Our Board of Trustees handles our overall direction and management. Our members select 50% of our Trustees and the Board nominate the other 50% for their skills and experience.
Our Hft Trustees come from diverse backgrounds. They’re chosen for what they can bring to our delivery of support and services. Many have an excellent understanding of the issues that affect learning disabled people. Some have family members with learning disabilities. Some are carers or friends of someone with a learning disability. And some have specific expertise in policy development or specific skills that can help us run effectively.
Our Trustees and Executive team share a common goal. To ensure we deliver the best support possible and continually look for new ways to ensure the people we support have every opportunity to live the best life possible.
Amanda Bunce – Chair of Trustees
Tell us a bit about your background
I have worked in the customer services industry and operations management for the whole of my career. The last 13 years of my career, I worked for IBM Global Business Services as one of their Vice Presidents in the UK and Ireland. I ran some of IBM’s business sectors in the UK, and also specialised in leading large transformation projects for IT and system change programmes. This has given me the opportunity to work with many different customers and organisations in both the private and the public sectors.
What made you decide to become a Trustee for Hft?
I was asked to help at a sports event for learning disabled people. This was my first experience of spending time with this very special group of people. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of when I had the opportunity. When I retired from IBM in 2017, I was asked by someone working in the charity sector if I would be interested in a Trustee position at Hft. I researched Hft, met with one of the Trustees and the CEO to learn more about their values, and had no hesitation in accepting the role.
What’s been your best Hft moment?
Being part of Voices to be Heard. It’s a communication forum for people we support that helps them express their views and have a voice within Hft. Representatives from each of the regional groups attend regular meetings which I co-chair with one of the people we support. It is a very powerful forum and demonstrates Hft’s commitment to collaboration and transparency.
Amanda says…
“Hft is dedicated to providing the best life possible for the people we support. This includes providing support to attend day opportunities and learning new skills, as well as socialising and building relationships. Hft is committed to providing independent supported living within a safe home environment that the people we support can call their own.”
Anne-Marie Strong
Anne-Marie joined our Board of Trustees in 2023. She is a qualified barrister and practising solicitor, and has worked with local authorities since 2017. She specialises in advising the adult social care sector.
Since 2019, Anne-Marie has worked as a senior solicitor at a local authority. In her work, she develops policies and strategies to help those entitled to care and support. She also makes sure that the local authority follows the law and its own rules properly. And she works to strengthen those rules so that anyone who deals with the council is treated fairly.
Anne-Marie has also worked in private practice, and has helped to resolve non-criminal disputes on a freelance basis.
She first encountered Hft during her involvement in a commissioning exercise as part of her current public sector role. Anne-Marie is also godmother to a friend’s daughter, who has a learning disability. She works hard to make sure that everyone, no matter how old they are, or what disability they have, can access every opportunity for a fulfilled life.
Des Spencer
Des is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years experience. He’s worked across big, multinational corporations within the Pharmaceuticals and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors. His skillset includes change and project management, and developing and delivering financial strategies, systems, and processes.
Des joined Hft because of the passion and commitment shown by the team in caring for the people they support. This deeply resonated with him because of his personal interest in adult social care. He saw an opportunity to use his skills to give back to society and to the people we support.
Irfana Malik
Tell us a bit about your background
I am a highly-skilled risk expert with over 25 years’ of commercial experience. I specialise in risk management, compliance, audit, corporate governance, and creating financial and operation strategies.
I have board-level experience and a track record of delivering significant value for companies through assessment, creating strategies, and accomplishing them. The companies I’ve worked with range from Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs) to blue chip and corporate.
I’ve also worked with companies in the USA, Former Soviet Union, Europe and the Caribbean countries.
John Devapriam
Tell us a bit about your background
I have over 20 years’ experience working in the National Health Service, 15 of which have been in services for learning disabled people. I am currently the Executive Medical Director at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. I am also a Medical Member of the First Tier Tribunal for Mental Health. And I’m the Project Executive and Lead Editor for online resources on learning disability and mental health at MindEd, Royal College of Psychiatry.
