Board of Trustees
Andrew Hawley
Andrew trained at a well-known theatre arts school in Leeds and initially seemed set to embark on a career in film and television but now has 35 years’ experience working in the construction industry/built-environment – the last 15 years of which have focused specifically on energy and energy efficiency.
He has a group of businesses based in Brighouse that deliver national contracts focusing on energy and energy efficiency, contracting, consultancy and accounting services.
Andrew has a passion for motor racing and golf.
He took on the role of Chair of Finance in 2023.
Heidi Bingham
Having studied business at Manchester Metropolitan University, Heidi has gone onto gain valuable experience and knowledge in businesses and organisations of all sizes. From founding a local nursery, The Ark, to her days at global giants HP and Xerox, Heidi combines corporate level strategy with a fair bit of graft ensuring she has a positive and meaningful impact.
On a day to day basis, Heidi is closely involved in the operations of The Craggs Business Parks, managing multiple locations, supporting its clients and developing new properties for its portfolio.
With close connections to key organisations in the Cragg Vale community, Heidi has a way of matching all kinds of businesses in mutually beneficial partnerships.
Jo Core
Jo brings a blend of private sector experience and deep community commitment to the Board of Trustees at CFFC. After spending 33 years at Lloyds Banking Group in a range of roles including marketing, training, project/programme management and senior leadership, she transitioned into the charity sector where she has enjoyed both strategic and operational roles.
She’s held positions at organisations such as Calderdale SmartMove, Unmasked Mental Health, and currently Nest Helping the Homeless, where she serves as Operations Director. Alongside this, Jo runs her own freelance business, Core Changes, supporting local charities with funding bids, income generation strategies, and short-term project work.
Jo also gives her time to several voluntary roles in the region. She is Chair of Trustees at Magpies, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, and Secretary for Focus4Hope, which provides vital support to vulnerable people across Calderdale.
Passionate about making a difference at a grassroots level, Jo combines her skills in leadership, resilience, and relationship-building to help organisations meet the needs of their communities.
Outside of work, Jo is a proud bookworm who enjoys all genres – especially sci-fi – and loves spending time with her husband, their two cats, and the local wildlife she helps care for.
Jo is also Chair of our Marketing & Development Committee.
Joanne Flanagan
Joanne Flanagan is a financial adviser and the founder of Every Step Financial Services, an independent financial advice firm based in Halifax. She has a strong interest in helping people make confident, informed decisions about their finances, with experience across financial planning, pensions, investments, protection, and later life lending.
Joanne’s caring approach is centred on helping people. She believes in listening carefully, making financial matters easier to understand, and providing advice that reflects each person’s individual circumstances and goals. Her philosophy is simple: everyone should have access to meaningful, high‑quality financial advice.
As a Calderdale resident and business owner, Joanne is passionate about supporting the local community and helping it thrive. She brings her financial expertise, practical experience, and thoughtful approach to her role as a Trustee of the Community Foundation for Calderdale.
Joanne joined the CFFC Board in April 2026 and is looking forward to supporting the continued growth of the endowment, ensuring the Foundation can meet the rising demand for grants and provide vital support across the community.
Liz Kenny
Liz is the co- owner and editor of the Grapevine Directories, free monthly publications delivered to 60,000 homes. 40,000 of these are delivered in Calderdale.
Having moved to Calderdale to train as a nurse in Halifax ’91, she worked as an RGN in the Surgical Specialities in Halifax hospitals. Liz especially enjoyed her a key role in the development of the then ‘new’
Pre-operative Assessment service during the 00’s.
Time as a stay at home Mum in the 10’s raised her awareness of the many organisations supporting families across the borough of Calderdale. Becoming involved as a volunteer and accepting leadership roles
with third sector organisations means that, nowadays, Liz has a diverse network and good understanding of the Calderdale Community.
Mark Hemingway
Born in Halifax, Mark has spent nearly 45 years living and working in Calderdale.
He is a highly experienced Communications and PR professional who has headed up communications for several banks, as well as being a trusted advisor for a number of industry-wide financial services initiatives.
Mark started his career at Halifax Building Society in 1982 remaining with the organisation until 2008, when he moved to London to head up communications at HSBC. In 2013 Mark formed his own communications company and since then has worked as a consultant and advisor to many financial services brands.
He has been heavily involved over the years with the voluntary sector including volunteering for over 15 years with Calderdale Talking Newspaper. Mark was also the Chair of the national campaigning charity, Empty Homes Agency, which helps get many of the UK’s million empty homes back into circulation. In his spare time he volunteers at the local homeless shelter.
Mark loves watching sport, travelling and is a keen walker, having recently completed several long distance walks.
Neil Wright
Neil is a former company executive who was born and bred in Calderdale. Following a very successful career as an entrepreneur in Information Technology he is now an Angel Investor who also provides consultancy and advice to start-ups, scale-ups, and local charities to support their growth and development.
