Fred Jacques - Chair

I have over 40 plus years of knowledge and experience of Children First Derby through a family member, and I consider the work the charity undertakes to have a significant value to the children and families they support.

I became more involved at a time when the charity was coming through a difficult time and I became a Trustee in 2014. Since which time I have been impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the staff and volunteers, often in the face of significant challenges.

I am a retired Chartered Engineer; I studied at the University of Wales in Cardiff and at Aston University in Birmingham. I am married and I have one son and two lovely grandchildren.

Laura Cawdell - Vice Chair 

My involvement with Children First Derby began back in 2009 when I started my role as a Family Support Volunteer. Over the past 10 years I have supported a whole range of families, each with their own stories and challenges.

I quickly became involved with the fundraising team and I have participated in a variety of activities, including bag-packing in supermarkets, running a half-marathon, and trying my hand at modelling at the Fashion Show! In 2014, I ran my own event where myself and a team of 7 work colleagues climbed and completed the National 3 Peaks Challenge - raising £1,500 for the charity.

I believe the work the charity does is invaluable to some of Derby's most vulnerable families. I became a trustee in April 2019, with a passion for helping to drive the charity forwards using my business skills and knowledge of the charity. And I have recently taken on the role as the charity's Vice Chair. I believe we have a very interesting future ahead with lots of opportunities to focus on, and I look forward to seeing where we can go.

David Ball - Treasurer

I was born in 1943 in Leek, North Staffordshire. After obtaining my degree from Bristol University, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1967 whilst working at a firm of accountants in Birmingham. In 1972, I joined Rolls-Royce in Derby, staying for 30 years until retiring from Group Finance HQ in 2002. I came to Children First Derby in 2006 at the request of the Chair of Trustees at the time, to fill the vacant position of Treasurer.

I am married and we have one child, a son who lives in the Netherlands and works for the European Space Agency. My interests range from reading (mainly history & the Guardian/Observer newspapers), watching football (mostly Burton Albion), playing bowls at Mickleover Royal British Legion, going to concerts, the theatre and the cinema, and talking with friends over coffee and/or wine, trying to set the world to rights!

Thanks to good health (fingers crossed), time flies by.

 

Fatimah Razak - Secretary 

I am a self-employed Accountant and a mother of two young boys. My role at Children First Derby is the Secretary but I also assist our Treasurer, David, with the financial reports for the monthly board meetings.

I also volunteer as a trustee at Women’s Day Derby and I am a Treasurer at Global Education Derby. I enjoy working with numbers and this is my way of giving back to the community - using my accountancy skills and knowledge.

I enjoy keeping fit, watching movies and cooking. I organise an annual curry night for Women’s Day Derby, making a healthy profit to contribute towards the main event in March. I have used my cooking skills at Children First Derby too - for a curry night for the volunteers and making onion bhaajis for the AGM.

Gina Repton - Trustee

I retired as Fundraising Co-ordinator with Children First Derby in 2019, having been with the charity for fifteen years. 

During my time with the charity, I had the privilege of working with a dedicated and professional team of colleagues who support and deliver an extremely high quality service to vulnerable children, young people and families in the Derby area. I have watched the charity grow from strength to strength and I was delighted when Children First Derby received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

I thoroughly enjoyed my role within the charity and with the support of a hardworking and enthusiastic team of fundraising volunteers, we managed to exceed our fundraising targets set by the Board of Trustees, whilst also raising the profile of the charity.

When I received a call from the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Children First Derby, inviting me to apply as a board member I did not hesitate. I feel the experience I have gained through working for the charity and my previous job as Head of Communications at Chelsea Football Club, will assist me in contributing with the governance of the charity. 

I am married and have two daughters, four Grandchildren and our latest addition is a Cockapoo puppy named Lola.

‘Treading the boards’ and directing plays for the Watson Players Drama Group in Derby has been one of my main hobbies. I am also the Secretary of St. Joseph’s Youth Club in Derby, where incidentally I met my husband Aidan many years ago!

