Our Board of Non-Executive Directors

Don hails originally from Dundee but has lived in Norfolk for more than 25 years. He has a strong personal sense of social purpose and as a result, has spent the majority of his career working within the voluntary and statutory sectors with children and families, in roles across social care and housing.

He is currently the CEO of Boudica Schools Trust which operates 10 schools within Norfolk. Don describes himself as a ‘late bloomer’ in terms of academic achievement meaning he has had to combine studying and work across his career.

In addition to the Masters in Therapeutic Child Care he was awarded by the University of Reading, he has achieved further Postgraduate qualifications at LSBU and UEA and is a Member of the Association for Project Management.

Away from work Don enjoys walking his dogs and is a keen motorcyclist and cyclist.

Darren has lived in Norfolk for nearly 20 years having relocated from Bedfordshire due to his footballing commitments. Following a varied career cutting a number of industries, including being a professional footballer and business owner, Darren has never lost his personal value of ‘giving back’ whether through business advice, financial and career planning, general personal experience, through to mental health and wellness support, including becoming a mental health first aider and mental health guardian.

He is currently the Deputy Director for Digital Future, a category within Technology for Crown Commercial Service and part of the Cabinet Office (UK Government) which specialises in procurement. He is accountable for increased growth of Government spend, currently £3.1 billion, which equates to (more importantly) over £370 million of savings for the UK taxpayer, which goes towards supporting front line services.

Outside of work, between himself and his wife, Darren is kept busy with three teenagers and now four cats (following the rescue of three kittens recently!).

Debbie is proud to be Norfolk born and bred and although she has lived in several locations, they have always been within this county. Debbie is passionate about people and the local community and has spent time working on a voluntary basis with Age UK and more recently, Hellesdon Helping Hands.

Debbie has spent her career mainly in the financial services industry and more recently Retail, primarily in roles focused on people, finance, process development and business support and enjoys having a broad range of responsibilities.

In her spare time, Debbie likes to take long walks with her husband, pub lunches, meeting friends and spending time with her animals.

Lauren is from Norfolk and after completing her studies at Hellesdon High School and Sixth Form, went straight into the world of work, eventually falling into HR and discovering her strong interest in working with people as individuals and supporting them to reach their full potential.

Having previously worked in HR roles across a variety of industries including social housing, transport and legal, Lauren now works as the HR Manager of Sapientia Education Trust, working with 6 high schools and 11 primaries across Norfolk and Suffolk. Having completed her MA in Human Resources Management, Lauren is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and an accredited mediator.

Outside of work Lauren enjoys spending time outside or on the water, having recently learnt to sail.

Lee is an entrepreneurial business owner with over two decades in the private and public sector.

Having served in the military from the age of 16 for 10 years, Lee took the “Get it done” mindset he had learnt, starting his own IT Consultancy at the age of 26.   Since then Lee has been involved with several different businesses across a broad cross-section of industries, including construction/property management, photography, legal services, investment and equine.

Lee was a late starter to learning.   School was not a great success, but at 41 he learnt to fly, qualifying as a private pilot.   Since then he has become an Accredited Mediator, attained a Master of Laws and is still spending time and investment in his education.

Lee is delighted to be part of the management team of “Your Own Place”, as it aligns with his passion and vision for the eradication of homelessness and functional education of young adults in life skills.   Lee is a champion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SPG), especially Goal 1: No Poverty and Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal.

Lee is a motorbiking grandad, who enjoys all aspects of life and learning.

Mia grew up in Oxfordshire but moved to Norfolk in 2004 where she had visited family during the holidays.

After studying economics at university, she spent her 20s living and working in London and then worked for an adventure travel company in India, West Africa and the Middle East.

She is now a professional services marketing and business development specialist at a leading national law firm; providing advice to various legal teams including the charities and social enterprise lawyers.

Outside of work, Mia enjoys the outdoors including dog walking, tennis, gardening and paddle boarding.