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
Michael Davies
Grants Chair/GDF Vice Chair
Mike Davies joined GDF in 2012. He retired in 2011 after nearly 40 years as a social worker and a manager, working with people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. He is chair of grants committee.
TRUSTEE
Gail McCarthy
Company Secretary
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
Jenny Hopkins joined the GDF board in 2019. A former CEO of a local charity, she has both professional and personal experience of deafness. Currently, Jenny provides strategy planning consultancy to smaller charities, alongside studying for a PhD on deaf charities in England.
TRUSTEE
Joan Davies
Grants Vice Chair
Joan Davies joined GDF in 2015 and is now vice chair of grants committee. She retired from the NHS in 2016 as an Occupational Therapist with over 40 years of experience. Her last 20 years of employment was spent working in the community with people with physical disabilities, which also gave her experience of making applications to charities.
TRUSTEE
Maxine Knight
Board member
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
Rob Clyne
Board member
Bio coming soon
TRUSTEE
Nora Lynch
Board Member
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
Board Member
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
Terry Rogers
Board Member
Terry Rogers has worked in health and social care since 1974. Starting as a social worker in Bristol, he worked in Training and HR in two locally based national disability charities and was a Director of HR for many years. Terry retired in 2016 and apart from his work at GDF, enjoys walking his dogs, reading, listening to music and supporting his local football team.