Our governance and board

We’re a company limited by guarantee with separate charitable status. The company has a board of trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law. The charity has been set up for general charitable purpose within the meaning of English law. The object of the charity as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association includes the provision, development and support of mentoring and befriending.

Our strategic plan 2009-12.

Our charity number is 1112624.

More informationon on the governance of charities can be found on the Charity Commission’s website.

Our board of trustees

	Lesley Cozens, Chair of the Board Lesley is branch manager for Handelsbanken. Prior to this role she was managing partner for the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s Financial Solutions Centre in Manchester and Cheshire.She started her career with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Manchester where she was the youngest and first female executive, and stayed with the company when it became HSBC.Lesley completed an MBA at Manchester Business School in 1999. She’s heavily involved with Business in the Community in Manchester and has been a finalist in the Crains Business Women of the Year in 2008 and 2009. Lesley has been a trustee since 2008 and is passionate about mentoring in her personal life and also with the continued development of MBF within the UK.
	Carmel Austin Carmel works for the Stroke Association as a stroke prevention co-ordinator. In 2002 she helped set up and run a small charity called West Norfolk Befriending (WNB) and was manager until 2009. She’s also a trained nurse, holds a degree in psychology and has completed several post graduate courses. In her time at WNB, she had close links with the MBF and has experience of achieving APS.“I now feel it’s time to give something back and being part of the board allows me to do that and although I have left WNB, my passion for issues around social isolation haven’t waned. Indeed it’s just as big an issue in my current role with the Stroke Association.”
	David Dunn David is currently head of public sector banking at The Co-operative Bank, a specialist unit responsible for its relationships with public sector bodies. Previously, he’s had strategic responsibility for the bank’s business involvement in community initiatives.He is a former chairman of Salford Community Venture Ltd – a North West business advisory enterprise and he was also a founding board member of Supporters Direct – the UK government backed initiative to assist supporter groups to take a more active and responsible role in the running of their football/rugby club.
	Gordon Fenwick Gordon works for the crime reduction charity Nacro, leading the team delivering the holistic ‘through-the-gate’ pyramid project resettlement service. Gordon’s been with Nacro for six years and comes from a commercial background. Before this, he was a director of a company providing consultancy, training and development to both public and private sector organisations.“I want to assist the MBF in its strategic direction and share my knowledge on the criminal justice sector. I share the MBF’s quest to raise standards in the mentoring and befriending field.”
	Paul Munim Paul‘s career roles have involved strategy development and planning. He has 20 years’ experience of sitting on boards of charities and voluntary organisations as a volunteer.Paul advises fellow trustees, members and staff about the MBF’s strategic direction and how best to measure performance.Paul offers the board his insights into people from marginalised communities because of his work in this area. This includes BAME, older people and disabled people.
	Bob Patterson Bob is Barnardo’s UK’s director of audit and inspection. Prior to this he’s worked within local authorities and with the Audit Commission. He’s also a qualified accountant. Bob’s interest in mentoring started when he volunteered as a mentor for a pilot scheme run by his local council. Over four years he mentored four young people, achieving positive results for the mentees and for himself.“My direct experience of mentoring inspired me to apply and join the MBF board. I hope to bring my finance and third sector experience to the board and to the benefit of MBF and the projects and people we ultimately serve.”
	Raksha Pattni   Raksha is the regional director for the North West’s Business in the Community (BITC). During her time at BITC she’s developed and implemented significant award winning regional programmes that have been replicated across the country.Prior to joining BITC Raksha was head of race equality at Preston City Council where she developed a policy on religious and cultural needs in the workplace which was later adopted by other local authorities. In 2009 Raksha joined the Board of Calico Enterprises, a subsidiary of the charitable Calico Housing Ltd which provides apprenticeships, job opportunities, and support for local people.
	Dr Tessa Stone Tessa is the chief executive of BrightsideUNIAID, the education charity which aims to inspire and inform disadvantaged young people. The charity provides impartial and independent information, advice and guidance, with e-mentoring at its core.Tessa joined BrightsideUNIAID in January 2009 after six years as director of the Sutton Trust.Before working in the third sector she was an academic; teaching history at Cambridge University until her appointment in 2000 as admissions tutor at Newnham College. She is a trustee of two other educational charities – the Children’s University Trust, and IntoUniversity Trust, a governor of three schools, a National Education Trust ‘leading thinker’, a member of the History and Policy advisory board, and a Newnham College Associate.
	Michelle Surrell   Michelle has a strong commercial and business background. Much of her working life has been spent in media: magazines, newspapers and radio. She was the regional managing director of Bauer Radio in the North West, leading a group of radio stations including Manchester’s Key103 and Liverpool’s Radio City, until November 2009.In 2009 Michelle set up her own business as a coach and mentor to business leaders across the North West.As chair of the Cash for Kids charity she’s played her part in raising well over £1m for disadvantaged children across the North West. She’s also a major fund-raiser for the Forget Me Not Trust Children’s Hospice being built in Huddersfield and is a trustee on the board of a group of care homes in South Yorkshire.
	Richard Turner Richard is the chief executive of Friendship Works (formerly Friends United Network); England’s oldest long-term mentoring charity. It provides one-to-one support for children from single-parent families. Richard has been at Friendship Works since 2001 and became chief executive in 2007. Prior to this he worked for The British Association of Art Therapy and for The Koestler Trust. Before moving over to the voluntary sector, Richard was a professional musician. He’s been a member of the MBF board since 2009.“I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to be on the board. It’s been a fantastic chance to take part in shaping the direction of the mentoring and befriending sector in the UK.”

Want to join our board? Please contact Steve Matthews by phone on 03300 882 877 for more details.

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