Our Board of Trustees
Mark Richardson
Chair of Trustees
Mark has lived in Derbyshire for nearly 30 years and is a Partner at BB&J Commercial Property Consultants based in Derby city center. He is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and, as a Registered Valuer, provides property and development valuations to clients including banks, pension funds, charities, and a range of others in both the private and public sectors. As an Accredited Expert Witness, he also prepares valuation reports for the legal profession and courts on a variety of issues including litigation, professional negligence, and tax.
He wants to help Safe and Sound better engage with the business community – raising the charity’s profile and increase its fundraising capacity to help more of those whose lives are affected and in need of support.
Russell Lipscombe
Vice Chair of Trustees
Russell is engineer by profession and has worked as a business performance specialist in the rail industry for the past 20 years. More recently, he has focused on digital transformation which will be a vital aspect in the development of all businesses in the coming years.
Russell has been involved with children’s organisations for 25 years and for the past 10 years he has been a non-executive director with Ripplez CIC, a Derby-based organisation providing support to young families across the Midlands.
Grahame Gilbert
Treasurer
Grahame is a Chartered Accountant and a director of Cameron Hughes Limited, a Derby based chartered accountancy practice. Grahame’s firm has a diverse client base which includes a number of charities. He is also a trustee of another charity in rural Derbyshire. He chairs the governance and finance subgroup.
Sonia Rafferty
Sonia has worked across the private and public sectors, including the University of Derby as Finance Controller and as Head of Commissioning for a large multi-agency partnership in Derby city – delivering a range of high-risk services including youth offending, drug treatment services, domestic violence and setting up a Family Justice Centre.
She joined Safe and Sound in 2010 as Trustee and Vice Chair and is a strong advocate of joint-working with key partner agencies, empowering and improving the lives of vulnerable children and young people, sharing good practice and developing credibility.
Laura Richmond
Laura has over 15 years’ experience working within public services and charities. Laura has first-hand ongoing experience of working with children at risk of exploitation, specifically County Lines and drug misuse within a statutory agency.
As a new Trustee with Safe and Sound, Laura is keen to make a difference for young people and ensure the charity is able to fill the gaps that are vital for supporting young people and preventing them from being exploited. She is also looking to develop her own leadership skills and experience for the future.
Adam Buss
Adam is the former CEO of QUAD – Derby’s £11 million centre for art and film – with responsibilities for strategic direction on key areas including event management, media profiling, audience engagement and income generation. His background is marketing and public relations and he has high-level experience of working with major brands such as Sony, Motorola and Topman.
Adam is also a school governor and sits on a number of strategic boards in the city. He chairs the fundraising, marketing and communications subgroup.
Ellis Pugh
Ellis is a solicitor specialising in charity, social enterprise and not-for-profit law. Originally from Derby, he has worked across the world and, after returning to the local area, was keen to use his skills to support Safe and Sound’s work to protect children and young people across the county.
He provides advice and support to ensure the charity’s functions as effectively as possible, but is also committed to fundraising and raising awareness of child exploitation. His hobbies include singing with the Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir and playing badminton.
Jay Gill
Jay is a School Behaviour Consultant with over 20 years experience in leading behaviour and pastoral care in secondary schools. She has an established background in Whole School Behaviour, Pastoral Care, Senior Leadership, Attendance, Education, Inclusion, SEND and Safeguarding.
She predominantly works within under-performing and challenging schools across England; working alongside Headteachers providing professional and strategic leadership in these areas with an aim to improve systems and outcomes.
Prior to working in Education, Jay worked as a youth worker supporting young people in various different settings within Leicester and London. Jay currently works as an Associate Assistant Principle for a secondary school in Dunstable and is also a trustee of a MAT in Derby.