Who we are
Clare Searle
Chair of Trustees
Clare is an experienced programme and delivery model designer and transformation manager. Clare is passionate about creating simplicity in an intricate world running a consultancy specialising in transformation, mobilisation and coaching in SMEs looking for personal and collaborative solutions.
Roger Black
Vice Chair of Trustees
Roger, Deputy Chair of Trustees, has run Roger Black Consultancy since 1979, specialising in coaching, training and facilitation. Specialisms include influencing and presenting skills together with personal organisation. Clients are leading banks, consulting firms and not for profit organisations. His book Getting Things Done has been translated into Japanese and French, he also wrote and presented a successful BBC Radio 4 comedy series on managing time. He is a member of the UK Council of Citizens UK, the community organising group, initiators amongst other things of the Living Wage. Roger is married with four children and five grandchildren, he lives in Battersea.
Elliot Bancroft
Treasurer
Elliot is a fund manager in the Charities Team at Rathbone Brothers plc, one of the leading investment firms in the UK managing over £3.6billion of Charitable assets. He has over 13 years’ experience of advising and managing investments, supporting Charities in achieving their future goals and as a trustee and treasurer of Shaftesbury Young People and trustee of a Chinese Arts based charity he brings understanding, experience and insight of the needs to the sector. He has a degree in Robotics and a Masters in International Finance from ICMA Business School, Reading University. Elliot is married to Cynthia, a Chinese national, and is kept busy at weekends caring for their two young children.
Sarah Irving
Trustee
Sarah joined SYP Trust in 2022 and has over 25 years of professional experience, including ten plus years in charitable grantmaking. She is passionate about creating opportunities for children & young people facing adversity, and has been fortunate to have managed several family and corporate foundations who prioritise this area.
Sarah is also a director of a leading clothing wholesaler as well as a green agricultural technology business. She lives in South London with her husband and two children, who get dragged outside for as much fresh air as they are willing to tolerate.
Georgia Booth
Trustee
Georgia is a gender justice and strategy consultant with over 10 years’ experience in influencing, programming, girl and youth engagement and, more recently, girl and youth funding. From 2017 - 2021, she was the Head of Youth Movements at Plan International from where she designed and implemented their first ever youth collective action strategy and oversaw a global portfolio of girl and youth leadership, education and civic action programmes. Her background is in strategic advocacy and partnerships with Nike Foundation and Amnesty UK. Georgia holds a Master's degree in Human Rights and works with a range of NGOs, philanthropic institutions, multilateral organisations and community based organisations in the UK and internationally.
Steve Cheal JP
Trustee
Steve has been involved in grant-making for over 20 years at an Executive level. He has an MA (with distinction) in Youth and Community Work, and ran a youth charity for many years. He is currently working in the funeral and wedding industry and is a magistrate to the Family Court. Steve has a passion for seeing young people given opportunity to be the best of themselves they can be.
Danielle Vassell-Ahiaku
Trustee
Danielle has 14 years of professional experience in trust and foundation fundraising management for a variety of small, national and international charities. She has a passion to see children and young people flourish in every aspect of life from access to good health, education, care and social justice.
Danielle loves to travel, has a background in professional dance and is a qualified family practitioner. She lives in South West London with her husband and two young children who keep them very occupied!
Trisha Thompson
Trustee
Bio on its way…
Johanna Tompsett
Grants Manager
Johanna has worked with a variety of small, local and national charities since 1998, her first fulltime charitable role was with a young people’s charity in Bristol. Her role as grants manager for SYP Trust comes after working as a fundraiser and latterly a Clerk to Trustees, managing grant programmes and providing governance support to multiple operational charities and small to medium-sized Trusts and Foundations. Alongside full charity management, Johanna manages the grant programme, liaising with our applicants and successful grantees, and provides administrative and governance support to the Trustees of SYP Trust.
Johanna has a love of camping (preferably at music festivals!), being bossed around by her dogs, but most of all - spending time with her teenage children.