Meet the Board

Christine started working in social care in the late 1980s as a Care Assistant in a home for the elderly. She joined Thera in 2006 as an Operational Manager in Essex, as she strongly believed in Thera’s vision and it was something she wanted to be part of.

In 2017, Christine took on the role of Lead Director for Ansar Projects, which she believes was an amazing opportunity. Christine believes that Ansar Projects is a great team with both people we support and staff working closely together, to set a direction for the company that will continue to demonstrate the wonderful achievements that can happen when people are given the right opportunities and support.

Gareth is the Managing Director of a company whose main fields span across the Health and Safety and Construction sectors with a background coming from Supply Chain and Operations. In his spare time, he likes to run and dance whilst also having a keen interest in the outdoors and delivering person centred therapy.

Kate is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and has worked in both the ‘for profit’ and ‘not for profit’ sectors for over 20 years. Working latterly in both the education and social care sectors, providing strategic financial leadership to ensure financially sustainability and also leading finance, IT and property portfolios.

Kate’s day to day role is Group Executive Director – Strategic Finance and Partnerships, where she ensures that Thera continues to provide excellent support and opportunities to people with a learning disability in a financially sustainable way.

Kate is a Non-Executive Director on both national, and local not for profit organisations including Parkinson’s UK and St Lukes Hospice in Sheffield. She has experience of being the chairperson of both Finance and Resources Committee and Audit and Risk Committees.

Growing up with a brother in care and a mother suffering from schizophrenia has shaped me into a resilient and empathetic individual. Over the past 25 years, I have dedicated myself to the field of education, and I am currently leading the social impact and innovation space for NCFE. In this role, I have developed measures for social impact and I am also leading the assessment innovation fund, which aims to revolutionize the assessment space for future learners.

I am excited to bring both my personal and professional experiences to the Ansar project. I am driven by a genuine desire to make a difference and contribute to enabling positive change.

Most of my career has been in Financial Services in a variety of roles, some involving project work to make effective change within the organisation. Much of my time however, has been as an adviser, with several years running my own business. This gave me the flexibility in the early years to raise my son, who has autism and attention deficit; then to be the carer and Power of Attorney for my late parents; and to currently be the Representative for a brother, who has complex learning difficulties and is in supported accommodation.

Through work and family, I am aware of the challenges and benefits of acquiring appropriate support, whether it’s financial, medical or from social care. The way Ansar Projects are providing support and opportunities for the people they work with, is inspirational, as is the vision of the Thera Trust.
My aim is to use my work and lived experience to make an effective contribution to the Ansar Board.

Campbell is a Strategic Business Advisor who works with small to medium sized businesses and their senior management teams to speed decision making, time to market, cost reductions with proven solutions and without the pain of trial and error. Campbell offers a viewpoint and advise based on facts and real experiences; not on politics or prejudice. In his spare time Campbell is a keen golfer, and enjoys working out 3 to 4 times a week.