Andy Wright

Trustee

Andy and his family have lived in Woodbridge for 15 years. After qualifying with a Sport & Recreation degree his first job was in Local Government Leisure Services. Through his career he gained 30 years local government senior leadership experience, including 5 years as Braintree District Council Chief Executive Officer until September 2022. He is a strong advocate of whole systems leadership in a locality and has a track record of working collaboratively and building strong partnerships. He is passionate about working the Voluntary and Community Sector to facilitate them having a stronger role and voice working with partners to improve the quality of life for residents.

In his current role he is focusing on developing emerging talent in the public sector through coaching, mentoring and leadership development. Plus working on change and transformation projects in the sector. In his spare time Andy likes to sail and keep himself fit and healthy.

Ashley Smith

Trustee

I was born in Ipswich and have lived in Suffolk most of my life. A graduate of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, my career has developed from working as a police officer with the West Midlands Police to working in education within Suffolk.

Since moving back to Suffolk I had the desire to get more involved in my local community and that’s how I came to be a shadowing trustee for Community Action Suffolk, through the Young Leadership Project. I think it is important that trustee boards reflect the diversity of their community.

Having been appointed a shadowing trustee it proved to be a fantastic experience and I have now been appointed as a full trustee, member of committees and subsidiaries board.

Ben Matthews

Ben is a finance professional with a wealth of experience gained in the commercial insurance sector. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in the financial services division of a major accountancy practice, he moved into industry. Also a Chartered Insurer, he has worked with various organisations across the Lloyd’s and London insurance markets, including senior positions at several Lloyd’s Syndicates. These roles have covered a variety of areas ranging from operational to commercial and strategic decision making.

An advocate of the important social benefits of insurance, Ben is also committed to the development of strong and engaging community and voluntary sectors. He has previously been involved in community volunteering projects in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and has taken part in professional mentoring schemes.

Ben is a keen nature enthusiast and enjoys walking and other outdoor pursuits in his spare time.

Charlotte Bate

Trustee

Charlotte Bate, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, is also the co-director of the award-winning MAD-HR consultancy. She is an active member of the Suffolk business community and her company proudly supports various charities within the county through Community Action Suffolk Pro Help.
She has over 20 year’s experience as an HR Professional, Trainer and Coach, Charlotte has supported Chief Executives, Board of Directors, Entrepreneurs, Business Professionals from global businesses to small family run businesses across a variety of industries, including the charity sector by drawing on her wealth of HR expertise and commercial acumen.
Charlotte spends much of her free time exploring the beautiful Suffolk coastline with her family and their dog.

Photo Credit – Big Fish Photography

Iain Dunnett

Trustee

Iain is a Sustainable Places Account Manager at the Environment Agency where he leads much of the agency’s partnership work in the areas of Local Nature Recovery, Climate Action, Green Finance, Sustainable Growth and Integrated Water Management.

Previously Iain was a Senior Investment Manager with the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, working with businesses and other organisations to achieve investments in developments. This was across a wide range of strategic economic, environmental, heritage, cultural, community investments and developments.

Iain’s sustainable and funding backgrounds enabled him to lead the production of the Green Economy Pathfinder and Manifesto on behalf of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and the aspiration of Creating the Greenest County Partnership in Suffolk. Previously he worked as an External Funding Manager at Suffolk County Council managing European finances and other investments, and his early career was in Countryside Management.

Iain has also held many voluntary positions in organisations: currently Deputy Chair of Governors at Chantry Academy, Ipswich; Advisory Panel Member for Forestry Commission East Region and Trustee at Bawdsey Radar Museum.

Kevin Ward

Chair of Trustee Board

Kevin was born just outside Woodbridge and has lived in or around East Suffolk all his life. A former corporate banker who is now a Director of two specialist financial services companies as well as sitting as a Director or board adviser for a number of other local companies. Prior to working in the banking sector, Kevin started his work life in the hospitality sector and then in the motor trade where he worked in various roles from cleaning cars as a teenager through to running a dealership.

Within his current role, Kevin often works with companies who are either going through change, rapid growth or are in distress. Through this work, Kevin has had exposure to many sectors and various areas of business and brings a broad spectrum of skills, experience and contacts to the board of trustees. He has also been a governor of a large local primary school for a number of years and enjoyed a journey where the school has moved from a challenging situation to gaining Outstanding status from Ofsted.

Kevin is married with two children. He is a keen participant in local sports activities and clubs in Kesgrave and Woodbridge.

Mike Locke

Trustee

Mike Locke lives in Bawdsey and is a writer and researcher on volunteering and voluntary organisations. He is Chair of the Advisory Panel for the Institute for Volunteering Research at the University of East Anglia, and joint author of The Complete Volunteer Management Handbook (Directory of Social Change, 4th edition. 2019). He has worked with voluntary organisations since getting involved in community action in the North Kensington area of London in the 1970s. At University of East London he developed teaching and research on voluntary organisations and volunteering. At Volunteering England and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), he led on policy and management for volunteering. He has been a trustee and committee member for numerous organisations, including the Riding for the Disabled Association as Chair of Greater London Region, and he is now a Governor of Bawdsey CEVC Primary School.