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

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 is excited about the recent merger with Lineham Farm and the enhanced offering now available to the children in most need locally.

Ian Kirk - Trustee

Ian initially got involved in the charity back in 2009 when he offered his services pro-bono to create a marketing strategy for the charity, which ultimately led to it rebranding. He initially got involved because, as a recent father, he had a real affinity with the cause and how important an upbringing is on shaping a child's future. In 2010 Ian joined the Trustee board as he wanted to play a longer term role in helping the charity to evolve and widen its supporter base beyond the small band of loyal supporters the charity had always relied upon.

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

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.