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Trustees
Introduction
Behind the scenes, the trustees play a vital role in overseeing the work of CCM. In addition, several trustees pay an active part in the day to day running of the ministry - from serving in the Coffee Shop to keeping the accounts and producing publicity.
The trustees are:
- Simon Bale,
- Graham Donald (our Chairman),
- Linda Dyson,
- Martin Horton (our Treasurer),
- Arnett McCluskey,
- Lucy Nagel,
- Jim Newton-Smith,
- Alan Patterson,
- Andrew Street,
- Stephen White.
Also invited to attend board meetings is:
- Richard Hill (our Company Secretary).
The People
Simon Bale
Simon joined the board in 2008.
Graham Donald
Graham joined the board in 2002. He is the current chair of the trustees, having taken over in 2006 from Anni Davey, who served us in that role for many years.
Graham Donald comes from Somerset and is married to Gillian. They have two grown up children. Graham became a Christian at university in 1970. He came to Bristol in 1993 and worships at Christ Church Clifton, where he is a member of the PCC. He is also secretary of Bristol School of Christian Studies. His main Christian service in recent years was as secretary of SPACE from 1994 to 1999.
Graham was first challenged to think about how he might be of service to the homeless folk of Bristol when Derek Groves spoke at a Christian business breakfast. Graham became a trustee in 2002 in response to an advert in StreetWise, and became chair of trustees in 2006. He relishes the opportunity CCM gives to meet, talk to, work and pray with Christians from a wide range of walks of life and backgrounds. Graham's main role in CCM, in addition to being chair, is in fund-raising.
Graham spent his working life in the public sector, ending in the senior civil service. His final job was Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Director of Corporate Services. Whilst working at the Privy Council Office (PCO), Graham appeared in University Challenge - the Professionals which the PCO Team won in 2005. After retirement in 2006, Graham took on a number of public appointments in professional regulation.
Linda Dyson
Linda joined the board in 2006.
Linda has been married to Maurice since September 2001 when she returned from 21 years living in Greece where she worked as a full-time Christian worker. The Dysons live in the village of Frampton Mansell in the southern Cotswolds. She has an adopted son, Lorenc who is married to Alison. They have two small children, William and Fleur, who both have cystic fibrosis.
Linda worked for 10 years with the Albanian people and previously with various Greek and international ministries, including Operation Mobilisation, Open Air Campaigners and the Greek Mercy Mission which has a similar ministry to the Crisis Centre. She also has considerable experience of working with prisoners, refugees, and displaced people, particularly during and after the Kosovo crisis.
She is currently involved, too, with her local community radio station, 'The Open Line Book' school assemblies as well as being missionary secretary in her local church. Her hobbies are creative writing, drama and pressed flower craft and she also teaches modern Greek for a few hours each week.
She hopes that her breadth of 'hands on experience' at the cutting edge of Christian work can help her make worthwhile contributions as a trustee of the Crisis Centre.
Richard Hill
Richard is the Company Secretary. He is a solicitor who used to work locally in St Pauls, but is now based in the centre of Bristol.
Martin Horton
Martin Horton is also our treasurer. He is self employed and gives us one day a week to keep the finances up to date. He has a background in accounting and an ongoing involvement with the Scout movement.
Martin has now been the Treasurer of the Crisis Centre for some ten years. He normally comes into the offices each Friday to keep the books in order. The other four days of the week he does audit work on parish and town councils throughout the country.
I worked for almost twenty years for Wessex Water and, having at that time taken a sort of early retirement, I thought it was time for the Lord to be able to use my training and experience as a chartered accountant on a voluntary basis for a worthwhile Christian cause. Just at that time our then chairman, Anni Davey (who attends the same church as me - St Mary's Stoke Bishop) let me know that CCM was seeking a new treasurer. The rest, as they say, is history. At that time I also became a trustee, although I took a break from this role for some five years, and have just decided to return. Since then I have also joined the rota of those helping to serve food in the cafe once a month.
I have found the tasks rewarding and challenging, and nicely complementary to my other professional audit work. It is great to be part of a team that seeks to have such a positive affect on people's lives in an area of great need. At the same time, it is challenging balancing my training and background of prudence and care in financial situations with the need to let God work in what is, after all, a faith ministry. So far, I think, with prayer, this balance has just about been maintained!
Arnett McCluskey
Arnett joined the board in 2009.
Lucy Nagel
Lucy joined the board in 2008.
[January 2009:] I am in my first year of teaching Religious Studies at Mangotsfield School. Having grown up in Sussex I now live in Easton with my two housemates. I came to Bristol to study Theology and Religious Studies followed by a PGCE at Bristol University. During this time I was a member of Woodlands Student Pastorate, where I helped lead the pastorate in social action in and around Bristol.
I became involved in the wild Goose Coffee Shop after responding to an advert in the Woodlands Church bulletin. I have been working there on a voluntary basis for 3 years and in the last year I took on the role of Duty Manager and became a trustee of Crisis Centre Ministries.
Jim Newton-Smith
Jim joined the board in 2007.
Jim grew up in rural Gloucestershire and went to school in Chipping Sodbury and Yate before spending a few years in Plymouth, Gloucester and the Forest of Dean. He moved back to the north Bristol area with his young family in 1978 primarily to be part of Christian group that believed in practical every-day Christianity.
Married in the mid 70s, Jim has three adult sons but now lives by himself since his wife of 31 years, Alison, died in 2006 after a long illness. He has interests in the great outdoors, nutrition, faith issues and people. He likes to recycle and switch off lights!
Jim currently works for a housing association in Bristol facilitating new build housing projects and has worked in planning and estate and property management for more than 35 years! He is a technical associate member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Alan Patterson
Alan joined the board in 2007.
I have recently retired. I worked as a Chartered Architect in Africa designing hospitals in Jos and Zari, and in the Middle East and the UK on sports facilities.
I am married to Julia. We have three grown up children and three (soon four) grandchildren. We worship at Christ Church Clifton.
My interests include sailing, rambling, history and politics. I am an active member of a political party.
Though I was born in London, my family came from Northern Ireland, where my brother and sister and their families still live in Enniskillen.
Our two sons and daughter all live in Bristol, so we are delighted to have them so close.
Andrew Street
Andrew joined the board in 2007.
Stephen White
Stephen joined the board in 2008.
When I first came into contact with Crisis Centre Ministries 20 years ago it was as a client, that was before I served my first of two prison sentences. Since then I returned to my childhood faith and trust in Jesus.
I have had a wide range of employment in both the caring professions and the commercial world and have developed a good knowledge & experience of administration within the Voluntary sector. I have run my own business on two separate occasions.
I have had a history of Mental Health problems and have had a period of homelessness and hostel living.
I've been associated with Easton Christian Family Centre since I returned to active church involvement.