Neil stepped down as Chair of the Marketing and Development Committee in early 2025 as he concentrates on helping with the roll out of the new network CRM for Community Foundations all over the UK.
Nick Worsnop ex officio
Nick is a Partner and the Head of Regulatory and Litigation at Chadwick Lawrence LLP, based in Halifax, Leeds, and Huddersfield.
He is also the firm’s Compliance Officer and registered with the Information Commissioner as the firm’s Data Protection Officer. He provides guidance and advice to businesses on data protection, conducing audits, drafting policies and procedures, assisting with security breaches, data access requests and dealing with the ICO as well as other regulatory compliance.
Nick is the company secretary for the Community Foundation for Calderdale, director of ASBCI (Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry) and Halifax 900 Trust for Halifax Minster. He is also the founder and chair of the Business for Calderdale networking organisation.
Married with 3 children and a follower of Liverpool FC, he regularly makes the trip to Anfield, enjoys walking and gardening.
Nigel Cliffe
Nigel is an experienced multi-channel marketer with over thirty years of experience in combining the best of marketing with the best of technology to drive improved personal brand and business performance.
As a result of using LinkedIn successfully to build engagement and generate new business for many clients, Nigel formed Value Exchange Ltd, a business specifically to train others how to repeat the same success. He is a regular trainer, entertaining speaker and engaging presenter on the subject of LinkedIn.
A start-up specialist himself, having established over 25 businesses, Nigel has worked with a wide variety of international clients, including one-man businesses through to FTSE 100 companies, universities, charities and the UK central government.
Nigel took over as Chair of the Board of Trustees in late 2024 after being a valuable member of the CFFC Marketing & Development committee for several years.
He is a keen walker and a poor golfer.
Preet Sandhu
Preet is a mixture of being an academic and someone who gets things done to be able to help people living with disabilities in our community.
Preet followed her Master’s in philosophy in English Literature at the University of Delhi by lecturing at the University for 4 years. She moved with her Husband to England and has worked in the Not-for-Profit sector for over 21 years. She received a Learning Disabilities Management Qualification at the University of Lancashire and York and recently a PG Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis and Challenging Behaviour from Cardiff University.
When Preet worked with communities breaking misconceptions to increase uptake of disability services in the local Asian community, she was a key member of the Inclusion Service and the trust in the relationships she built helped her to form an Asian Carers group and she also pioneered a day service for women, both breakthrough achievements.
Since 2012, Preet has proudly been the CEO of The Next Step Trust which supports adults with profound learning disabilities and complex health needs. She has led the way developing the daytime support service over four sites, enhanced provision of adapted and sensory equipment harnessing new technology, set up a respite provision, and following a successful fundraising campaign built a hydrotherapy pool in Kings Cross.
Richard Blackburn
A proud Yorkshireman, Richard is the Managing Director of PiB (Insurance) Group in the North Eastern Region, having always worked in insurance and risk management. Richard has been a Trustee since 2019 and as a Philanthropist, he strongly believes in putting back into the community and supporting people who live in Calderdale. Richard brings a level head ensuring risk analysis and encourages commercial acumen within the organisation. He is also passionate about businesses, growing our economy and employment market making Calderdale a nicer place to live.
To relax, Richard enjoys a game of golf and is also a keen cyclist.
Sabir Hussain
Sabir has lived in Park ward for over 50 years. He is currently a self-employed tutor delivering private science and maths tuition (KS2 to KS5) to predominantly BME children. He has extensive experience in the public sector: as a non-executive board member of Calderdale NHS PCT; Leeds Tribunal Service; Senior Organisational Development Consultant at Kirklees council; Chair of the Corporate Kirklees Black and Minority Ethnic Employees Network.
Before becoming a full-time tutor, he was the OD and Performance Manager for Manningham Housing Association – a registered social landlord with circa 1500 homes within predominantly BME communities in Bradford and Keighley.
Sabir helped to set up Together Against Grooming (TAG) to tackle child sexual exploitation, delivering awareness sessions.
Simon Bottomley ex officio
Born in Huddersfield, Simon has lived in Calderdale for nearly 40 years, but the nearest he came to working here was at David Brown Tractors. A qualified Management Accountant he has worked in Engineering
for all his career, following Tractors with Plumbing Fittings and finally, Newspaper Printing Presses for 25 years at an International Company based in Preston.
A competitive sportsman, he has played in the local leagues in both squash and tennis for many years, as well as enjoying taking part in many other sports.
Since finishing paid employment, he has become more involved with the voluntary sector in Calderdale. Before joining CFFC, he has had plenty of contact with the organisation through his involvement with St. Augustine’s Centre, Calderdale MS Group, Rotary Club of Halifax, and The Old Library at Stainland.
Simon has taken on the role of CFFC Treasurer.