STAFF
Sandra Jones
GDF Grants Administrator
Sandra Jones joined GDF as the Grants Administrator in January 2018. Sandra’s previous roles have included Head of Customer Services and Head of Operations in the Financial Services sector. Semi-retired, she is now enjoying a change in direction and helping to ensure that grant applications are administered in an efficient and effective way.
STAFF
Meg Morris
GDF Grants Administrator
Meg Morris has recently joined the team as a Grants Administrator. Meg trained as a primary school teacher, and her last working role was as a lead practitioner and special educational needs co-ordinator in a Children's Centre in Gloucester. Having stopped work to have her three children, she is now back working part time for the Gloucestershire Disability Fund.
TRUSTEE
Steve Elway
GDF Chair
Steve Elway joined the GDF board in 2017. Most of his employment history was working in local government, including as Director of Culture, Learning and Leisure. He was instrumental in creating the Aspire Sport and Cultural Trust in 2008, the aim of which was to manage and operate leisure and cultural facilities on behalf of local authorities within a Charitable Trust environment.
TRUSTEE
Gail McCarthy
Company Secretary and Grants Co-Vice Chair
Gail McCarthy joined GDF in 2015. Following her retirement from full time employment she became Company Secretary for GDF in 2020. Gail has many years’ experience of grant-making from her previous work for Barnwood Trust.
TRUSTEE
Jenny Hopkins
GDF Vice Chair and Data Protection Compliance
Jenny Hopkins joined the GDF board in 2019. She is a charity consultant and academic specialising in organisational culture and leadership in the UK charity sector. As a former chief executive of a deaf charity, she brings a practice-informed perspective to GDF's organisation grant-making.
TRUSTEE
Maxine Knight
Grants Chair and Office Management
Maxine Knight joined GDF as the charity administrator in 2013 and resigned from the post in 2017 in order to become a trustee. She previously worked in the NHS for 11 years. She is a mum and full-time carer of a daughter with disabilities.
TRUSTEE
Nora Lynch
Grants Co-Vice Chair
Nora Lynch joined GDF in 2017. She retired from a Social Work Team, where most recently she was an Assessor of Adult Care needs. She has 20 Years of experience supporting people with varying disabilities.
TRUSTEE
Sandra Tanner
HR Compliance and Staff Supervisor
Sandra Tanner joined the GDF board in 2023. Her employment history includes telecommunications, further education, training, apprenticeships, management and business coaching. She is supportive of personal development and opportunities for all to achieve their full potential.
TRUSTEE
Tara Patterson
Fundraising Consultant
Tara joined GDF at the end of 2025. She runs her own fundraising consultancy with extensive experience across a variety of charity sectors including disability, sports, health, conservation and the arts, most recently spending five years leading the philanthropy team at Cheltenham Festivals. Her grant-making experience includes managing the funding stream of the European Union’s Year of Education Through Sport, awarding more than €500,000 in grants across the UK.