Tackling disadvantage; changing lives

Michala Marfleet – Chair

Michala works for the BBC as an Operations Executive for BBC England. Within this role she is responsible for the smooth running of 39 sites, which includes business continuity, building management, broadcast operation, sustainability and major projects. She worked at the BBC for 12 years and also looks after the BBC Beehive on the roof of Quay House! Before joining the BBC she worked for Shell UK starting on an apprenticeship scheme at 18 and progressing to do a degree in Business Management as a Regional Operations Manager. Michala joined the board of trustees in 2019 and has enjoyed every minute of it! She has two children, a cockapoo and an allotment, so her weekends are full on!

David Eames – Vice Chair

David is a solicitor and Legal Director at TalkTalk, where he has worked since 2014.  Before this, David was a Legal Adviser at Kellogg’s, and prior to that spent over 8 years in private practice advising businesses on a wide variety of commercial and corporate issues, giving him a wide range of experience to draw on as a Trustee of the Salford Foundation. Before becoming a solicitor, David worked with young people, providing various childcare services and activities outside of school hours and during school holidays. David is a dad of 2 girls. When not playing with Barbies, he likes to read, run, and keep fit.

Peter Openshaw

Pete is a Chartered Surveyor by profession and worked for Salford City Council for 35 years prior to his retirement. His areas of responsibilities at the Council included all things Property, Environmental Regulatory Services, Community Safety, Strategic Housing and a range of project-based work linked to various Citywide initiatives and projects. Pete has a real passion for delivering the best possible outcomes for the City and its citizens. He describes himself as “a passionate Salfordian” and has been a Trustee of the Foundation for over 15 years. In his spare time he is a keen fisherman and enjoys doing triathlons.

Katharine Francis

Katharine has been a board member since January 2017 and is currently Chair of the Audit Committee and as a qualified chartered accountant provides accounting knowledge to the board. Katharine has a range of experience across external and internal audit through her day job as an associate director in a large accountancy firm. More recently she has worked alongside companies from large FTSE companies to smaller start-ups to support their various finance needs including financial reporting technical advisory. Outside of her day job, Katharine also runs a Girl Guiding Rainbows unit on a Friday night for 20 girls aged 4-7 and also enjoys a variety of crafts including wool spinning and felting.

Katherine Potier

Katherine is an NHS hospital consultant in Emergency Medicine, having worked at Manchester Royal and Royal Manchester Children’s hospitals for over 15 years. She is now Director of Urgent Care at North Manchester Hospital, part of Manchester Foundation Trust. She has been a board member for a number of years, as health is a big determinant of many of the issues facing the people we help through the work of the charity. She has a particular interest in our work around young people and women. Outside of work, she is a mum of three boys. She enjoys being outside, sport, travel, food and being with friends and family.

Kevin McDermott

Kevin is an ACA qualified finance professional with experience in working across a number of different sectors and types of companies, including listed, private equity, and privately owned. He has always loved being part of a team that makes an impact. He is a great believer that we should help each other to achieve our full potential, which is why he volunteered to be one of our trustees. In his spare time he can often be found zwifting in his garage, dreaming of one day winning a bike race!

Grace Nkeshimana

Grace is a management accountant, currently working at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. She started her career in the Civil Service at the Home Office in 2019 working in various finance roles. Prior to this, she completed a degree in Psychology and worked in retail management before going to teach English abroad in Indonesia. As a previous beneficiary of Salford Foundation programmes, she describes herself as “excited to support current beneficiaries as a trustee.” She is the board champion for beneficiary voice and influence. In her spare time she enjoys running and trying new vegan recipes.

Nouman Bhatty

Nouman is a solicitor, specialising in real estate development. He deals with a range of different clients from large housebuilders to small developers.  With a career dedicated to navigating the complexities of property law, his experience allows him to review issues from a practical perspective. Nouman has always been interested in being part of an organisation that provides essential benefits to individuals that need them the most. As a result, he describes himself as “proud to be a board member of Salford Foundation.” Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Rob McClenaghan-Harrop

Dr Pradeep Passi

Caroline Aikman

Melissa Caslake

Anthony Hassall