Board of Trustees

Lord Richard Dannatt, the Founding President of the National Emergencies Trust, was the inaugural Chair from the charity's inception to May 2023, leading the Trust in the launch of its first appeal responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was a soldier for 40 years, concluding his Army career as Chief of the General Staff. In 2011 he entered the House of Lords as a Crossbench member, and sits on various committees, including the Joint Committee for National Security Strategy. He has a wide experience at Board level in the private, public and charitable sectors. He has written several published books focusing on military history.

John Barradell OBE is the Chair of the National Emergencies Trust's Trustee Board. He was previously the Town Clerk of London and Chief Executive of the City of London Corporation, an organisation responsible for the delivery of services for the City of London, and the promotion of the 'Square Mile' as the world-leading financial centre.

With an active involvement in resilience at a London-wide and national level, John was previously Deputy Chairman of the London Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and the Chairman of the Local Authorities Panel of the LRF. He is a Commissioner of the National Preparedness Commission.

John's career has spanned local government as Deputy Chief Executive at Westminster Council and Chief Executive at Brighton & Hove, the private sector at companies like Hewlett Packard and Unisys, and the voluntary sector, serving as Chief Officer of the Special Constabulary for the Metropolitan Police Service.

Gerald has been Chief Executive of the Fundraising Regulator since July 2018. He joined the regulator when it was set up in January 2016 as Head of Policy and Communications.

Gerald was Director of Policy and Partnerships at the Big Lottery Fund and one of its predecessors from 1995 until October 2010 when he became a freelance, working with charities, trusts and foundations on a wide range of policy and governance projects. His earlier career in the public sector was in the Greater London Council housing department and then as a funder of London charities and voluntary organisations.

He also chairs the London Emergencies Trust. He was previously an independent trustee of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and vice-chair of the BBC Charitable Appeals Committee from 2004-2009. In the past he has been a trustee and chair of a charity for people with learning disabilities, a trustee and vice-chair at Citizens Advice Camden.

Andy has led the Cumbria Community Foundation since its creation in 1999. He was made an OBE in 2011 for services to the voluntary sector and Deputy Lieutenant of Cumbria in 2025. He is a founder trustee of the National Emergencies Trust. The Cumbria Community Foundation has responded 5 times to major disasters and emergencies since 2001. The knowledge and learning from those appeals contributed to the thinking that informed the creation of the Trust.

He is a trustee of the Henry Smith Foundation, a Fellow of the Transatlantic Community Foundation Fellowship and Ambassador for the Transatlantic Community Foundation Network. Away from work, he has served as a parish councillor, and volunteer board member of the UK Von Hippel Lindau Disease Support Charity and Kirkgate Arts Centre.

Jonathan joined the National Emergencies Trust in 2023 bringing his experience in international insurance claims handling to the board. He is an insurance claims professional who has dealt with claims and major disasters in over 60 countries. He has developed and implemented compensation schemes for various NGOs with a focus on speedy and effective compensation being achieved.

Jonathan is a Chartered Insurance Professional and Chartered Loss Adjuster who has been President of both these professional institutes. Throughout his career he has been an active lecturer and trainer with a focus on disaster management, customer service and the development of future talent. Currently he is Secretary of Emsworth Radio Sailing and Chair of a youth charity based in Portsmouth having held other trustee roles in local charities.

Ruth has over 20 years of voluntary sector leadership. She moved from fundraising into CEO roles, leading the frontline charity Refuge as well as the global grant-maker, Comic Relief. Ruth has also served on the Boards of major charities including Greenpeace UK and Oxfam GB. Ruth now works freelance, supporting social innovators, investors and grant-makers to scale and accelerate solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

Claire Mackintosh MBE DL is the Chief Executive of Norfolk Community Foundation, where she is passionately committed to building a stronger, more resilient Norfolk. She leads with a clear vision: that lasting resilience is created when communities, charities, and partners across all sectors work together to tackle the issues that matter most.

In her role, Claire focuses on forging strategic partnerships that address some of Norfolk's most urgent challenges, including food insecurity, debt, mental health, and support for young people. Under her leadership, Norfolk Community Foundation has championed innovative solutions, most notably the Nourishing Norfolk programme. This pioneering initiative is not only transforming access to affordable food locally but is also inspiring a national movement, offering a practical route map for communities across the UK to strengthen resilience through dignity-led food support.

Ben is an anaesthetics and intensive care doctor with front-line crisis experience, having worked in intensive care during the Covid-19 pandemic. He holds a Diploma in the Medical Care of Catastrophes and has completed the Major Incident Medical Management and Support Course.

Before his career in medicine, he worked in emergency planning, providing executive support to the Chief Minister and Emergency Planning Board of the Government of Jersey.

