Our Team

The Lord-Lieutenant Beatrice Grant
(President)

Beatrice Grant has worked in the fashion industry and charity sector in London. She has also devoted much of her spare time to voluntary charity work throughout her life.

Mrs Grant has been a Visitor for the Henry Smith Charity, making grants to charities across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire. She has also been a Trustee for Maggs Homeless Day Centre in Worcester, a volunteer for a London based homeless charity and for St Richard’s Hospice Day Centre. She has a continuing involvement in various projects with the British Association of the Knights of Malta, helping the homeless, the sick and the disabled.

Mrs Grant is currently a volunteer for the Alfrick and Lulsley Community Shop, Post Office and Hub and also Vice-Chairman of their Management Committee, a regular volunteer for Worcester Foodbank, a Trustee for the Albright Grimley Charity grant trust, a committee member for Arts Worcestershire and President of Bewdley Civic Society. She is also a Director of her husband’s farm and property business which she helps to run.

Beatrice Grant lives between Worcester and Malvern with her husband Andrew and their two sons.

Tamar Thompson
(Vice-President)

Tamar began her working life as a nurse and progressed up the ranks to become a Ward Sister before moving into a career managing healthcare, eventually becoming a Chief Executive. She has also worked at a national level including a role on the Prime Minister’s Commission into Nursing and Midwifery. In 2009 her contribution to Health was recognised by the award of an OBE.

“I believe strongly that we can make a real contribution to our communities locally, now and in the future.”

Jonathan Chenevix-Trench
(Chair)

Jonathan worked in the financial services industry for twenty-five years, serving as Chairman and Chief Executive of Morgan Stanley International. Subsequent to that, Jonathan co-founded African Century Limited, a business focused on long term investment and skills development in sub-Saharan East Africa, with a particular focus on Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Jonathan has served on numerous charitable boards, and as a resident of Malvern is delighted to be working with the Community Foundation in the critical work of supporting and developing our local communities. He is married with four children.

Kathy Leather-Lloyd

Kathy worked in commercial radio as a Senior Sales Executive for 13 years. She then moved into the sporting world and was Commercial Manager of Luton Town for 6 years, followed by working with boxing promoter Frank Warren. She moved to Worcester to take up the position of Commercial Director with Worcester Warriors where she remained for 13 years. Whilst there, she won the Worcestershire Businesswoman of the Year award.

She has also built a thriving bed and breakfast business in Malvern.

In her spare time, she is involved in lots of voluntary positions with local causes including Rotary, Worcestershire Ambassadors, Breast Cancer Haven and the Rory the Robot appeal. She is a co-founder of the Marvellous Malvern Makers who were busy making scrubs for local NHS staff during the pandemic.

Mark Jackson OBE
Chair of Grants Committee

Mark grew up in Worcestershire near Broadway. After school he became the third generation of his family to serve in the county regiment, then the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, and enjoyed a full career with much travel and varied experiences from working in Whitehall to service in Northern Ireland, where he was awarded the OBE, and with the United Nations.

At the end of his military career he returned to Worcestershire and had the enormous privilege of serving as the Chief Executive of St Richard’s Hospice for eleven years of great expansion. During this period he gained a great insight into the fantastic contributions so many Worcestershire people make to over 1,500 charities and community groups across our county. 

“The Worcestershire Community Foundation serves them all and I am honoured to be part of the team to help it continue to support such a vital part of our civic society.”

Oliver Carpenter

Oliver is a professional musician, festival organiser and, until recently, a marketing consultant. A resident of Worcestershire since 2005, he now lives on the river in Worcester with his wife Sue and recently acquired rescue dog ‘Howgill’. The city and its riverside feature considerably in Oliver’s life. He is the initiator of ‘The Worcester Plinth’ bringing big public art to the centre of the city and is a volunteer rower for the cathedral ferry.

“I’m looking forward to working with the WCF team to develop ever more ways to fund and support the fantastic work of charities across the county.”

Timothy Venner

Tim works as a Business Development Director in the financial services industry and is delighted to be supporting WCF as a trustee.

Melissa Blewitt

Melissa is a passionate communicator and fundraiser, currently working as Fundraising, Communications & Relationships Manager at Worcestershire’s leading homeless charity. With a background in events, engagement and strategic campaigns, she’s spent over a decade championing causes that matter; always with people at the heart of her work. Born and raised locally, Melissa is proud to now be raising her own family in Worcestershire.

She joined the WCF board to help strengthen community connections, support grassroots projects, and ensure funding reaches the people and places that need it most. She’s particularly keen to amplify unheard voices and bring fresh energy to partnership-building across the county.

Outside of work, Melissa enjoys life drawing, endless reading, baking with her daughter, going to as many gigs as she can squeeze in, and (trying to) keep active through running.

Nick Fairlie
Chair of Finance & Governance Committee

Nick has worked in the UK commercial real estate business for 45 years; a former equity partner of Grimley JR Eve (now Avison Young), the co-founder and Managing Director of Mayfair Land & Developments and, more recently, a co-founder Director of Fairlie Norbury Real Estate. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Nick attended senior school in Worcester, then Oxford Brookes University followed by ten years living and working in Birmingham. Thereafter, returning to live in Worcestershire, currently residing in Malvern. He is married to Susan and has four children.

Nick is a governor at Worcester Royal Grammar School. He is a former rugby player and coach and enjoys all forms of sport including cycling, golf, tennis and padel. He has completed several marathons, cycled Lands End to John O’Groats and completed an ironman event in Cascais, Portugal.

