Rt. Rev Patrick O'Donoghue

Patron

David Lloyd

Patron

Lord Patel of Blackburn

Patron

Peter Robinson

Chairman

Peter joined Martins Bank (subsequently Barclays Bank) in 1959 and stayed with the organisation until 1990. He held various positions with Barclays throughout the North West of England culminating in managerial appointments in Blackpool, Ambleside, Preston and Clitheroe. From 1990 to 2005 he was Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Partnership and Chairman of the Duchy of Lancaster’s Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace.

He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 2000 and was High Sheriff of Lancashire in 2006/7. He is Chairman of Trustees of Clitheroe Castle Heritage Scheme and, in 2004, was recipient of The Lord Sieff Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Cohesion in the North West, presented by Business in the Community.

Arthur Roberts

Vice Chairman

Now retired, Arthur is an expert in the nuclear industry with experience at a senior level in both operational and functional roles across all of the sites operated by BNFL, including nuclear fuel manufacture and reactor operations, safety, quality, human resources and public affairs.

In his career he successfully led extensive change management programmes linked to re-structuring organisations, was Head of Site at BNFL, Chapelcross, and Deputy Head of Site at BNFL, Sellafield

Arthur has unique technical and ‘hands on’ experience on some of the most challenging facilities within the UK nuclear industry, together with having mastered organisational transitions.

David Sanderson

Board Member

David is a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Queen’s Lancashire regiment, having served for 24 years in Africa, Germany, Middle East and Hong Kong. David is now the Director of Grants for The Rank Foundation, a large, endowed grant making organisation, with UK-wide interests covering a broad area of social need.
David is also involved with charity work in Africa and Nepal and is also a trustee of the Arthur Rank Centre, part of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. He also leads expeditions and runs private safaris to the Namib and Kalahari deserts.

Terry Hephrun

Board Member

Terry has been Chief Officer of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) since April 2002. Previously, he worked for 35 years in the Civil Service, latterly with Government Office for the North West.

Terry is Chair of the Lancashire Association of Councils for Voluntary Service and represents the Lancashire Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Consortium on the Lancashire Partnership. He is also actively engaged with the Local Strategic Partnerships in each of the three districts.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel & Development and a Member of the British Institute of Management.

Peter Butterfield

Board Member

Peter has spent all his working life as a journalist. He has worked in newspapers in the North East of England, in the South East and Wales before coming to Lancashire as Editor and Editorial Director of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph – a post he held for 15 years.

From 2000 he worked as a lecturer in journalism and a media and PR consultant. He is currently Editor of Lancashire Business View.

In 2003 he joined the board of Calderstones NHS Trust as a Non-executive Director and is now Deputy Chairman of the trust. He is Chairman of Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley Parish Council.

Pam Barker

Board Member

Pam was Headteacher of Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School from 1987 to 2007 and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 2007.

She was a member of Lancaster University Council from 1989 to 1995 and Court from 1987 to 2007 and a Non-executive Director of Lancaster Area Health Authority from 1990 to 1993. She was also a member of Lancaster Medical Ethics Committee from 1990 to 1993.

Pam served on the Royal Navy Interview Board from 1992 to 2004 and was a member of the Management Committee of the Arkwright Trust, awarding scholarships to encourage young people into engineering, from 2000 to 2008. She was a Non-executive Director of Bay Radio from 1999 to 2002.

Vijayanti Chauhan

Board Member

Vijayanti has been actively working, both in voluntary and paid capacity, within the voluntary, community faith sector (VCFS) for the last 18 years. She has worked at Lancaster University and currently works as Policy Officer (VCFS) at Lancashire County Council.

Her dedication has centred on community education with emphasis on promoting cultural diversity and inter-faith dialogue within communities and a broader audience of people with different cultural values and beliefs.

Vijayanti serves as a magistrate on the Preston Bench. Currently she is a governor on the Corporation Board of Runshaw College, Leyland, Chair of Preston Faith Forum, member of Lancashire Forum of Faiths and involved with other local and sub regional voluntary organisations.

Tom Hoyle

Board Member

Tom is a partner in Roebucks Solicitors in Blackburn and Accrington.

As the partner heading up the company’s Ecclesiastical Law Department he is Diocesan Registrar and Legal Secretary to the Bishop of Blackburn. Apart from property and charitable work, his team deals with all aspects of the Faculty Jurisdiction of the Church of England, the Consistory Court, the issue of Bishops Common Marriage Licences and employment law within the Church of England.

The Ecclesiastical Department also acts for the Diocesan Board of Finance, the Diocesan Board for Education and the Dean and Chapter of Blackburn Cathedral.

He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Mental Health Lawyers Association.

Deborah Ashton

Board Member

Deborah is the Executive Director of Policy for Lancashire County Council.

Graham Burgess

Board Members

Graham is the Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

Steve Weaver

Board Member

Steve is the Chief Executive of Blackpool Borough Council.

Cathy Elliott

Chief Executive

Cathy has ten years experience in the voluntary sector, specialising in fundraising, philanthropy advice and community development.

She is currently Acting Chief Executive of the Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside, leading on £3.5 million total grants programme and £1.8 million endowment challenge for 2009/10 across both organisations.

Cathy was short-listed for the Sheila McKechnie 2008 ‘Conflict Resolution Award' and won the Ogunte Women's 2009 Social Leadership in the Workplace Award for her campaign work on Merseyside Young Transformers (MYT) programme and its subsequent national roll-out. She was also part of the team that won the Charity Times 2008 ‘Investment Management Award'.

Cathy has previously worked within the UK disability movement, the hospice sector and the arts.

Karen Fitzgerald

Development Director

Karen joing the Community Foundation on 1st March 2010 and is responsible for raising the profile of the Community Foundation in Lancashire, generating income, leading on the Endownment Challenge, developing events and building relationships with partner organisations and potential donors.

Grants Team

Nicky Steele
Grants Manager

Joan Ford
Assistant Grants Manager

Kelly Moore
Assistant Grants Manager

Nicci Williams
Assistant Grants Manager

Tina Kennedy
Assistant Grants Manager

James Proctor
Senior Grants Officer

Graham Batey
Grants Intern

Chris Speariett
Volunteer 

Finance & Admin Team

Sue Langfeld
Finance & Admin Manager

Vicki Cronley
Assistant Finance & Admin Manager

Sophie Saunders
Administration Assistant

Chris Redmond
Finance & Admin Officer

Esperanza Miyake
Admin Officer