Accountability is vital!

Patron – Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex

Her Royal Highness The Countess has been the Patron of Disability Initiative since 2003. A regular visitor, her interest in supporting DI has an incredible impact on all at the resource centre where she takes a keen interest in each and every client and what goes on at DI.

President – Bill Biddell DL

Bill has been the President of Disability Initiative since 2003, following his involvement with the charity as High Sheriff of Surrey in 2001. Bill is a Chartered Surveyor and farmer, managing a family estate in Surrey. He is Trustee of The High Sheriff’s Youth Award Scheme in Surrey, a Trustee of The Whiteley Homes Trust at, Vice President of Surrey Clubs for Young People and previously Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey. Bill lectures in estate management throughout the South East and is a Governor of Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham.

Vice President – Terry Berridge FCMA

Terry joined DI in 1991 as a volunteer to improve accounting & administrative systems. He served as Company Secretary and Treasurer and became a Trustee in 1996. Previously, he was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of various subsidiaries of a major US/Worldwide pharmaceutical and consumer products corporation.

DI’s Board of Trustees include:

Chairman - Tony Mallard MBE CStJ

Tony was appointed Chairman of Disability Initiative in 2011 and is an experienced voluntary and community leader with a wide range of knowledge and skills who has delivered success across the Public, Commercial, Charity and Voluntary Sectors. Awarded the MBE for his services to the community of Guildford in 1998, Tony was previously with the Metropolitan Police and Home Office before being appointed Vice Chairman of The Royal Surrey County Hospital and subsequently the Deputy Chief Commander of St John Ambulance when he was awarded Commander of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

Vice Chairman - David Gill

David has had a professional career in Human Resource Management where he held senior positions with major PLCs engaged in UK construction, maintenance and facilities management. He has also worked in the healthcare sector as an HR Consultant. Now substantially retired, David is a keen Rotarian, he is an Independent Member of Surrey Police Authority Misconduct Hearing Panel and he also supports Voluntary Action South West Surrey as a volunteer.

Honorary Treasurer - Barry Catchpole

An accountant by profession, Barry was Treasurer of Wycombe District Council from 1987-1994 and during that time was elected by his peers to the role of Adviser to the National Association of District Councils, where he led on analysing Government support for local government. Between 1994 and 2007 Barry was Chief Executive of firstly Chiltern District Council and then Surrey Heath Borough Council here in Camberley. With a strong background in strategic planning, he is skilled at developing and delivering complex corporate plans for the short, medium and long terms. He has also been a National Adviser to Ministers on electoral matters and the first ever Regional Coordinator of the 55 District Councils from across the South East. On retiring he had completed more than 41 years in local government, 30 of which were at Board level where he developed a range of leadership skills.

Trustee - Derek Thomas CBE

Chairman of Disability Initiative since 1996, Derek was awarded a CBE in 1998 for his services to local government. An Accountant, he was formerly County Treasurer before becoming Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, an exceptional appointment to what was an office traditionally held by a solicitor. Derek quickly earned a national reputation and became advisor to the Local Government Association in their discussions with governments, leading on compulsory competitive tendering, outsourcing, local management of schools and care in the community and was acknowledged as an authority on management and governance. Derek also served on the Council of the University of Surrey and held the post of University Treasurer to the University. Following this period, Derek became a Member of the Finance Committee of University College London (UCL) and is currently Chairman of their Capital Projects Sub-Committee.

Trustee - Annette Sterr, Dipl. Psych., PhD (Konstanz), CPsychol Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Head of Department, Surrey University

Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology and Head of Department at Surrey University, Annette studied Psychology & Biology at University of Konstanz from 1988-1994. Being a visiting researcher at the University of San Diego in 1995-1996, she completed her PhD in 1998. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the German Research Foundation before she accepted a lecturer/readership at the University of Liverpool in 2000. In 2003, she took up a chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Surrey and is now Head of Department of Psychology.

Trustee – Benjamin James

Benjamin James is a solicitor and a Partner at Bircham Dyson Bell LLP, specialising in information rights law, intellectual property and charity. Before joining BDB, he led the legal section of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. He is currently an advisor to the Institute of Fundraising on matters relating to fundraising law and is an active member of the Charity Law Association. Benjamin is also a trustee of Family Society, Maecenas and the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists.

Trustee - Denis Fuller FCA

Denis was the founding Partner of accountancy firm Fuller Spurling & Co, following experience in the city & with a number of multinational companies. He became a Rotarian and is a past President of his club as well as serving on the Camberley-based Make-A-Wish Foundation for 20 years, seven of which were spent as a Trustee with four years on the international board. Since 2002, Denis has been a Trustee & Honorary Treasurer of The Ramblers Association and has been a member of Surrey Heath Chamber for many years having just stepped down from the chair after some 10 years in the post. Denis is currently standing as a candidate for Camberley West in the 2009 Surrey County Council elections.

Trustee - Graham Whittle

Graham is an experienced Sales & Marketing professional who has had a extensive career working with international corporations, including Nortel, ICI, Morgan Crucible and P-E Consulting. In 2005, Graham established his own company in Frimley that provides sales & marketing strategic development and implementation support services to local businesses. In this role, he has successfully helped many local companies to market their products and services more effectively, raise their profile and increase their sales.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trustees take overall responsibility for everything a charity does and they act collectively to govern the organisation, DI’s Trustees are volunteers who are passionate about the work we do here. Their experience helps them make decisions about the policy and direction of the organisation although in practice many day-to-day tasks are delegated to staff through the Chief Executive.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is established by law as the regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales and its aim is to provide the best possible regulation of charities in order to increase a charity’s efficiency and effectiveness and public confidence and trust in them. Good Governance: A Code for the Community and Voluntary Sector defines governance as being