Previously, I was the National Professional Advisor for Learning Disability at the Care Quality Commission and Chaired the Quality Network. I was also Academic Secretary for the Faculty of Learning Disability at the Royal College of Psychiatry.
My interest areas are in systems leadership, mentoring and population health management. I am also a clinician researcher and have contributed to a few book chapters, peer reviewed publications and national reports.
What made you decide to become a Trustee for Hft?
I’ve worked in the NHS for my whole career, so the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of learning disable people and their families is very appealing to me. Especially from a community care perspective. Hft’s values align with mine and its vision and strategic plans inspire me. I am looking forward to contributing to the organisation.
Jonathan Laredo
Tell us a bit about your background
Over the past 40+ years I have had a varied career, mostly in finance and property. I became an investment banker (post big bang) in my thirties. After 10 years, with two friends, founded an investment management firm which we ran until it was sold in 2012. In 2014 I set up a commercial property company in Ireland, which was floated on the Irish and UK stock exchanges in 2018. I remained as Chief Executive until 2022 when it was bought by a Canadian private equity. After a short transition period I retired in December of that year.
What made you decide to become a Trustee for Hft?
I realise that I have been very lucky both in my career and life. Now that I’ve retired, I would like to repay some of that luck with a positive social contribution. Hft supports some of the most vulnerable members of our society and I hope that my experience can help make a useful contribution to the charity’s work.
Mike Butler
Mike has extensive private and public sector experience and held senior Board positions. He is co-founder and Managing Director of Peopletoo, who deliver change to local government and the NHS. Mike is also a Trustee of Newport Live, a charity providing leisure and culture services.
Mike has held senior Director roles in the private sector. He was also once a Finance Director in the NHS, having trained as an accountant in South Africa and then the UK.
He has experience in organisational change and transforming services; financial and commercial performance; property and facilities management, and supply chain management.
Mike decided to join Hft as a Trustee to help us in our mission to make a difference in the lives of those we support. He bring sector and wider expertise to the Board of Trustees.
Paul Morgan
Tell us a bit about your background
I have spent almost 20 years working in the charity sector. My experience is in international, national, regional and local charities with turnovers ranging from the £100s of millions to a few tens of thousands of pounds per year. I’ve done most types of fundraising, from traditional community fundraising through to major gift, lottery, statutory fundraising and charity retail work. I also have a lot of experience organising events including challenge events and Royal Gala functions.
I am married with two young children. In my spare time I am treasurer for my local church and a small charity that supports young people in Central London. I am also a member of a Hampshire group of professional fundraisers. I was pleased to accept the nomination for the post of inaugural Chair for the Central South group of the Institute of Fundraising in July 2018.
What made you decide to become a Trustee for Hft?
When I was a teenager my mother taught young adults with learning disabilities in a local college near our home in Lancashire. I helped out with a community group she ran every Wednesday for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
When I was invited to become a Trustee at Hft I was pleased to have the opportunity to support an organisation that has a clear vision for how it can make a difference in the lives of people with learning disabilities. At the same time, I could make use of my fundraising and income generation knowledge.
What’s your best ‘Hft moment?’
It’s early days in my role, but the experience of meeting the team in Bristol and visiting one of the services in the South East confirmed for me why the work of the charity is so important. I looking forward to learning more and meeting more of the team in the coming months.
Tim Tamblyn
Tell us a bit about your background
I am a chartered accountant with over 40 years experience. I have retired from professional work and now apply my knowledge and experience to the not-for-profit sector. I particularly have a personal interest in aiding organisations who care for and safeguard the most vulnerable people in our society.
What made you decide to become a Trustee for Hft?
I worked for an international accountancy practice which meant a lot of overseas travel and did not allow for much else outside of work. On retirement, I wanted to put something back into the community by way of a ‘thank you.’ I get a lot of pleasure from doing it.