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Tim Edwards

Chair of the Charitable Foundation

Tim has wide ranging experience of public policy, skills, housing and regeneration across the public, private and charitable sectors. Prior to forming his own consultancy practice, he managed a Charitable Trust alongside the management of business development and compliance of FE training services.

He has significant experience work within the charitable sector, being a trustee with a large infrastructure organisation and also managed support services to the social enterprise sector. This has led to providing specialist consultancy services in social value, housing, skills and regeneration. As a leader he has strong values in respect to fairness, equality and integrity having managed programmes related to equalities, social justice and community cohesion. Tim has a commitment to community led regeneration and has undertaken a number of projects to support and develop community capacity and to increase social mobility.

Matthew Collins

Matt has extensive experience in the charity sector, with specific expertise within the fields of arts and higher education. He began his work in fundraising at the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he worked in a research capacity, using audience analysis to provide strategic support and planning across both capital and revenue campaigns. Within higher education, Matt has also worked as deputy head of the Data and Business Intelligence team with the University of Birmingham’s fundraising department and most recently led the Gift Management and Settlement team at the University of Cambridge.

Matt is a keen volunteer, supporting various local amateur arts organisations and offering pro-bono consultancy to charities, including those working within the criminal justice system. He also has a keen interest in education access, having recently completed a PhD that examined and developed new tools to broaden the opportunities for readers to engage with classic texts. He is currently Research Fellow at the Royal Shakespeare Company, exploring the potential for literary texts and rehearsal practices to enhance young people's lives.

Mark Schofield

Mark is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and has over 40 years’ experience in financial services, primarily in risk management, specialising in Credit, Operational, Conduct and Collateral risk. He has held senior roles with major lenders operating in UK, has provided oversight to businesses in Europe, Asia and Africa and has advised the Irish Government on matters relating to mortgage lending, its recovery and management of vulnerable customers.

Mark has been involved with a major housing regeneration scheme in Newcastle upon Tyne, has worked with charitable debt management companies in the development of plans to help distressed and vulnerable customers, establishing a model which was adopted across the industry and, was the chairman and founding trustee of an educational charity based in the North West of England.

Andrew Davies

Andrew has over 35 years of treasury and risk management experience gained within the financial services sector. Having started his career in the branch network of a clearing bank, he then moved to the building society sector where he gained extensive treasury experience, becoming Assistant Treasurer at one of the country’s largest societies. Following this he held a senior risk management role at a UK bank and until his retirement at the end of 2024, he was a Board Director and Chief Risk Officer at Leek Building Society.  

For the majority of his career, Andrew has worked within mutual organisations, reflecting his commitment to the sector and its ethos. He strongly believes that member owned organisations are best placed to positively impact the members and communities they serve. This was a key driver behind his support for the Society to establish the Foundation and his decision to join its Board of Trustees. Andrew has always lived within Leek Building Society’s heartland and has supported the community through the role of governor at schools within the local area.

Rob Longmore

Rob joined Leek Building Society in September 2010 and has worked in a number of roles prior to his current position as HR Director where he has responsibility for the Society’s people agenda. His breadth of experience across the Society uniquely positions him to develop the approach to community support and engagement.

Rob has previously worked in the Society’s branch network, during which time he formed a strong understanding of the Society’s role and responsibilities in local communities. In his time as both a leader and as part of a team, he has displayed a strong set of personal values aligning to those of the Foundation – integrity, hard work, passion and a desire to make a difference. As a long serving member of Leek Building Society’s staff, he aims to channel the Society’s renowned enthusiasm for community support in order to make a real difference to local people.

Lynne Ransome

Branch Manager of Leek Building Society Cheadle Branch, Lynne began her career with Leek Building Society straight after she left education in 1994, and has since worked across a variety of different roles within the branch network.

During this time, she has acquired a sound knowledge of the company’s culture and the deep-rooted role they play in supporting local people and local communities. Lynne has worked in her current position for 25 years and strives to be an ambassador for the Leek Building Society brand and the values they stand for.

Having a passion for excellent customer service and a strong work ethic, Lynne very much inspires her team by leading by example. Throughout her career she has enjoyed helping staff to reach their full potential and seeing a number of those go on to further themselves within the Society.

Lizzie Hall

Lizzie is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, and joined Leek Building Society in January 2022 as the Head of HR. More recently she has been appointed as the HR Director with responsibility for the Society’s people agenda, which has strong links to community support and engagement. As a senior leader Lizzie demonstrates the values of the Society and is passionate about making an impact through the Foundation.

Having worked across a variety of sectors prior to joining the Society, Lizzie brings experience from local government and charity roles, and has a clear appreciation for the value of a mutual organisation in the local community.

Lizzie lives locally and also spent a number of years as a school governor for a local high school and has a keen interest in the principles of making a positive difference to the communities around the Society’s heartland.