Meet our Trustees
Our Trustees play a vital role in the functioning and success of our charity. As dedicated volunteers, they bring their expertise, experience and passion to guide and govern our activities. With a deep commitment to our mission, they provide strategic direction to drive positive change.
Ralph McBaiden
Trustee (Chair) & Co-Founder
Chartered accountant. Former secondary school governor.
Personal ethos: "Less talk, more action. I want to make a change."
Lynette Emesibe
Trustee
Retired accountant. Worked for BT for over 30 years.
Personal ethos: "Keen to raise self-awareness in people, helping them to realise their full potential."
Sophie McBaiden
Trustee & Co-Founder
Lawyer. Former primary school governor and safeguarding link.
Personal ethos: "I want to do the best I can with this life, to be of use."
Lara Akala
Trustee
Pharmaceutical consultant. Committed DE&I advocate.
Personal ethos: "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well"
Senior lawyer.
Governance & Risk Management expertise.
Personal ethos
"I want to improve the lives of others, by changing the way we do things now, to make a difference tomorrow so that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity."
Raz Hussain
Independent Advisor - Governance & Risk
HR professional and ex-lawyer.
Multi-Academy Trust Trustee, connector, Chief People Officer for accountancy group.
Personal ethos
"I strive to make the world a better place."
Kate Griffiths-Lambeth
Independent Advisor - Partnerships
Managing Director, E2E Ambassador, Strategic Board Advisor, WBAF UK Chair.
Hakan Candaner
Independent Advisor - Technology
Our advisors
Good governance and risk management are core to what we do. Our Independent Advisors provide constructive challenge and advice to the Trustee Board on our governance policies, processes, partnerships and how we identify and manage risk.
Our specialist advisory groups
Our specialist groups of independent volunteers have experience and skills relevant to the particular initiative, ranging from qualified teachers to project managers.
All proposed initiatives are brought to an advisory group for scrutiny, to ensure that each initiative delivers the best impact for beneficiaries and wider society.
Giving back
We are committed to ensuring that our initiatives remain free of charge for the communities we serve. Our Trustees and Advisors help to reduce our operating costs by donating their time for free. Interested in volunteering your skills to support us? Check out our current volunteering opportunities and get in touch!
Ralph McBaiden
Trustee & Co-Founder
Chartered Accountant
Former secondary school governor
Personal Ethos: "Less talk, more action. I want to make a change."
Lynette Emesibe
Trustee
Retired Accountant
Worked for BT for over 30 years
Personal Ethos: "Keen to raise self-awareness in people, helping them to realise their full potential."
Sophie McBaiden
Trustee & Co-Founder
Qualified Lawyer
Former primary school governor and safeguarding link
Personal Ethos: "I want to do the best I can with this life, to be of use."