He has an interest in the fair allocation of Social Security payments, sitting as a Medical Panellist of the Social Security Tribunal for Jersey and previously sitting as a Medical Member of the Social Security Tribunal for England and Wales. Ben's past roles include being the Stadium Doctor for a Premiership Rugby team and a Team Doctor in the cycle relay, Race Across America.

Jes Ladva is a Managing Partner at Odgers, where he advises organisations on senior leadership, governance and navigating complex, high-pressure environments. He works closely with leaders across government and the public sector, helping to deliver critical outcomes at pace while maintaining rigour and trust.

Jes is recognised for his calm judgement, clarity of thought and ability to align stakeholders quickly during periods of uncertainty. His work at Odgers gives him a deep understanding of leadership capability, organisational resilience and the importance of effective decision-making when responding to national challenges.

He is strongly committed to social impact, bringing a collaborative, transparent and accountable approach to his work. With a well-established network and insight into public service leadership, Jes adds strategic value at Board level.

As a Trustee, he is committed to ensure that communities, in times of urgent need receive timely, coordinated and meaningful support.

Dalton built a successful career in financial services, working across retail, corporate, and high-net-worth banking, as well as in project management and training.

He later established a second career in the not-for-profit sector, holding governance roles since 1995, and serving as Chief Executive of three regional and national charities: Shooting Star Children's Hospice, Global (Radio) Charities and The Children's Trust.

Today, he maintains a diverse non-executive portfolio, including serving as a Non-Executive Director of Surrey Downs Health and Care; Co-Chair of Board Racial Diversity UK; Chair of the Chartered Management Institute South East Regional Board; and as a Mentor to charity Chairs through the Association of Chairs.

A passionate advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, Dalton is also proud to chair the Equity Advisory Panel for the National Emergencies Trust.

Martin is an experienced chairman and CEO of high growth businesses. He is currently the Chairman of Tetra Consulting, Adeptio Law Group and Cosegic. He has a successful track record, spanning over thirty years, working with businesses and not for profit organisations, both nationally and globally in the legal, financial, compliance and risk management sectors.

His previous roles include Chairman of AuditComply, Chairman of TopSource, Chairman of Independent Governance Group, Chairman of Property Information Exchange, CEO of Alcumus, Managing Director of Croner (Wolters Kluwer) and Commercial Director of British Standards.

Martin is also a Patron of the military charity Team Endeavour, which supports children and families of the armed forces who are suffering through illness, hardship and poverty.

Thelma Stober, DL, BA (Hons) Law, LLM, is a solicitor, mediator and Head of Legal at the Local Government Association, with extensive experience across the public and private sectors.

A former Director of Law, Procurement and Monitoring Officer at the then Mayor of London's Development Agency, she played a leading role in the legal work that helped bring the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to London.

Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which she suffered life-changing injuries, Thelma has become a powerful advocate for survivors and bereaved families of terrorism and major incidents. Her work has helped shape NHS guidance, central government policy and international thinking on victims' rights and support.

She has spoken nationally and internationally, including at the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, and contributed to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre's Model Legislative Provisions to Support and Protect the Rights and Needs of Victims of Terrorism.

Thelma co-chairs the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission, chairs the National Emergencies Trust Survivors Advisory Forum, and serves as a trustee of both the London Emergencies Trust and the National Emergencies Trust. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board.

In April 2022, Thelma was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Alastair is an Executive Director in the Global Security team at JPMorgan Chase, leading strategic and governance functions to ensure the safety and security of the firm's people, assets, and operations. Previously, he founded and led the Americas advisory practice for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, offering support on strategy, policy, and delivery to various Heads of State and Governments in the region. Before that, Alastair was a UK Civil Servant, holding senior roles across multiple departments, including Cabinet Office, Home Office, and the National Crime Agency, with direct experience of the national crises that prompted the founding of the National Emergencies Trust. Alastair also served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police Service for 10 years.

Our wonderful trustee and friend, Elizabeth Balgobin, sadly passed away in March 2024. To honour her extraordinary contribution to the National Emergencies Trust and the wider charity sector, she is now appointed as an Honorary Trustee.

Elizabeth began volunteering with the Trust in spring 2020, first as a co-optee to our Allocations Committee and later as a Trustee. She was a passionate champion for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and played a pivotal role in shaping our approach to fairness and equality. Her commitment, insight, and warmth left a lasting mark on our organisation.

Her legacy continues not only through her honorary role (a constant reminder for our team and trustees to ask ourselves 'What would Elizabeth do or say?') but also through the Elizabeth Balgobin Award. Presented annually, this award celebrates individuals that go above and beyond to champion equality, equity, and inclusion in disaster response and recovery. It ensures that Elizabeth's values remain at the heart of how we work and the sector we serve.