Our team of robust and flexible board members oversee the strategy, direction, and management of the organisation, with clear lines of accountability.
They set our lines of action and ensure we're delivering quality homes and the service lead needed to help people to live fulfilled lives.
Simon Wilson – Chairperson
Simon founded a consultancy business in 2000 and has worked mainly with public and not for profit organisations to develop strategies, solve problems and build
teams. He is a professional facilitator and has a strong commitment to involving people – whoever they are – in the decisions that affect them.
Simon has been a member of several boards as Chair, Vice Chair and non-executive director. He currently chairs the board of the national relationship charity Relate, and is a former Chair of Homeless Link, the umbrella body for the homelessness sector.
A former government adviser, Simon has also lectured in Leadership at a UK business school.
Simon joined Brighter Futures as Chair in 2021. He is enthusiastic about its achievements and ambitious for the future.
Suzanne Carr – Vice Chair
Suzanne brings significant experience, in executive and non-executive roles, of leading charitable businesses, through strategy development, identifying opportunities for and developing commercial services, stakeholder management and partnership building, service development and delivery and supporting and improving charity governance.
Executive expertise is achieved through CEO roles in health and social care and regeneration charity businesses. Through various operational and business development roles at local regional and national levels.
Suzanne has gained experience in change management, political influencing and the challenges and delights of working to change places and change lives for the better with some of the most challenged communities in the UK.
A life-long interest in environmental matters and a personal belief in the positive impact of the natural environment on health and economic wellbeing leads her to support the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust where she currently holds the Vice Chair role and is a Director and Chair of the charity’s social enterprise trading board.
Steve Rowley – Board Member
Steve originally joined the Board as Hon Treasurer in 2013 and Chairs the Audit & Risk Committee. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance/Accountancy (CIPFA).
Most of his professional life has been spent in North Staffordshire and the North West.
His last substantive post was as Assistant Director of Adult Social Services in Wirral, where he played a significant role in ‘turning around’ a failing department.
Most recently he was employed by NHS England and Staffordshire Police in interim strategic financial positions. In 2017 he moved to Malawi undertaking voluntary work as Country Director for Krizevac UK. Since his return to the UK in 2019, Steve has re-joined the Board and Chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.
Steve’s professional background in finance and working mainly in care and health settings brings a synergy to the part he plays as a Board Member for Brighter Futures.
Helen Rowley - Board Member
Helen joined the Board in 2016. She has a professional background in social work and has managed children’s social care services at a senior level, including seven years with Stoke on Trent City Council as Assistant Director, Children and Families.
Helen has also managed housing services and led the Large-Scale Voluntary Transfer of Macclesfield Borough Council’s housing stock in 2006. She retired in 2009 but has continued to be fully involved in several voluntary and community roles.
In the past, Helen Chaired the Fostering Panel for Wirral Borough Council and was the Chair of Governors for Star Academy and Chairs.
In September 2017 Helen moved to Malawi to undertake a two-year voluntary assignment with the charity, Krizevac.org, where she was the Director of Policy and Strategy. Since her return to the UK she has re-joined the Board and is an active and supportive member.
Helen is very proud to be a Board Member for Brighter Futures having been an admirer of the work of the organisation for many years.
Jeff Moore – Board Member
Jeff joined the Board in 2020 having worked in Policing for over 30 years, mainly stationed in the North of Staffordshire.
He has lots of experience in delivering community led policing and working with partner agencies. His last role saw him lead on many areas of vulnerability and saw him lead on improving the response to Domestic Abuse, Mental Health, Adult and Child Safeguarding and Offender Management. He has also led on work around drugs misuse and anti-social behaviour.
He still lives locally and retains strong connections in the area. Outside of work Jeff is a football coach for a junior team locally.
Fern Basnett - Board Member
Fern has an academic background in Psychology (specialising in health psychology), and she has worked in the health and social care sector for over 30 years.
Fern has also worked for a range of agencies in different roles, which has included as a social worker having direct involvement with people who have accessed support from Brighter Futures.
She has worked at both a managerial and development level undertaking needs assessment, service evaluations, developing resources at a strategic level and representing the local authority in a multi-disciplinary context, particularly in relation to substance misuse and mental health services.
