Meet The Board
Alison (Al) Garthwaite, Chair
Al is a founder and director of Vera Media, the multimedia company with a 22-year track record of award-winning broadcast, corporate and participatory production and training. It has city-centre premises and a community media base in Beeston, from which runs Vera Media's community radio station LeedselevenFM. As Chair of the Homeworkers Worldwide Trust, Al is responsible for a multi-million pound budget, reporting amongst others to the Department for International Development, Oxfam and the Ethical Trading Initiative. Al has lived in Beeston since 1983 and is very active in the community, having held/holding voluntary posts as a school governor and in other local organisations, putting on events and leading on partnership work with cultural and training providers.
In 2007 Al was awarded a “People's Degree” by the University of Leeds in recognition of her many years work in helping to give ordinary people a voice in Beeston and other parts of Leeds.
Paul Newton, Treasurer
Paul joined the board through Yorkshire Bank's links with Leeds Ahead as part of the organisation's aims to invest and support local communities. Having held wide range of senior management positions within the Bank as diverse as Credit, Finance and Business Banking. More recently Paul was Head of Marketing for both Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Banks. With this diverse background Paul has wide experience of commercial business management, leadership and financial control. Paul has close ties to the Leeds area having lived in Leeds and the surrounding Yorkshire area for many years and having graduated from Leeds University.
Freda Bates
Freda moved to Leeds in 2000. She worked for the Post Office for almost 18 years in administration and customer services. She took redundancy in 2006 and now works for Leeds City Council, Parks and Countryside section in an administrative role. She is involved with Cross Flatts Community Forum and sits on the Neighbourhood Renewal Residents Forum.
Cllr Adam Ogilvie
Adam lives locally and is a Ward Member for Beeston & Holbeck. A Councillor since 1999, he served on the Executive Board of Leeds City Council until 2004 and his currently Shadow Spokesperson for Communities and Regeneration. Adam has further regeneration experience from managing projects in West Yorkshire and London.
Christine Thornton
Christine was born and bred in South Leeds and is still a local resident. She has a nursing, midwifery and health visiting background with over40 years of NHS service. Currently she is employed by Leeds Primary Care Trust with a lead role for children and families and adult protection. She is involved with several local voluntary groups and is Chair of Beeston Community Forum and South Leeds Health For All.
Harjinder Sagoo
Harjinder came to Beeston from Kenya in1965. He went to school in south Leeds and after 14 years in engineering and 20 years in a family garage business, he joined Leeds Voice, a voluntary sector umbrella organisation. Harjinder sits on the Leeds South Homes board, serves as a lay member on the Racially Motivated Incident Panel for the Police (Holbeck Division). Being part of the voluntary sector Harjinder attends many meetings and serves on various consultative groups city wide.
Sue Talbot
Sue is a social work educator, trainer and mental health practitioner with experience of person and project management in voluntary and statutory sector organisations. Currently based at Leeds Metropolitan University in partnership with Leeds Social Services, Sue is a Senior Lecturer/Project Manager for social work training. Sue has lived in Beeston since 1984. With skills and interests ranging from the teaching of dance and health-related fitness, through running a language club at KS1 for a local primary school, to wider social issues, Sue has contributed to a number of community organisations and initiatives.
Asghar Khan
Asghar was born in Kashmir and moved to the UK as a small child. He grew up in Beeston where he still lives with his wife and children. A driver for Royal Mail, he is involved in many local organisations. He represents Cross Flatts Community Forum at the Neighbourhood Renewal Residents Forum and is a member of the Beeston Hill & Holbeck Regeneration Partnership Board. He also finds time to be a governor at Cross Flatts Park Primary School and help with Beeston Festival.
Todd Hannula
Todd is a founder director of The Camberwell Project, social enterprise consultants. He has a wealth of private sector experience in the United States and more recently in the United Kingdom. Todd is responsible for strategy, business development, leadership development and fundraising for clients. He holds an MBA from Georgia State University. Todd has also worked extensively as a volunteer for various community organisations, most recently serving as a Board Member with two community organisations in the US. This work spanned event planning and execution, fundraising, and project development on a $600,000 community centre. He was recently instrumental in securing £2.1M in ERDF funding for the Camberwell Project's Harehills Incubator, Shine.
Louise Megson
Louise is Group Manager of St Luke's CARES, since starting as fundraiser in 1999 she has brought in over £2.5m of funding into the local area. She has a wealth of experience in both the Charity and Private sectors previously working in Sales, Finance, Marketing and Publishing. Louise is very well networked within South Leeds attending a variety of meetings and forums, she was Chair of the South Leeds Chidren Leeds Partnership for 3 years and is currently the Chair of the Beeston Hill and Holbeck Extended Services Cluster.