I have always been passionate about the work of Children First Derby and I have great respect for all that have contributed to its success. I am pleased to be part of this worthwhile charity and will very much enjoy the challenge this role will bring.

John Whitby - Trustee

Rock star turned Mayor of Derby, John Whitby, is one of our newer trustees at Children First Derby. With a passion for helping others and raising money for charities he supports and believes in, John is a welcome addition to the team. 

In 2010, John became the Labour Councillor for the Mackworth area of Derby. He was later promoted to Deputy Mayor and in May 2017, was elected as the Mayor of Derby. Throughout his year long term, John carried out 567 engagements - including opening ceremonies, hosting quiz nights and taking part in various fundraisers like monthly samosa sales, running in and completing the Derby 10K, helping to organise a hugely successful Mayoral ball, and even taking part in a mock jail heist. John set himself the massive task of raising £25,000 for his favourite charities, going on to supersede his expectations, raising a whopping £67,000 instead! The money raised went to his top five chosen charities, which included Children First Derby.

In the late 80s, John became part of rock band, The Beyond, whose name later changed to Gorilla. They went on to release two studio albums and support other groups on stage such as Soundgarden and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. When they spilt up in 1998, John applied to study for a degree in BA Hons Social Science and Politics.

In 2018, during his mission to raise money for his chosen charities, John and his former band mates hosted a reunion gig at The Venue in Derby for one night only. The night was a huge success - selling out £5,000 in tickets and all the band's merchandise! 

John's wife, Juliette, has also contributed to some of the fundraising events for Children First Derby, including our successful fashion show in 2019 which raised more than £4,000. Juliette took part in the finale of the show - wearing a wonderful dress loaned to us by Children First Derby patron, fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. 

John continues to support his local community and is excited to be part of the Children First Derby team. We're thrilled to have him on board and look forward to seeing how John can help support us further.

Rachael Brown - Trustee

An experienced Independent Financial Adviser, Rachael Brown joined the Children First Derby board of trustees in January 2020.

Rachael has over 25 years financial experience working at banks such as HSBC and NatWest, as an Area Manager and Independent Financial Adviser for Private, Business, and Commercial Banking.

Rachael is a huge asset to the Children First Derby team. We're delighted to have her on the board of trustees and we look forward to seeing what the future holds.

James Rogers - Trustee

I am really proud to be part of Children First Derby, for the difference the organisation makes to many people’s lives and the positive changes it can bring.

I joined the board of trustees in mid-2020, so I am relatively new to the role and still have a lot to learn. However, I relish this challenge and the opportunity to improve and grow.

I work at Rolls-Royce, leading a team of skilled analytical engineers conducting structural analysis for nuclear reactors on board submarines. And my spare time is largely dedicated to sport - where I have competed in triathlons and orienteering at international levels.

Maxine Bass – Trustee

I started volunteering for Children First Derby back in 2015, when I joined the fundraising team along with my mother. Since then, I have enjoyed being involved in the various fundraising initiatives that the charity has held, and both myself and my mother have modelled in the charity’s hugely successful annual Fundraising Fashion Show – raising over £2,000 each year!

I work in the NHS on the Renal unit and I love my job. Prior to this I worked for 29 years in the NHS; working for 15 years in finance before undertaking the role of Primary Care Manager – where I was responsible for the quality standards of all 37 GP practices across Derby. I left the NHS in 2011 and started working at Rolls-Royce, in Manufacturing Sales. I left this position in August 2020, and I was very lucky to start back with the NHS again in September.

I love volunteering for Children First Derby. It gives me great pleasure to know we are helping vulnerable children, young people and families in Derby and Derbyshire. I am so impressed with the way the charity is run and I was delighted to be approved as a member of the Board of Trustees. Last year was a very challenging year, but I know this year we will go from strength to strength.