Meet our staff

Martin joined the Board of Trustees in September 2018 having recently retired from a senior executive position at Christian Aid. He has an MBA from Bradford and over 35 years experience working in the charity sector in international development. He has held a range of senior management positions overseeing strategy, organisational development, funding, advocacy, programme development and campaigning and has significant leadership experience at Board level. Empowering and enabling people to have equality of opportunity to transform their own lives has been a driving passion of his throughout his career.

Dawn joined our Board of Trustees in June 2019 and is currently Client Acquisition Director and Head of Healthcare at Barclays International.

All of Dawn’s career has been spent in banking in London and the South East working in the Corporate arena, including roles in structured finance, credit, recovery, and relationship banking. She is FCIB qualified and holds a Cert.Ed from the University of Southampton.

Mark joined the Board of Trustees in 2019. Mark is a strategic leader, influencer and trusted adviser and has been a corporate solicitor for nearly 30 years, first in private practice and now in industry with Severfield plc.

He has a broad experience of governance and risk management matters. In the not-for-profit sector, Mark is a trustee of the Severfield Foundation and a side-by-side volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society.

Derrick joined the board of trustees in 2017. Since joining Microsoft, Derrick has held leadership roles including General Manager for the UK Public Sector Business and General Manager of the Customer Success Unit. Over the last 16 years he has set up operations, teams and segments in various parts of the Microsoft business. He played a key part in driving the digital first agenda across public services with the introduction of new productivity tools and cloud platforms, allowing public sector bodies to modernise. Derrick has a passion for the transformative power of digital.

Transforming the lives of people with learning disabilities is very personal to Derrick. As an enthusiastic runner and fundraiser he ran the 2018 London Marathon as part of the National Autistic Society Team.

Saad joined the Board of Trustees in 2022. He has over 10 years’ experience in the finance sector, including roles across banking, asset management, private debt and private equity. He has also been heavily involved in volunteering with disadvantaged and minority communities, particularly in the education space. Saad is extremely passionate about social inclusion and has a strong personal affinity for the mission of FitzRoy.

Neil joined the Board of Trustees in 2020. He is the chairman of Simplestream, a leading videostreaming technology platform, chairman of Ingenious Estate Planning, an investment fund specialising in property and infrastructure, and director of Supadu, providing digital platforms for publishers. Neil has previously worked in private equity with Apax Partners, and for over 20 years as a media analyst with James Capel, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.

Neil is a governor at Rachel Madocks, a school for children with severe and profound multiple learning disabilities in Hampshire, and a volunteer for Age Concern in Petersfield. He has been deeply involved with disability charities for many years, taking part in fundraisers such as a disability triathlon, climbing Kilimanjaro, a sky dive and Arianne Walks through the Hindhead tunnel.

David joined the Board of Trustees in 2016. Formerly a Managing Director in Accenture, David has a wealth of experience in HR and people matters.  He runs his own company providing HR consulting / workplace mediation and also runs a social enterprise, The Diversity & Innovation Company which sends business leaders on experiences with UK charities and Indian schools to broaden their diversity of thought. David is a magistrate and an accredited mediator.

Julie has worked in the commercial property sector in UK and international roles for over 25 years, within the public and private sectors, and is a Chartered Surveyor. She is currently National Property Management Director for NHS Property Services and helps look after over 3000 properties, ranging from GP clinics, to care homes, and community hospitals to NHS offices. Within the NHS she is keen to ensure all properties are used in the best possible way to support clinicians and provide quality patient care.

Outside of work, Julie is a keen hockey player, occasional runner and has a post graduate qualification in building conservation.

Sarju joined the Board of Trustees in 2023. He has over 15 years experience in IT Change Management from the financial services, public sector and telecommunications industries, implementing new technologies to deliver customer and business value, growth and efficiencies and cultural change.

He is always striving for better for all people, regardless of their background or situation and believes that keeping an open mind and growth mindset is the key to a better world.  Sarju is also a trustee of a small charity called Comfort U Bags which provides backpacks with essential items for children going into care in the Wiltshire area.

Jon joined the Board of Trustees in 2023. His background includes roles as a Founder, Creative Executive and Company Director within the Creative Sector. He also has experience as a Highly Specialised Physiotherapist undertaking First Contact Practitioner positions in Primary Care as well as roles within Musculoskeletal, Respiratory and Neurology specialities throughout the Public and Private Sector. More recently, he has spent time doing public speaking engagements with the view to share insights and support emerging creative economies. To date, he has established a track record of leading and managing high-performing teams with a commitment and passion towards public service, social impact and creativity.

Edwina joined the Board of Trustees in October 2023 and sits on the Finance and Investment Committee.

Edwina retired from Choice Care in August 2020 where she was CEO from 2009 and prior to that Finance Director from 2002. Choice Care provides residential care and supported living services to adults with learning disabilities and mental health disorders. Prior to Choice Edwina was Finance Director of a listed import and distribution business after having qualified as an ACA with Price Waterhouse.

Edwina joined the Board of Trustees of Turn2us in December 2020 as Lead Trustee for Safeguarding and is Chair of the Audit Risk and Governance Committee. Edwina is also the Deputy Chair of Elizabeth Finn Homes, the wholly owned subsidiary of Turn2us. Edwina is also a consultant to LV Care an elderly care home group based in Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Edwina is based in Newbury and South Devon and is married with 3 grown up daughters and also has 2 grandchildren.

Matthew is an experienced non-executive and executive with successful track-record in corporate, entrepreneurial, and charitable environments. He is creative and commercial with a strong sense of culture as a key driver for growth. He brings expertise in all aspects of governance, board and corporate communications, change and reputation management. His most recent executive role was as Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment at the University of Manchester, he previously founded strategic communications consultancy Madano and is now a partner at Mothwood Partnership. Matthew is also a Non-Executive at DADCO Advisory.