Fern currently works part time at Staffordshire University, as a senior academic in the social work department. She has an academic background in Psychology (specialising in health psychology), and she has worked in the health and social care sector for over 30 years.
Fern currently works part time at Staffordshire University, as a senior academic in the social work department.
Andrew Bell - Board Member
Andrew joined the Board in 2018. Andrew brings to the Board a background of Health and Safety. His work career started with the Fire Service and the
n moved on to work in consultancies and Local Authority’s in Occupational and more specifically Asbestos Management.
Andrew last year retired from his position managing asbestos in Staffordshire County Council’s buildings. As part of this role in the Risk Management Section within Property Services, he was routinely involved in building and refurbishment project works.
He has a good knowledge of Health and Safety, undertaking numerous Health and Safety Courses over the years and has sat on Health and Safety Committees within the County Council (as a Union representative).
Andrew has a degree in Environmental Studies and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Auditing and has some experience in Auditing external organisations in compliance specifically with Asbestos Regulations. He believes that education, training and development is essential for any organisation to be effective.
Pam Carter - Board Member
Pam left school at 16 and has a varied career, mainly within the public sector and worked as a Planning Officer (Social Inclusion), a Project Leader at a Health Resource Centre and a Senior Evaluation Officer for three local Sure Start programmes. Former Trustee experience includes being a board member of Home Start Newcastle Borough. 
Currently, Pam volunteers as an initial adviser for Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice.
Following research funded by ESRC on Children's Centre's and welfare reform, Pam was awarded her PhD in public policy and management from Keele University in 2009.
Pam’s work at Keele included facilitating and researching patient and public involvement before moving to the Department of Health Sciences at Leicester University where she continues to hold a position as an Honorary Research Fellow. Her research interests are in ethics, governance and the field of citizen, patient and public involvement. Many of her publications can be found online.
Michael Jolly - Board Member
Mike has held a Senior Relationship and Management roles with RBS and his extensive experience lies within Risk Management and comprehensive appraisal in a business environment. Since retiring from banking, he has operated within the general housing sector for the past 5 years holding a Non-Executive role with Saffron Housing Trust. He is also the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for Saffron.
Mike is an active scout leader, District appointee, trustee of the largest Sea Scout unit in the UK and the ex-captain of Norwich RFU 2nd XV. He combines all of this with his passion for running and is a trainer and coach at his running club.
Mark is an experienced senior leader, having worked in the social housing sector for over 24 years, in a variety of different roles at different organisations.
Mark Pearson - Board Member
Mark is the Chief Executive at Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA), having joined them in December 2017 as the Director of Customer Services/ Deputy CEO, before taking up his current post in March 2018.
He is responsible for the strategic direction of LYHA and providing effective leadership to ensure that the organisation is well governed and delivers excellent services with positive outcomes.
Mark is passionate about achieving high levels of both customer and colleague engagement and satisfaction and he was attracted to Brighter Futures as he a particular interest in working with vulnerable groups and supporting people to improve their life chances and wellbeing.
Mark is married with two young daughters. He is a lifelong Liverpool FC fan and music lover that likes to attend as many gigs as family life now allows.
Mofe Binitie - Board Member
Mo’s background is in consulting with a focus on transaction support. He started his career in corporate strategy, with stints at Ernst and Young and Good Lord before leaving structured employment to focus on freelance consulting and free up time to actively pursue his interest in Green finance and social work. He has worked extensively with the WEF’s Global Shapers Hubs in Lagos and Oxford and co-founded two non-profits, Be The Difference in Nigeria and the Oxford Green Finance in the UK.
Living as a black neurodivergent immigrant in the United Kingdom impressed on Mofe, the importance of a flexible but consistent support system for socially disadvantaged communities trying to transition into stable living situations. His personal experiences motivate him to use digital tools to improve access to mental health support and reduce homelessness. Dissatisfied with simply donating to social causes, Mofe is working to provide valuable insights and necessary corporate guidance to improve the efficiencies of social enterprises like Brighter Futures who tackle social issues at scale.
When he isn’t engaged in social work, he leads Product strategy and operations for a data science start-up whilst managing his consultancy practice. Before his current role, he was product operations manager for a real estate technology platform in London.
