Trustees and staff
Bfriends is made up of a board of twelve independent trustees that have worked with the Trust’s Corporate Parenting team for several years on a range of projects, programmes and initiatives.
The co-chairs of the charity are the Trust’s finance director Lee Yale-Helms and Abba Loughran, a care-experienced adult and ambassador for young people and adults across Birmingham. Abba is also a former Trust employee.
Meet our trustee board
Abba Loughran (co-chair)
Ambassador for children in care and care leavers
Abba is the co-chair of the Bfriends charity and an ambassador for children in care and care leavers across Birmingham.
Abba’s professional journey started at age 17 when she started volunteering with Birmingham Children’s Trust as part of their Children in Care Council (CiCC). As a care-experienced young person, Abba felt very passionate about give something back to her peers. This voluntary work meant Abba was able to be there at the launch of the Children’s Trust (in 2018) and be an important part of shaping the ‘Local Offer’ for children in care and care leavers, from a young person’s perspective.
Abba has also been a key part of important milestones such as being on the panel for interviews for the Children’s Trust executive team, one Abba is very proud to now be working alongside at Bfriends.
Abba’s passion for volunteering has included supporting the work of the Rees Foundation and more recently Women in Theatre.
Abba has also served as a Health Mentor for young people with Evolve, part of this tenure during the global pandemic, where Abba mentored several young people and adults virtually.
Abba says: “Having someone there is so important for us all.”
Lee Yale-Helms (co-chair)
Director of Finance & Resources, Birmingham Childrens Trust
Lee Yale Helms is the Director of Finance & Resources at Birmingham Childrens Trust and has worked for children’s trusts for the last the last seven years in a director role.
Before that Lee worked across children’s services including special educational needs and children with disabilities.
He is a qualified accountant, a national council member, and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA). He is the current President of CIPFA Midlands.
Joshua Cronin
Managing Director, Evolve
Joshua Cronin is the Managing Director of Evolve: A Social Impact Company, a social enterprise that is focused on improving children and young people’s physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing.
Leigh Garbutt
National Social Values Manager, Fortem
A determined and balanced leader with over 30 years progressive and diversified experience in high profile businesses.
Strong operational as well as strategic capabilities, and a proven track record in people management across multi-site teams.
Passionate about making a difference and creating the best environment for colleagues and customers to thrive.
Daniel Hickman
Director, Jacobs
Daniel Hickman is a Director for Jacobs in Birmingham working in the professional services sector.
As a passionate inclusive business leader Dan sits on the West Midlands Business in the Community leadership board, is an Enterprise Advisor through the Careers and Enterprise Company and sits on Industry Advisory board for Aston University Engineering Academy.
Hamish Munro
Legal Marketing Consultant
Hamish Munro is a leading marketing consultant for chambers, law firms and in-house legal departments. He is a passionate advocate for those in care – and leaving care – and those seeking to be fostered or adopted.
Lisa Jamieson
Director of Corporate Parenting, Birmingham Children's Trust
Lisa began working at the Trust in 2018, taking up a permanent position as Assistant Director for Corporate Parenting and Commissioning in 2019, following 25 years working in the North West of England.
A graduate of Liverpool University, Lisa is committed to supporting the workforce across the Trust and has a keen interest in equality and diversity. Lisa spent many years as a member of the Coram BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) equalities diversity policy development group. Lisa has mentored a number of managers into leadership roles.
Lisa has a proven track record of transforming services particularly in fostering, adoption and the multi-agency safeguarding hub, leading the Trust fostering and adoption services to be judged Good with Outstanding features.
Ama Agbeze
Former England Netball Captain & 2018 Commonwealth Gold Medallist
The bulk of Ama’s career has been spent as a professional athlete culminating in captaining Team England to netball gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Alongside sport, Ama has worked as a solicitor in a variety of disciplines including family, commercial, charity and banking.
As an ambassador and trustee for a number of charities Ama has a focus on the benefits of physical activity on health outcomes, using sport to help realise potential for children and young people.
Ama regularly speaks and advocates for diversity and inclusion, improving life opportunities in areas of deprivation, cultural development and organisational change, leadership and mental health.
Recently an independent Board Member of the Organising Committee for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Ama splits her time between Birmingham and Broad Oak.
Guy Rippon
Head of Foundation, Aston Villa
Having joined the organisation in October 2016. Guy has overseen a significant growth in the size and reach of the Foundation over the last few years and sits on the club’s Executive Management Board.
Previously Guy had been a director at Coventry City’s community charity for five years and held regional management roles for both the Football League Trust and the Football Foundation dating back to 2008.
Prior to his involvement in the football industry, Guy worked in local government overseeing sport for good projects for young people in inner-city areas for several years, before moving into senior management sport and leisure local authority roles.
Alongside leading the Aston Villa Foundation, Guy is the executive lead for Aston Villa for environmental sustainability and is studying a part-time master’s degree in Business Administration at Aston Business School.
Meet our staff
Natalie Loon
Operations and Fundraising Manager, Bfriends Charity
Natalie Loon is the Operations and Fundraising Manager at Bfriends Charity and is the first staff member seconded by Birmingham Childrens Trust to work on setting up the foundations of Bfriends.
Nat has been with the Trust since its inception in 2018 and has worked championing various Corporate Parenting initiatives, programmes and events for young people and adults with the Trust, its Partnership network and community leaders during her time in post.
Nat’s background is social inclusion, partnership working and large scale consultation and events for vulnerable young people and adults.