Our people

As a team we are passionately committed to working to connect people who care with causes that matter to enable more people across Wiltshire and Swindon to thrive

Staff

Victoria Hickey

Joint Chief Executive

Victoria Hickey

Joint Chief Executive

My role is to jointly lead and manage the organisation ensuring that we achieve our ambitious 5-year strategy to deliver £10m of investment into local communities. My background is in finance, so that means my focuses are on audit, finance and risk and operational effectiveness.

I love my role as there is no such thing as a normal day, it keeps things interacting and exciting. I have always been passionate about ensuring people have the tools and knowledge they need to perform at their very best, so working with such a successful and productive staff team enables me to really enjoy supporting others to be successful and also love their roles at the foundation. I trained and worked as an accountant in industry and have been lucky enough to enjoy and be passionate about the industries I have been part of. However the third sector is more than that, once you have worked in the third sector you just don’t want to leave. To feel the work that your organisation does is making a real difference in peoples lives is totally different and something very special.

I was born and bred in Wiltshire, I can see the Alton Barnes White Horse from our house, I love it and it is such a fantastic place to live and to bring up a family, who I, of course, enjoy spending my time with. My son, husband and I love nothing more than walking our 3 dogs in the Wiltshire countryside.

Fiona Oliver

Joint Chief Executive

Fiona Oliver

Joint Chief Executive

I joined the Foundation in August 2018 and having worked for a single-issue charity for the previous ten years, I was amazed to find the breadth of work the foundation supported. For every issue that I could think of, there was a potential solution being delivered by the local voluntary sector. It was a bit like opening a treasure chest.

Each day is different! I love finding out more about the broad variety of community projects that are helping local people. I also love talking and having a job that enables me to share the good news with people who want to make a positive difference in the lives of others is an absolute privilege.

Wiltshire is where I was born and brought up and where the majority of my family live. Some days I drive the full length of the county for various meetings and I am unfailingly blown away by how beautiful it is; but I know that for many local people, life is hard. To play a leadership role with the Community Foundation is a great honour and one which I am totally committed to.

Jane Butler

Grants Programme Director

Jane Butler

Grants Programme Director

I have been a member of the Grants Team at WCF for the last two years. Prior to this, I was a Funding and Governance Advisor in Wiltshire and Swindon with my last role being at Voluntary Action Swindon. I am well-seasoned in supporting voluntary groups in setting up and registering as a charity and in helping them to build a sustainable funding strategy. I also helped set up ‘Involve Swindon’, an innovative network of companies promoting employee volunteering.

Joanne Brady

Philanthropy Director

Joanne Brady

Philanthropy Director

I joined WCF in May 2016 and as Philanthropy Director my main responsibilities involve developing lasting relationships with new and potential donors, building their awareness of and helping them connect with local charities and their causes. Previously I worked at Macmillan Cancer Support and prior to that I spent 20 years working as an Organisational Development Consultant, helping a wide range of client organisations improve their performance through their people. I love working for WCF because I have the opportunity to make a difference to small, local charities that may not have a similar level of capacity, funding or budget as high-profile charities do.

Gary Lawrence

Philanthropy Director

Gary Lawrence

Philanthropy Director

As part of my role I work to develop relationships with donors and funders, both existing and potential, and connect them with the organisations and causes that need support in the county. What I enjoy most is relaying the real difference WCF makes to the groups we fund and the many people they help across Wilshire. That is what the role of Director of Philanthropy is all about. I also help maintain the profile of the WCF by writing press and magazine articles as well as case studies about the inspiring groups we work with. I have been a journalist for 30 years, editing the Swindon Advertiser, Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, Wiltshire Times, Oxford Mail and Oxford Times among other titles. In a previous career I was also a chef and a bar manager in London! My hobbies include running (very slowly) and getting myself into a state of deep distress watching West Ham United.

Margaret Firth

Research & Engagement Manager

Margaret Firth

Research & Engagement Manager

I undertake research and analysis to provide context and local insight to inform our grantmaking, advise our donors and raise awareness of local community needs and priorities. I am passionate about making the most of collaborative relationships and feel it is through our engagement with community organisations and our statutory partners that we learn where and how we can have greatest impact.

Nicola Hillier

Grants Officer

Nicola Hillier

Grants Officer

As Grants Officer, I work closely with the Grants Programme Director, Grant Administrator and Finance team to develop, support and administer our grant making programme. I provide guidance and assistance to potential applicants, set up new grant programmes and develop online grant application forms and monitor groups at the end of their grant period. The most rewarding and enjoyable part of the role is talking to groups and seeing the amazing community work that is taking place across the county. Before I came to WCF, I spent 12 years at Wiltshire Council as a Childcare Workforce Development Officer. I’m a mother of two, an active member of a local running club!.

