Our Leadership Team

Our Trustees have the overall responsibility for our strategy and performance. They oversee the running of the Foundation and meet up on a regular basis.

Day-to-day management and operations are delegated to an Executive Team, which is led by our Chief Executive.

Meet The Executive Team

John Preston Chief Executive Officer

Alison Williams Director of Corporate Services

Charlotte Jones Director of Health and Wellbeing

John Steward Director of Education

Lynsey Dawson Company Secretary

Meet The Board of Trustees

We are governed by a Board of Trustees which has overall responsibility of our conduct and management as a charity. They set the long term strategic direction that enables us to work towards achieving our vision.

Meet our Board of Trustees

Janet Donnelly
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Janet was appointed to the Board of Trustees in July 2022 and became Chair of the Board of Trustees in February 2023.聽 She is currently also a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

She is an experienced HR Director, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD) and a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Having led the people agenda in leading financial services companies as well as operating as a successful business consultant, her professional expertise and leadership covers all aspects of people strategy, including organisational culture and effectiveness聽across private, public and not for profit organisations.

Throughout her career Janet continues to advise Boards and Executive Teams on transformation and leadership, disruptive HR concepts as well as聽future state workforce planning and聽driving people engagement聽at all levels.

Outside of work Janet relaxes with a good book, travels to new places, and spends time outdoors with the family and dogs.

Paul Foreman

Paul joined the Foundation as a Trustee in December 2019 and is currently Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

He has a background in finance, as a qualified accountant.聽 Paul spent 19 years at Formica, a manufacturing business in various roles in finance, IT and operations.聽 He left and joined PD Ports as Chief Technology Officer in December 2020, moving to the role of Chief Operating Officer in October 2022.

Paul still tries to play football in his spare time.聽 He has twins, one of which attends 麻豆社 School.

Ewen Weir
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees

Ewen joined聽the 麻豆社 Foundation in February 2021 as Safeguarding Trustee.聽 He is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the Quality and Standards Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

He is an experienced senior leader in local government and the NHS. Ewen was Director of Adult Social Services and Director of Children鈥檚 Services at Newcastle City Council and a Non-Executive Director of Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust when he retired at the end of 2019.

A social worker by professional background educated at the University of Edinburgh, MA (Hons) History, Diploma in Education and M.Phil, CQSW from the University of Newcastle.

Ewen has always been passionate about equality and diversity and creating an environment where everyone is valued for the unique perspective they bring to the table.

Away from work Ewen鈥檚聽hobbies include fly fishing, reading and being聽an active grandparent!

Clare Thompson

Clare joined the Foundation as a Trustee in July 2022 and is Chair of the People and Culture Committee and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Clare is also the Freedom to Speak Up Trustee.

Clare is a practising solicitor, accredited by the Law Society as a specialist in clinical negligence law. She is currently head of the clinical negligence team at Hay and Kilner LLP, a North East firm. She specialises in birth injury work which has brought her into contact with families with children with cerebral palsy and profound learning difficulties, many of whom have a link with the Foundation.

Clare also holds a Master鈥檚 degree in Human Resource Management and is passionate about equality and diversity, particularly promoting and encouraging women in the law. She has Chaired the Women Lawyers鈥� Division North East for the last 8 years, bringing together women from across the region at networking and educational events.

In her spare time, Clare enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, spinning, travelling, good food and walking in the beautiful Northumberland countryside.

Dr Nicola Hutchinson

Nicola joined the Foundation as a Trustee in November 2022 and is Chair of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and member of the People and Culture Committee.

Nicola is currently CEO of Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, which supports the health and care system to identify, evaluate and adopt new innovations, which improve population health, reduce health inequalities, and drive economic growth. She helped create the organisation back in 2012 and has spent almost 20 years supporting innovation across the regional NHS. Prior to this, she gained a PhD in Chemistry from Durham University.

She is extremely passionate about innovation and the impact it can have, having witnessed this first hand with her severely disabled brother, Steven. Steven鈥檚 memory is one of the key drivers for her commitment to the Foundation.

Away from work, Nicola enjoys spending time with her husband and two small children.

Dr Peter Emerson

Peter joined the Foundation as a Trustee in November 2022 and is interim Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, a member of the Finance Committee and a member of the People and Culture Committee.

He has a PhD in Chemistry and has had an extensive career in General Management in Chemistry associated industries. For much of his career he specialised in restructuring and returning underperforming businesses to profit.

Latterly he was also a Non Executive Director of END Clothing prior to Carlyle Group鈥檚 investment in that business in 2021.

Peter is also a Director of Ashworth IMS Ltd and is involved in the acquisition and management of Commercial/Industrial properties.

Lucy Craig

Lucy joined the Foundation as a Trustee in April 2024 and is a member of the Quality and Standards Committee and a member of the People and Culture Committee.

Lucy has worked in adult care for over twenty five years delivering exceptional care to the elderly and vulnerable. She currently operates three care homes with a speciality of dementia.

Lucy has worked hard to improve the lives of the elderly and afford them the care and compassion they deserve. She has also worked as a children鈥檚 and adult therapist and continues to support a wide range of vulnerable people with therapeutic interventions.

When Lucy is not at work, she loves nothing more than devoting her time to her son and NUFC.

Fran Craik

Fran joined the Foundation as a Trustee in March 2025 and is a member of the Quality and Standards Committee.

Fran has over 20 years of educational experience, having led multiple secondary schools across the North East as an Executive Headteacher. She is currently Chief Standards Officer for Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust which comprises of 11,500 children across 30 primary and secondary schools.

She聽has also been a non executive director for another regional multi academy trust and is a serving inspector for the Catholic Schools Inspectorate. Fran holds the NPQEL qualification and is a former designated safeguarding lead.

Fran enjoys spending family time with her husband, son and golden retriever on the west coast of Scotland where they sail and walk. She is also a Newcastle United supporter.

Nicola Procter

Nicola joined the Foundation as a Trustee in August 2025 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.

Nicola is Director of Finance at NCG, a leading UK college group. NCG comprises seven colleges delivering 16-19, adult, apprenticeship and HE provision to over 30,000 students. In her current role, Nicola oversees college finances, professional service budgets and capital investment.

Nicola qualified as a Chartered Accountant working at RSM Tenon across audit, accounts and tax and previously worked as Group Financial Controller for an AIM-listed utility management group. Nicola previously completed a four-year term as governor at Barnwell Academy Trust.

Away from work, Nicola enjoys spending time with her husband, two young daughters and two dogs and can usually be found spending her weekends by the sea.

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