Karen Ainsworth
Chair
Burnley girl, practicing mediator and former Chief Exec of Smile Mediation, a community service. Also Vice Chair of Syncora, a charity group addressing domestic abuse, substance misuse, homelessness and skills and enterprise businesses. Karen’s background is in social housing and community safety. She has two grown up boys and an adopted Staffie cross.
Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE
Trustee and Vice Chair
Evelyn has been involved with CIAO from its very beginnings and was in fact the first coach to contact Clare about working in Styal. Evelyn is a former Chair of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and has worked at a senior level in health, education and housing, as well as the voluntary and community sectors, for over 25 years.
Stewart Brown
Trustee
After 18 years as a financial services lawyer, Stewart now focuses on coaching and consulting across different sectors. Stewart is still on the books as a CIAO coach after applying in 2017, but the right opportunity hasn’t arisen yet! He lives in Skipton, North Yorkshire and enjoy hiking and cycling in the Dales with his two boys and hound.
Liz Cross
Adviser and former Chair
Liz is a leading social entrepreneur who has delivered high-impact and sustainable change for start-ups, scale-ups and multi million pound businesses in executive, non-executive and consultancy roles. Her governing, coaching and facilitation skills help organisations challenge inequality and enable people to fulfil their potential. She is founder and MD of The Connectives.
Ben Amponsah
Adviser and former Trustee
Ben’s coached for CIAO since 2013 and is also a counsellor, ex-army officer and published leadership and diversity writer. Ben is a member of the British Psychological Society’s Black and Asian Counselling Psychologists Group. He has worked for several charities as practitioner and Trustee, including being Chair of the LGBT Foundation.
Chris Fox
Adviser and former Trustee
Chris is Professor of Evaluation and Policy Analysis at Manchester Metropolitan University and Faculty Director of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. His interests include public service reform and the role of research evidence in shaping policy and practice. He’s published extensively on the reform of criminal justice policy and practice and is a member of the Probation and Youth Justice Expert Advisory Group of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
John Dunleavy
Adviser and former trustee
John is a Brummie but lives in Manchester; although, as a mechanical engineer, he travels working with all the water authorities in the UK and spends many nights away. He loves (trying) to play golf and exploring. John is passionate about helping those in unfortunate circumstances find the right path having been in ‘the system’ himself since he was 12.
Coaching Inside and Out (CIAO) 