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 May - 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.

 

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.

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 modelling in two of our successful fashion shows: in 2019, 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. Juliette also modelled a range of day wear and evening wear in our most recent Fashion Show in November 2021, which raised over £4,000 for the charity.

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.

Rachel Luft - Trustee

My involvement with Children First Derby began in 2016 when I started volunteering as a mentor. I have supported young people through various stages and challenges in their lives, witnessing first-hand the excellent work that Children First Derby carries out in the local community.

I joined the board of trustees in March 2021, and I have since joined the fundraising team too - helping to organise the charity's upcoming events and activities. I am keen to support in whatever way I can, and I recently modelled in the charity's Annual Fashion Show, in November 2021, which raised over £4,000.

As a qualified solicitor, I have worked as an in-house lawyer for most of my career. I also have experience of being a trustee and administering various charities in the past, and I am looking forward to utilising my skills and experience for the benefit of Children First Derby.

Amanda Strong - Trustee

I am delighted to be appointed a Trustee of Children First Derby.

My passion for this local charity began a number of years ago and in 2019 I chose Children First Derby to be one of the five charities to receive £5,000 from the Mercia Image Print ‘30 days of giving’ challenge - which raised £30k in 30 days for local charities.

After recently stepping down as owner and Managing Director of Mercia Image Print after 32 years, I am looking to utilise my passion to succeed, business skills, and contacts to help raise awareness and further support this incredible charity.

I am committee member of Derbys Finest - a group which encourages and supports women in business. And I have three children, now young adults.

I understand the challenges of bringing up three children under difficult circumstances and I am passionate about being able to help the charity support vulnerable children, young people, and families across Derbyshire.

I am excited to be part of this vital local charity and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

Amanda joined the board of trustees in November 2021 and we’re sure she’ll be a huge asset to the Children First Derby team.