Our Trustees
Guideposts Trustees
Our Trustees dedicate their time and expertise to Guideposts and it is their inspiration and drive that enables us to make a difference to so many people.
The Trustees’ experience, skills, and beliefs help shape the Guideposts of today as well as define the Guideposts of tomorrow so that our Charity can continue to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of those affected by caring, ageing, learning disabilities and mental health.
If you are interested in joining our board of Trustees, click here.
Diana Billingham – Chair
Diana joined the Board in 2018. She has spent most of her 35 year career working in the IT Services industry, more specifically for large international companies, working with clients in Europe, USA and Asia partnering with telecommunication and software companies, providing consulting advice and designing enterprise IT systems.
She loves technology and how enabling it can bring real benefits and positive change to organisations in the digital age. She has been personally affected by dementia within her own family, seeing the devastating impact it can have on individuals and recognising how much support is needed to support people and their families at this difficult time.
Diana believes that, going forward, technology should play a more important role in helping deliver innovative services for people in need and wants to support Guideposts with this.
Alexander Curtis
Alexander became a trustee of Guideposts in August 2018. As a local Councillor in Hertfordshire, he is very passionate about combating social exclusion at the grassroots level within communities.
Through being Europe’s youngest mayor (serving the town of Ware, Hertfordshire), Alex first came into contact with Guideposts. He was inspired by the breadth of the charity’s work, and the potential of its diverse and novel strategies for meeting the emotional and physical needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Through serving on the board of Guideposts, Alex hopes to contribute to the development of the charity’s services, helping people to improve their quality of life and gain a greater sense of social well-being.
Jim Bradshaw
Jim is an accountant by profession but spent the majority of his career as a University Deputy Vice Chancellor with responsibility for a wide range of resource related issues including Estates, Human Resources, Student and Learning Services, Finance, Student Recruitment and Business Development. His 19 years at Oxford Brookes University saw enormous changes in the higher education sector with the former polytechnics becoming independent statutory corporations with charitable status. This independence enabled Brookes to establish itself as a high-quality university with a sound financial structure and Jim was able to play a significant part in making Brookes a success.
In 2002 he took up a new challenge at the University of Sunderland as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Resources and Business Development with a portfolio similar to that at Brookes. He was responsible at Sunderland for significant change management, revising the strategic and operational plan for the University and refocusing of the University which resulted in a much more efficient and financially viable organisation with significantly improved student demand. He was instrumental in implementing the University’s widening participation policy in order to make university education more accessible to the wider community and those families who had no experience of higher education.
He retired in 2008 and now supports a number of Oxfordshire based charities. He also loves fell walking in the Lake District, being involved with his numerous grandchildren and going to support his Burnley FC team.
Deborah Cohen
Deborah is a former NHS Executive Director and senior local government officer with extensive experience of working with the voluntary sector. Throughout her career she has promoted services that enable individuals to maximise their life chances and independence.
Before becoming a Trustee in November 2020, Deborah worked with Guideposts on day service transformation. She is also an Independent Chair of a Safeguarding Adults Board in a London Borough and is a lay Mental Health Act Manager. She is an Executive Coach and Mentor.
In her spare time, Deborah is a volunteer tour guide for Willesden Jewish Cemetery, the first Jewish Victorian Cemetery. She likes urban walking, and when able, enjoys country rambling, cinema, and generally entertaining at home.
Mariam Ahmed
Mariam has accumulated a diverse wealth of expertise over 25+ years working across different roles, employers, and industries, always putting people at the heart of her work.
Mariam has applied her skills and passion to actively make a incremental difference by putting back into communities and finding common ground to support various initiatives. From interfaith guest panelist and speaker, to putting a spotlight on difficult and taboo subjects, before they became mainstream, from domestic violence, FGM, isolation and mental health for men. She has also been involved in supporting and working on community diversity initiatives including anti-racism.
“I am proud to be a trustee of Guideposts, having joined in 2020 during lockdown. As an aunt with autistic nephews, I value the importance of the services and wellbeing that Guideposts provides. I am excited by supporting Guideposts in its next phase by focusing on our services, technology, and building on our inclusivity.”
Melissa Noton
Having retired from nursing and her role as a senior manager in the NHS, Mel is now working within the field of Executive Coaching, and Leadership/Change management.
Mel feels very lucky to also be a trustee with Guideposts, and also to work with the B4 Business Network as one of the Co-Leads for the Wellbeing Ecosystem they facilitate.
Having enjoyed and played sport throughout her life, she now has to watch it and cheer from the side, avoid too many injuries!
Her motivation has always been ‘To Make A Positive Difference’.