Karen Hobbs

Grants Officer

Karen Hobbs

Grants Officer

I joined the foundation in April 2019, coming from a background in social work, I wanted to use my professional skills to support voluntary organisations, I understand the crucial part they play in supporting communities and individuals. In my role I review the grant applications, provide advice and support alongside monitoring the progress and outcomes of our programmes. I love speaking to the infinitely passionate and dedicated, staff, trustees and volunteers from the groups we fund and support and come away feeling completely inspired by them.

I get to enjoy Wiltshire with my two daughters, and I have now lived here since 2000 and I can now almost consider myself a local. In my moments of quiet, I enjoy a bit of mindful crafting, museum/art gallery visits and spending time with friends.

Karen Pugh

Grants Administrator

Karen Pugh

Grants Administrator

I started working at WCF in April 2018, and as Grants Administrator my role is to provide admin support to the Grants Team. This varies from inputting information from application forms onto our system to assisting with the smooth running of our grants workshops. I really enjoy knowing that my work makes a positive impact on people or to organisations. I have an extremely diverse background; I have worked as a teacher of English as a foreign language (TEFL) in China, Mexico, Turkey and Italy. I have worked in admin roles for the probation service, the Diocese of Hereford and for a business dealing in international aircraft leasing and repairs. This is my first job in the charity sector.

Pip Wall

Finance Assistant

Pip Wall

Finance Assistant

As Finance Assistant, I support the Finance Director in managing, processing and troubleshooting various accounts and transactions. I like all aspects of my job especially that each task has a specific end point and so can be ticked off the to-do list! I studied Plant Biology at Leicester University before I obtained my PhD. In 1995, I started working at what was Allied Dunbar, now Zurich Financial Services, where I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Here I was also the chair of the Finance Charity Committee and we ran a number of events to raise money for local community projects. These included a ‘Stars in their Eyes’ show and a number of three-legged pub crawls around Bath, Bristol and Cheltenham!

Maggie Watson

Office Manager

Maggie Watson

Office Manager

My first role with WCF was as PA to the CEO and Development Assistant. I have been working here for nearly six years and in that time my job has evolved and I am now the Office Manager. I really enjoy the variety in my work; no two days are the same and what I think I might be doing on any day can be very different from what I end up doing! I originally trained as a nurse back in the 70’s and after a lapse of several years from nursing I took a course in office administration, which eventually lead to me working at WCF. It was my first experience of working in the third sector so it was a steep learning curve but now I can’t imagine working anywhere else. My first love is gardening and I am also quite handy with an angle grinder when I am in DIY mode!

Trustees

Ashley Truluck CB CBE

Chair

Ashley Truluck CB CBE

Chair

After a distinguished military career, latterly specialising in programme management, Ashley carried these skills over into public and commercial life. In addition to managing Army and NATO re-structuring, he has implemented a national helicopter programme, law courts’ rationalisation, and a national communications network for UK Fire & Rescue Services. He acted as a strategic advisor to IBM and now indulges his interest in history & travel by working in the leisure industry.

He worked for five years with the Department of Communities & Local Government and he and his wife Jenny have been actively involved in community and charity work at national, regional and local level. They have lived near Amesbury, Swindon and Salisbury and are now settled in the beautiful Chalke Valley. He sees the Foundation as a natural culmination of his community work to date and looks forward to ‘putting people who care in touch with communities who matter’.

Angus Macpherson

Deputy Chair

Angus Macpherson

Deputy Chair

Angus lives in Wroughton and is married with two adult children and two granddaughters. His association with the Foundation started when, as a Chartered Accountant, he was appointed Treasurer in 2006. Subsequently, he became a trustee for many years, rejoining the board in 2019.

Serving as the Police & Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire since 2012, he has acquired an extensive knowledge of the community/ voluntary sector in the county, as well as the needs of its residents. He is a governor of Dauntsey’s School and a trustee of The Filling Station (Swindon).

Junab Ali

Trustee

Junab Ali

Trustee

Junab was appointed as Trustee in September 2020. He is a Swindon Borough and Parish Councillor and former Mayor of Swindon. His mayoral year provided him with a unique insight into the voluntary and charitable sector locally and fuelled his determination to become a champion for local groups. He was drawn to take up a role on the board of Wiltshire Community Foundation because of the reach we have across Swindon and Wiltshire.

Junab runs his own electrical contracting business in Swindon and is married to Rajhia and has three children. He is a non-executive director of Business West and has stood as an MP in Devizes and as an MEP in the South West. He is also a school governor, a member of Rotary, a member of the Wiltshire FA’s Independent Advisory Group and vice-chairman of the Wiltshire Police Crime Panel.

Jason Dalley

Trustee

Jason Dalley

Trustee

Jason has been a trustee since 2012 and is the Chairman of the Foundation’s Audit & Finance Committee. He also sits one of the grants panels and was a volunteer before becoming a trustee. He has been involved with the foundation since 2009 and is tremendously proud of what has been achieved in that time.

