Committed to transparency, accountability and impact

At our charity, strong governance is at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to ensuring that every decision we make is guided by integrity, transparency, and the best interests of the children, young people, and families we support across Leeds.

Our Governance Structure

We are overseen by a Board of Trustees who provide strategic leadership and ensure the charity remains financially stable, legally compliant, and true to its mission.

Our governance structure includes:

Board of Trustees – Responsible for overall direction, strategy, and oversight
Executive Leadership Team – Manages day-to-day operations and service delivery
Sub-Committees – Focused groups covering finance, safeguarding, risk, and quality assurance
Advisory Partners – Specialists who provide insight on child welfare, education, and community needs

Meet Our Trustees

Our Trustees bring a diverse range of experience from education, social care, business, health, and the voluntary sector. They volunteer their time to ensure the charity remains focused, effective, and accountable.

Each Trustee is committed to:

Safeguarding children and young people
Upholding the highest ethical standards
Ensuring effective use of charitable funds
Supporting long-term sustainability and growth

Duncan Pearse - Chair

Duncan Pearse joined Leeds Children’s Charity as Chair of Trustees in May 2026, bringing more than 25 years of experience supporting children and young people across community, residential and outdoor settings.

Alongside his role as Chief Executive of Northpoint, Duncan has held a number of senior leadership and governance positions across the voluntary sector.

Passionate about improving outcomes for children and families, he is committed to helping the charity grow its impact and ensure more young people across Leeds can access safe, positive and life-enhancing experiences.

Ian Hargreaves - Trustee

Ian first got involved in the charity back in 2009 when he donated some of his time to coach the charity to think more commercially, as it was under intense financial pressure and at risk of disappearing from existence.

Once Ian had visited the charity's previous site, at Silverdale, and seen the smiles on the kids faces he knew he wanted to get more involved and became a Trustee in 2010.

Ian Kirk - Trustee

Ian first became involved with the charity in 2009, offering his marketing expertise on a pro-bono basis to help strengthen the organisation’s profile and reach. Having recently become a father at the time, he felt a strong personal connection to the charity’s mission and the importance of giving children positive experiences and opportunities early in life.

In 2010, Ian joined the Board of Trustees, where he went on to play a key role in supporting the charity’s growth, development and long-term sustainability, helping to broaden awareness and build support across the wider community.

David Whewell - Trustee

David is a Chartered Accountant, who advised clients in the Charity Sector whilst working in practice, David joined the Board of the Charity in 2009 and has relished the opportunity to put something back into the community, and the good works and achievements of the Charity continue to astound and amaze him to this day.

Prof Leigh Hoath - Trustee

Leigh is a former teacher and now Professor of Science Education at Leeds Trinity University. She is also the Co-Founder of the charity Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) - an alliance of researchers, educators, schools and partners across the UK who are working to change today’s education for tomorrow’s climate. She led the content design for the BBC’s The Regenerators education campaign, their Blue Planet Live resources and is the education consultant to the world’s largest chemical company.

Leigh holds a number of additional roles in education – including MAT Vice Chair of Trustees, Member of two MATS, former Chair of the Association for Science Education and is currently editor of two practice focussed journals. Leigh Chairs the Royal Meteorological Society Education Committee. She has written a number of books for primary and secondary education and holds National Teaching Fellowship. She balances work with the antics of 12 year old twins!

Rebecca Baldaro Booth - Trustee

A strategic and collaborative leader with experience across the charity and higher education sectors, spanning both operational and strategic roles. Expertise includes partnerships, grant management, fundraising, governance, quality assurance, and programme delivery.

A confident communicator and relationship builder, known for a proactive, solutions-focused approach and a strong commitment to improving outcomes and driving positive change.

Will Carr - Trustee

Will has been Headteacher at Ralph Thoresby School since 2012, during which time the school has developed to become a trusted, inclusive and genuinely comprehensive school, serving the local community.

Prior to his role as Headteacher, Will worked in a diverse range of schools across the region. Beyond this primary role, Will chairs the Red Kite Alliance, a group of 56 local Primary, Secondary, All-through and Specialist Schools who choose to work together and share similar inclusive and ethical values.

Will’s experience at board level includes being a Trustee of the Red Kite SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) and chairing the North West Leeds Area Inclusion Partnership. In all these roles, Will is a keen advocate for social justice and prioritises the needs of disadvantaged students. Away from work, Will enjoys spending time with his family, many aspects of the arts and following Hull City home and away!

Will Lifford - Trustee

Will Lifford is a retired chartered accountant living near Wetherby. He was a partner in Grant Thornton for 25 years, working mainly in Leeds and London. Since retiring from full time work he has held a number of non-executive/trustee roles in the wider public and third sectors. These include: chair of social housing provider Yorkshire Housing and of Martin House Children's Hospice, and board member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and of the Charity Commission for England & Wales. He is currently a trustee of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

Will saw at Martin House how great support can transform the lives of children and families in incredibly challenging circumstances, and welcomes the opportunity to help Leeds Children's Charity do even more for disadvantaged children in Leeds.

Tom Piercy - Trustee

Tom Piercy is a Trustee of Leeds Children's Charity, bringing more than ten years of fundraising and leadership experience across national charities and the higher education sector. He is Associate Director of Fundraising at the University of York, where he leads a multi-million-pound income portfolio, and has previously held fundraising roles with organisations including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Prostate Cancer UK.

Originally from Otley, Tom is passionate about improving opportunities for children, young people and families across Leeds. Alongside his fundraising career, he serves as an Independent Fostering Panel Member with Leeds City Council and has held a number of governance roles within the charitable sector. He is committed to helping Leeds Children's Charity grow its impact and long-term sustainability so that more children and families across Leeds can access safe, positive and life-enhancing experiences at Lineham Farm.

Our Commitment to Good Governance

We follow recognised best practice in charity governance and comply fully with the guidance set out by the Charity Commission.

We are committed to:

Full transparency in decision-making
Regular financial reporting and independent audits
Strong safeguarding policies and procedures
Risk management and continuous improvement
Open communication with stakeholders and the public

Safeguarding & Accountability

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is our highest priority. Our governance framework ensures that safeguarding is embedded in every aspect of our work.

We regularly review our policies to ensure they reflect current legislation and best practice.

Annual Impact Report

We are currently working on our new Annual Impact Report, which will showcase the difference our work has made over the past year.

The report will include:

Key achievements and outcomes for children and families

Service highlights and case studies

Financial overview and funding transparency

Progress against our strategic goals

Future priorities and areas of development

Once published, the report will be available to download here. Sign up to receive our newsletter to be the first to see our impact report.

Complaints

We are committed to openness, accountability, and continuous improvement. We welcome all feedback, including complaints, as a way to improve our services for children, young people, and families.

Complaints should first be raised informally where possible, as many issues can be resolved quickly at this stage. If needed, a formal process is available:

Stage 1: Informal resolution (usually within 10 working days)

Stage 2: Formal investigation (response where possible within 20 working days)

Stage 3: Trustee review (final internal stage)

If concerns remain unresolved, they may be referred to the Charity Commission for England and Wales where appropriate.

Any safeguarding concerns are treated as a priority and managed under our Safeguarding Policy.

We review all complaints to improve our services and governance.

Contact: admin@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk | 0113 320 2719

Get in Touch

If you would like to learn more about our governance, or request copies of our policies and reports, please contact us.

Becoming a trustee

If you're interested in becoming a trustee for Leeds Children's Charity at Lineham Farm, then please get in touch to find out more about what's involved.