OUR TRUSTEES

Rachel has over 20 years’ experience in the West Midlands, with a track record of working as a development and governance professional within the housing and not-for-profit sector.  Her areas of work include health and well-being, life skills and employability, heritage, arts and culture, community asset transfers and enhancement of statutory service provision.  Her breadth of experience in strategic, operational and cross-sector scenarios enables her to create practical solutions both as an individual and in partnership with others. 

Reverend Lydia Gaston is a local Anglican Minister and school Chaplain in Yardley Wood. She chairs the Christ Church Yardley Wood Centre Charity. She sits on two local school Boards. She has experience in leadership and people. She joined Yardley Great Trust in 2014 and currently holds the role of Vice Chair to MY Trust. 

Ken Meeson has been a Trustee since 1995 and has served in a number of roles locally, including Cabinet Member for Children and Adult Services, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Leader of Solihull Council. He is currently Mayor of Solihull. Nationally he has sat on boards of the Local Government Association and was a long-serving Trustee of the National Children’s Bureau.  Professionally he spent many years as UK Development Manager for a Lloyds of London underwriting group and before retiring became Company Secretary and Governance Adviser to Birmingham Metropolitan and Dudley Colleges. He is a former NHS Director and Chair of Audit and currently a Lay Hospital Manager under the Mental Health Act. He is also a Governor of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, a Safeguarding Adviser to the Scout Association and Trustee of the National Youth Agency.

Alethea joined us in 2021. She is Director of Operations for charity CW Mind and is responsible for a diverse portfolio of services including children and young people’s mental health provision, housing support services and registered CQC services and brings considerable experience of service design, development and management in the health and social care sector and tender/bid writing.  

Edward G Fifield BSc FRICS is a chartered Surveyor and Managing Director for Fifield Glyn. He brings with him a wealth of experience in Asset Management, Property Management and Occupational Health & Safety, and has been on the board since October 2023.

Gareth is a serving Councillor with Birmingham City Council representing the constituents of the Erdington Ward. Gareth was appointed as a Trustee in October 2011 and he has a particular interest in housing issues.

Jonathan qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and was appointed as a Trustee in December 2016.  Since 2021, he has been employed by a "challenger" bank (which offers banking services through its mobile app) as in-house counsel. He is trusted to deal with a wide range of operational issues including disputes and is part of a business seeking to radically reshape banking.

​Reverend Tammy Tearoe is a local Anglican minister with experience in children, youth, and family ministry. Prior to her work in churches, she was employed in the medical field in the United States and has experience working in residential care homes and nursing facilities. She joined the Yardley Great Trust board of trustees in 2024.

Kallum was appointed to the board of trustees in December 2022. He has worked in multiple roles within IT, in both private and public sectors, for various organisations ranging from small independent businesses to large corporate structures. Kallum works within an Applications team, that maintains and develops various business systems for a Construction and Regeneration Group.

Tanvi is an experienced social housing professional with expertise in supported living, governance, strategy and business development. Tanvi studied for a Masters in Human Rights from UCL and has been committed to working within the charitable sector; she currently works as a Strategy Manager for a G15 housing association and is also a Trustee for a children's charity. 

Edward is a former Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and was the sole principal and then Senior Partner of Lawrence and Wightman, Chartered Surveyors for nearly 40 years. Edward, who joined the Board in 2019, has been an Arbitrator/Independent Expert in a broad range of rental and valuation disputes and an Assessor for the RICS for over a period of 30 years assessing and interviewing candidates who were seeking to become Chartered Surveyors.

Hitesh is an experienced manager, professionally qualified in the field of social housing.  Having spent over 20 years as Development Manager for a well-known family Trust in Birmingham. Well used to all aspects of social housing development both new build and refurbishment. Passionate about providing quality social housing and related fields to enhance people's quality of life.

Reverend Toby Crowe is vicar of St Johns Sparkhill and Christ Church Sparkhill. Originally a primary school teacher, he has been a Trustee at Yardley Great Trust since July 2021. As well as his parish work, he is also a day chaplain at Birmingham Cathedral, a member of Diocesan school admissions panel, a member of the clergy conference 2016 planning committee, a school governor, member of the Elmdon & Silhill Partnership Forum and chair of the Friends of Elmdon Park.

Reverend Nejib Boumenjel is the Vicar of The Church of Ascension Hall Green. He has been a Trustee at Yardley Great Trust since 2021. He moved from Tunisia in 1999 and worked for many years as an evangelist with Birmingham City Mission and went to Theological College in 2012.

Rajna Begum has worked for local charity Narthex since 2019 and currently leads the Money and Debt Advice, managing key projects like the Money Debt Advice and IAG. She has served as a Trustee for The Yardley Great Trust Group since 2022.

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With 10 previous years of experience the debt and advisory management field, she rose to Senior Welfare Advice Practitioner, she graduated with Level 4 Skills in the Workplace in 2019 and completed CMA Level 3 and 4 Awards in Casework/Specialist Debt Advice and her Insolvency Training in 2022.