OUR PEOPLE | Berkshire Youth

OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Sarah was elected as Chair of Berkshire Youth in March 2023, after serving as a trustee for four years. Sarah brings a wealth of not-for-profit and industry experience. She also serves as a board director at the Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) where she chairs the Nominations & Governance Committee, and is a member of the Skills Advisory Panel, as well as the lead for Diversity & Inclusion for Berkshire. Previously she was the Global Director of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) at Micro Focus based in Newbury, where she led the company’s social impact programme and has over 30 years of senior leadership experience in the technology sector. Sarah also served on the board at techUK and worked closely with government and other non-government organisations (NGOs) on a variety of initiatives to inspire young people about the world of work.

Chair – Sarah Atkinson

Treasurer – Jackie Godwin

I recently retired from my role as Finance Manager, after 44 years with Arena Seating, a company founded by my parents in the 1960s and based in the Newbury area. By the time I retired, the company had grown to be part of an international group with offices worldwide. Alongside my career, I achieved an Open University degree in Computing and Communications while working full-time. I have lived in Berkshire all my life and am fortunate to have two sons and four grandchildren living locally. As a family, we have always enjoyed taking part in a wide range of sports and activities, which I believe have greatly contributed to our health and wellbeing. I am looking forward to supporting Berkshire Youth in offering opportunities and activities to young people who may not have had the same advantages my family has enjoyed.

Armelle has worked in the Telecoms industry for over 20 years, and brings to the Board corporate governance experience and senior programme leadership skills. Membership – Civic / Social Organisations Armelle holds volunteer roles with local schools and clubs. She is a keen participant and supporter of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) outreach programmes to students. Educational Background Armelle has a degree in Engineering. Personal Information A mother of two, Armelle strongly believes in the importance of developing young people through accessible programmes that fit in with their daily lives. She looks forward to extending Berkshire Youth’s proud record of providing a variety of activities, training and support to local organisations.

Armelle Boisset

Tamzin Evershed

Currently, Tamzin holds the post of General Counsel for Honeywell Control Systems, Bracknell. Tamzin brings to the Board, over 27 years of professional experience from EMEA roles in household technology names, such as Veritas Technologies and Symantec, where she led the company’s GDPR project and held the post of Head of Ethics and Compliance. Throughout her career, Tamzin has held senior positions at major law firms including Blake Morgan Solicitors. She has also gained experience managing the IT department, HR, and Facilities, plus been a training principal for trainee solicitors, as well as a mentor to more junior staff. Tamzin brings a pragmatic, consultative and innovative approach to the Board of Trustees and is excited in doing all she can to support Berkshire Youth fulfil their commitment to young people in Berkshire.

President – Roger Smee MBE

As President of Berkshire Youth and a former member of a Berkshire club, Roger writes: “I know from first hand experience how positive activities can play a vital role in the development of young people. That is why I am proud to continue to support and invest in the young people of Berkshire.”

Dr Mona Ashok

Mona is an Associate Professor of Digital Transformation at Henley Business School, University of Reading. She is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and held a Certified Software Quality Analyst. She has 20 years of corporate leadership experience in global IT and accounting firms; she has worked in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Northern America. Nine years in Higher Education, she has led post-experienced postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. Mona’s research and practical work have received tremendous commendations. She has been invited to deliver seminars-keynotes and commissioned to do research by international think tanks (Asian Development Bank Institute), Government bodies, professional bodies, organisations and universities in the UK and internationally. Mona has successfully secured research funding, including for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships projects, funded by UK Research and Innovation. She has extensive board experience.

Guy Chambers

Guy is a solicitor who has been practicing in Reading for over 30 years. For the last 20 years of his career Guy has been responsible for recruitment and training of graduates at the law firm he works for. Guy is a new member of the board of trustees who strongly believes in the importance of practical, as much as academic, training and is looking forward to doing all he can to help young people in Berkshire.

Liz Shearer

Liz is currently Community Engagement Director at Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Liz enjoys spending time outdoors and enjoys walking. She will often be found enjoying local sites near the Thames or a little further afield. Other hobbies include spinning, reading and cooking. Originally from Kent, Liz has lived in many areas across the southeast, and spent a lot of time in Berkshire. For previous jobs she has worked in West Berkshire and went to college in Reading. Within her current role, the charity collaborates with communities and so she is often meeting people across the county, including Slough, Newbury, and Reading.

Barry Williams

Breaking the cycle of inequality faced by many young people has been the driving force of my career for over twenty years. As a senior leader in the voluntary sector, my expertise is founded in business strategy, diversification and planning. Since January 2021, I have been enjoying working at the National Youth Agency (NYA), where I have led on the mobilisation of multiple programmes including the Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub, NYA’s role in the delivery of the Youth Investment Fund (phase 2) and the UK Youth Parliament programme. I have also led on various projects including the review of youth provision within towns and cities across England including Liverpool and Blackpool. However, my number one goal at NYA is to support the organisation to be as efficient and effective as possible, implementing systems and processes to help colleagues deliver quality outcomes for the youth sector and ultimately young people. Twelve years were spent transforming services and advocating on behalf of the youth sector for the membership organisation Ambition, as Director, and Interim CEO. I then joined Brook, a young people’s health and wellbeing charity, as Director of Strategy, where I led the process in developing the organisation’s 20-23 strategy. In the last six months of 2020 I was seconded to Youth Access as their Interim Chief Executive Officer, securing 800k in funding and leading on the recruitment for their permanent CEO.

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