OUR TRUSTEES

CHAIR

JOHN LEE

John is an HR professional who moved into business management and served on the board of a major plc. He has a deep interest in organisations and what is needed to make them work well. He also has a long interest in the development of young people and has been a trustee/chair of a number of youth charities.

When he came to Bristol in 2005 he was drawn to the issue of how young people from a disadvantaged background could be helped to realise their potential. He was one of the small team that created South Bristol Youth and served as Deputy Chair from the creation of the charity in 2011 until March 2020. He returned in September 2020 to serve as Chair when the incumbent had to step down unexpectedly.

TREASURER

JAMES BENSON

James is a qualified accountant who for the last 15 years has worked with smaller growing organisations, in the South West, helping them with their strategic and financial management. Prior to that he served on the Board of PLC’s and held other senior finance roles. James joined South Bristol Youth as Treasurer in September 2018.

LAURA CHESHAM

Laura joined South Bristol Youth as a trustee in June 2017, but she has been involved since 2013 when South Bristol Youth became a charity. She has seen it grow during this period and is excited about the future and the ways in which it can continue to support young people to allow them to flourish. Laura is a solicitor at a local Bristol law firm and specialises in advising charities on all aspects of their governance and operations. She is passionate about charities and the highly important work that they do for society.

PHIL BAILEY

Phil retired from teaching in August 2019 after 43 years as a teacher, Deputy Head and Head Teacher; 20 years of his teaching and leadership career was spent in South Bristol. He was a South Bristol Youth school board representative until retirement and is now an Independent Trustee. As well as being a trustee of South Bristol Youth, Phil does voluntary work as secretary of Clifton Robinson’s Hockey Club and as the joint historian and archivist of Hockey Wales.

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND

SUZANNE CARRIE

Head of Student Inclusivity