” I am thrilled to be appointed as a trustee of WCF to help further the amazing work that the charity already does in making a difference to people’s lives in Worcestershire”.

Caryn Cox

Caryn is a qualified Consultant in Public Health and Health Protection and has over 35 years’ experience working in the NHS and Government, including time with the EU and the WHO. She is a visiting Hon Assoc Clinical Professor at Birmingham University lecturing on epidemiology and health emergency planning. She recently finished working for the Isle of Man Government as Chief Medical Officer and Director of Public Health.

She has been a volunteer with St John Ambulance for over 45 years and is the Chancellor (Vice-Chair of the Board) for St John Ambulance in Wales.

She has supported a wide range of organisations in Worcestershire including as a West Mercia Custody Visitor and as a volunteer Malvern Town Tour Guide with the Civic Society.

Caryn has lived in Worcestershire for over 30 years and currently lives in Great Malvern with her husband, Jason.

“We know to build a sustainable and productive economy we need to drive our investments and efforts in the direction of underserved communities where inequalities exist. We also know from all the evidence that community and voluntary groups and individuals can make a significant change to their areas; uplifting and empowering them in a range of remarkable ways.

WCF is clearly a strong and well-positioned organisation to drive efforts in this way and I am proud to be part of WCF to support their continued vision and mission.”

Robert Sykes OBE

Rob spent most of his career in local government. Initially in social care before becoming Chief Executive of Worcestershire County Council from 1997 to 2007. He was subsequently appointed by the Government as Lead Commissioner to Doncaster MBC where he  coordinated a successful intervention.

He has had several non-executive director roles in the public and private sectors latterly with the National Audit Office where he was the senior NED.

He has wide experience of coaching and leadership training including delivering programmes  at Worcester University.

Rob was awarded the OBE in2007.

“I am a great supporter of WCF because I have seen first hand the difference it can make to the people of Worcestershire.”

Richard Amphlett

Richard was bought up in Worcestershire, where his family have lived for many generations. He is Managing Director of a specialist insurance broking and advisory business, Cox Mahon Limited.

He is, or has been, a trustee of a number of local charities. He also Chairs the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, which owns and manages Hartlebury Castle.

“As High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 2021/22, I was privileged to witness the vital role WCF plays throughout the county in both supporting and grant giving to a huge range of organisations and charities. I am delighted to have been asked to be a patron to continue to promote and support this important foundation.”

Andrew Grant

Andrew was a founder member of the Worcestershire Community Foundation (2009-2014). He was aware of the challenges to take the charity forward and importance of it to succeed to give support to the many charities in need of support within the county.
He founded his own business in Worcestershire some 50 years’ ago. In return, he has supported many charities in fundraising: as a Governor of St. Richard’s Hospice, Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the New Hospice in Wildwood Way and now a Patron; Chairman of Governors of St. Mary’s Convent School (1994-2002); Trustee and now Patron of Elizabeth FitzRoy Support (1990-2014) which looks after some 800 people with serious learning difficulties around the country; Trustee of Worcester and Dudley Historic Churches Association (2005-2016 ); President of Worcester Conservative Association (2006-2020); Trustee of Oscott College; on the main Board of CLA (Country and Landowners and Business Association which has 28,000 members) and Trustee of their Charitable Trust and Vice Chairmen, Chairman and then President of Worcestershire Branch of CLA; High Sheriff of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (2005/2006) and a Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire since 2006. He is also a Knight of Malta (British and Sovereign Military Order of Malta).

“I am delighted and honoured to become a Patron of this groundbreaking Foundation. It shines a beacon of light to all those vital charitable organisations in Worcestershire that need grants for their particular and urgent needs. In addition there are emergency funds set aside to throw a lifeline.”

Lucy Wells
(Director)

Lucy joined WCF in 2017 to help lead the Foundation forward, develop a new strategy and build a range of funds. She came from both a corporate and third sector background, initially working in magazine and newspaper publishing in London and overseas, and latterly leading on fundraising at The Courtyard Centre for the Arts in Hereford. She is passionate about helping third sector organisations become more resilient and sustainable. In her spare time she loves running, cycling, singing in Herefordshire Vocalise Choir, cooking and walking her dog in the beautiful countryside where she lives, and regularly takes part in fundraisers for a range of charities.

“I feel proud to be part of the philanthropic movement of Community Foundations, and having this unique opportunity to help WCF on our journey to make positive impacts on the most vulnerable across the county”.

Karen McVeigh
(Grants & Funding Officer)

Karen began working in the charity sector in 2003. She has experience in  fundraising, marketing, business development and support. Previously her background was as a PA in the corporate world, latterly to a CEO in the utility industry.

Originally from the southeast, Worcestershire has been home since 1997. Karen is excited to be joining WCF, using her fundraising experience to manage the process around grant giving and reporting, develop excellent grantee and donor relationships, seek new funds for local groups and charities to apply to, and ultimately help to develop sustainable funding provision for the county’s third sector.

She is married with two grown up children and lives in the north of the county. In her leisure time she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, walking in the local countryside, painting and drawing and, when taking a break from home renovations, curling up with a good book or watching quiz programmes.

Sarah Gurney
(Finance Officer)

Sarah is delighted to be involved with an organisation that makes such a positive impact on people’s lives.

A chartered management accountant for over 20 years, Sarah has experience in the commercial and charity sectors. She worked at director level in a charity providing executive residential training and hotel accommodation before leaving to start a family. She subsequently set up her own accountancy practice.

Originally from the northwest, she has lived in the Midlands since 1992. She is married with two children and likes spending time with family, watching detective films and walking her dog.