Jason has a wealth of experience in the investment and finance industry and is an Investment Director at Rathbones Investment Managers in Bristol. As well as working with the Foundation, Jason is a Trustee of Bath Recreation Ltd. and sits on the Wiltshire committee of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Outside of work and charitable activities, Jason is a keen rugby supporter, fly fisherman and field sports enthusiast, who also enjoys riding motorcycles. He has been married to Debs and they have three young adults for children. They have lived in Calne and the family originate from Bath, Chippenham and Pewsey.

Oliver Jones-Davies

Trustee

Oliver Jones-Davies

Trustee

Text to follow

Lisa Lewis

Trustee

Lisa Lewis

Trustee

Lisa lives in Chippenham and is married with two grown-up sons. She was involved with the charity Doorway in Chippenham, which works with the homeless and vulnerably housed, for 13 years, nine of them as Chief Executive. During her time with Doorway, she built up an extensive knowledge of all aspects of running a charity, as well as gaining expertise of the issues surrounding homelessness, including mental health, the welfare system and social isolation.

She joined the Foundation as a trustee because she wanted to give something back after our support for Doorway and also to champion the fantastic work of other community groups throughout the county.

Samantha O'Sullivan

Trustee

Samantha O'Sullivan

Trustee

Content coming soon.

Andy Tait

Trustee

Andy Tait

Trustee

Andy became involved with the Foundation whilst working at Intel where he had a 32-year career in a wide range of technology and business areas. He was instrumental in growing the culture of volunteering at Intel and supported many causes.

Andy is a visionary thinker with a proven track record of ensuring success when developing global brands and bringing new innovative technologies to market. He brings a desire to ask, and tackle the tough questions necessary to inform progressive decision-making. He has now retired from the corporate life and spends his time as a non-executive director, husband and father to two grown up children.

Ian Thomas

Trustee

Ian Thomas

Trustee

Ian was born and bred in South Wales and spent his 35-year career in the healthcare industry in a range of commercial leadership roles with two large US-based medical device companies, ending as UK Managing Director and Head of International with Performance Health, a Chicago based supplier of rehabilitation, exercise and wellness products.

He stepped out of his full-time executive role in October 2018 and is now pursuing a portfolio career, combining both paid and voluntary roles. He joined the Board of Governors of Dauntsey's School, which both of his children attended, in 2018. The opportunity to contribute to the community through his role as trustee is his main motivation in joining the Foundation.

Ian and his family have been based in Wiltshire since 1987, although they also spent several years living in Munich, Zurich and Dubai during the intervening years. Ian and his wife Nicky live in Avebury.

Steve Wall

Trustee

Steve Wall

Trustee

Steve was appointed as trustee in March 2015 having sat on the Audit and Finance Committee as a volunteer. He is a Chartered Accountant and is currently Head of Business Performance Management at Zurich Financial Services.

He is also an Ambassador for the Zurich Charitable Trust and enjoys using his extensive years of experience supporting Zurich's charitable trust in a wider field.

Sue Webber

Trustee

Sue Webber

Trustee

Sue Webber has over 50 years of experience with community groups and voluntary organisations and knows how important external funding is in supporting people to make a difference to the causes they feel passionate about. Sue also understands how positive it is for businesses and individuals to be able help fund organisations locally.

Sue has lived in Swindon since 1973 and has worked with a wide range of groups to develop by training people in the skills they need to be effective and to measure the difference they are making. Sue sees the Foundation as a vital support in this work.

David Wray

Trustee

David Wray

Trustee

David first became aware of the work of the Foundation when he was Chair of Swindon Therapy Centre for MS as they were supported by us. When he retired after 30 years with Nationwide and became CEO of Voluntary Action Swindon became more involved becoming a member of one of our grants panel in 2013 and subsequently joining the Grants Policy Committee. He is a strong advocate of the Foundation and has spoken on our behalf at conferences. He became a trustee in 2019.

David has significant experience in the voluntary and community sector. He has also been Chair of School Governors, Chair and Treasurer of his Village Hall, Chair of a regional Neurological Charity and Chair of MSNTC a national MS Charity.

Patrons

John Bush CVO OBE CStJ JP

Patron

John Bush CVO OBE CStJ JP

Patron

John Bush has been a Patron of the Wiltshire Community Foundation since September 2004. John served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 2004 - 2012.

Sarah Troughton CStj

Patron

Sarah Troughton CStj

Patron

Sarah Troughton became our Patron in 2012 following her appointment as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. Prior to becoming our Patron, Sarah was a trustee of the Foundation from April 2004 until May 2012.

The Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield

Patron

The Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield

Patron

Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield has been the Bishop of Swindon since 2005. He became Patron of the Foundation in April 2007.

The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam

Patron

The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam

Patron

Bishop Nicholas became our Patron in March 2012 following his appointment as Bishop of Salisbury.

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