PoC Trustees

PoC is fortunate in having a committed and experienced board of trustees who meet regularly with the staff and who are actively involved in the grant-making process.  Each week applications are sent to a sub-committee of trustees for assessment and approval.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of one of our longest-serving trustees, Denis Neale. You can read more about this great man here.

Gary Allison (Vice-Chair)
Originally from South Africa, Gary is currently a partner at Berrymans Lace Mawer and head of the Medical Law Division.  Member of the British South African Law Association, Law Society and Shawco (affiliated to the University of Cape Town to provide additional education to deprived children during the apartheid years).

Ian Baker (Treasurer)
Ian volunteered as our accountancy advisor for several years, before taking on the post of Treasurer in 2012. Ian is a chartered accountant and a co-owner and Partner (Finance) at Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP, an independently owned European real estate fund management business with an annual turnover of £23m, assets under management of €7.5bn and 94 staff in eight countries. He is also their Compliance Officer.

Anne Bolitho
Began her career in advertising, but moved to the voluntary sector 10 years ago where she has since specialised in fundraising. Through her work she has been associated with, amongst others; Amnesty International, VSO, Born Free Foundation, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Prisoners Abroad and Crisis.  Her last major role was the Head of Fundraising, International, Membership and PR at the National Deaf Children's Society.  She has recently become a freelance fundraising consultant.  In addition she is also a Trustee of Childlife.

Sir Henry Brooke (Chair)
Formerly a barrister and judge.  Now a mediator.  Has supported NGOs concerned with human rights and the welfare of prisoners for many years.  Now a patron of Peace Brigades International (UK).

Lucy Chandler OBE
Ex-Deputy Chairwoman of the Save The Children Fund and a trustee of Anti-Slavery, as well as being very active in other human rights and refugee organisations.

John Cooper QC
John is a Criminal and Human Rights barrister based at 25 Bedford Row in London. He is also Honorary Visiting Professor of Law at Cardiff University. His international work includes advising on the Cambodian War Crimes trials, advising the incoming Slovakian Government on human rights and consulting upon a Bill of Rights for Nepal. He is also Chair of the International Steering Committee for the Iran Tribunal. John’s written and academic work spans many journals as well as leading newspapers. John has a regular piece in The Observer and often writes feature articles for The Times. He is Consultant Editor of The Criminal Law and Justice Weekly and Editor of The Criminal Bar Quarterly. John was Vice-Chair of the Bar Council's Public Affairs Committee from 2006 to 2011, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Chair and President of The League Against Cruel Sports. John’s latest book, “Inquests”, published by Hart Publishing was published in May 2011. He has also recently become a Freeman of the City of London. For more details about John access his website.

Katy Fattuhi
Katy is currently the Director of Creative Islington, a network for the arts sector in the London Borough of Islington. She has ten years experience working in socially engaged arts activity. Katy also maintains her own painting practice and continues to undertake a range of voluntary work with Amnesty International UK, including sitting on its Active Members Subcommittee to the board. She was formerly a trustee of Latin American Women’s Aid.

Romny Gray
Romny is a corporate lawyer with a wide-ranging career spanning organisations such as Clifford Chance, Mitsui PLC, Symantec Corporation and BSI.  Her charitable work includes being a trustee of the Waltham Forest Family Service Unit, acting as an Ambassador for Action Aid as well as undertaking pro bono and consultancy work with Christian Aid. 

Prins Gunasekara
A human rights lawyer and journalist from Sri Lanka who was a prisoner of conscience and a former beneficiary of PoC.

David Ivy
With 15 years experience in digital marketing, Dave originally set-up Ellipsis Media, spawning the popular email marketing product, dotMailer. The company then listed on the markets in 2009 as dotDigital Group and is continuing to grow. In the role of Creative Director, Dave has also designed, directed and delivered many website projects including those for the likes of the BBC, BT, Fairtrade, WaterAid, HQ Hair, HMV and Curzon Cinemas.

Ansel Wong
Ansel has enjoyed a wide-ranging career which has given him experience of working at senior levels in the public and charitable sectors and has included public appointments as well as senior management positions.  He is currently the Company Secretary & Examinations Officer of Savile Row Academy, which is a training centre for bespoke tailoring and cutting skills, he is also the Managing Director of Tsingtac Associates Ltd., a Change Management and Equality and Diversity Consultancy.  Ansel is a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Arts and a Justice of the Peace, Middlesex Area Commission.