Meet the Trustees
Louise Reed
Founder and CEO
Louise is the founder and CEO of Focus4Hope and the backbone of the organisation. She participates in all projects and events in some capacity, but her main duties include:
- Managing the day to day operations of the organisation.
- Implementing micro and macro management strategies for community outreach.
- Coordinating care and support for the elderly, disabled, and isolated, as well as leading street outreach support.
- Organising volunteers and managing the food bank.
- Managing referrals from other agencies, charities, and groups.
- Acting as a key point of contact for other charitable groups seeking partnerships, and developing those relationships long term.
Louise Reed
Founder and CEO
Lidia Shinwell
Trustee and Chair
Lidia is a tour de force and brings a wealth of energy and experience to our board. She is the Director of Da Sandro Pizzeria Ristorante in Huddersfield and the former Restaurant Prego, in Brighouse. She has volunteered with Focus4Hope for several years in various capacities, feeding the homeless on the streets of Leeds, packing food parcels, making welfare calls, attending meetings, and recording cooking videos to help the recipients of our food parcels with easy and nutritious recipe ideas. As Chair, Lidia remains totally hands on, supporting our volunteers on the ground as well as leading, listening to and advising the board where required. She has a passion for feeding people and truly believes that no one should go hungry.
Lidia Shinwell
Trustee
Peter Cawdron
Trustee
Peter retired in 2018, following a career in banking, insurance and the Civil Service. He and his wife and had great plans to spend their retirement travelling the world, but were limited by the pandemic and their loss, became our gain. He initially started volunteering with Focus4Hope as a delivery driver in April 2020 when he heard about the food bank being set up and the challenges being faced to provide direct support across our communities during the pandemic. He then became a trustee in April 2021. As well as being involved with Focus4Hope, Peter is a Trustee and Treasurer with Calderdale Smartmove and also volunteers with St Augustine’s.
He and his wife have lived in Barkisland for over 20 years, prior to which, he’d lived in France, the US and Bermuda as well as spending a period of time in London. They have two grown-up sons, who both live in Calderdale.
Peter Cawdron
Trustee
Dom Furby
Trustee
Dominic worked for WYFRS for 26 Years and retired as Assistant divisional Commander Calderdale 2018. His current role is the Deputy CEO Calderdale SmartMove a charity he is obviously passionate about. He originally got involved with Focus4Hope, initially because he knew Louise and saw the work she was doing but also because he recognised the opportunity for great synergy between the two charities. He is passionate about pooling resources and like-minded souls, in order to make a difference across the district, it is far better to work together than apart.
When not busy at work, Dom is fully occupied bringing up his four children. Coordinating all of their interests and activities can be a full-time job in itself but if he does get the chance, he enjoys walking and football when he gets the time.
Dom Furby
Trustee
Laura Carr
Trustee
Laura has always wanted to be a dentist! She is eldest of four children and had a childhood where she experienced living with a parent with psychiatric problems and the family were ultimately brought up by her father. As a child she was curious and active and became a guide and a guide leader and then, whilst at university studying dentistry at Newcastle, she worked with the elderly and in a nursing home for seven years. After two years working in the Lakes, she came home to Elland where she has been since 2000. Laura brings lived experience to our board of Trustees. In addition to a difficult childhood, she also lost a partner to cancer and has been a single, working parent though she has recently got engaged!
Laura found Focus4Hope during the first lock down, when the dental practise closed, and threw her into helping and organising the food bank with absolute gusto! She then joined as a trustee and her strength, empathy and personal experience makes her an invaluable member of the board.
Pre covid, she cycled, travelled and love scuba diving and can’t wait to get back to this once all the restrictions are lifted!
Laura Carr
Trustee
Sylvia Oba
Trustee
Sylvia has a diploma in Corporate Governance (Corporate Governance Institute), MBA Essentials (LSE), LLM International Human Rights Law (Birmingham Central University) and LLB (Northampton University). She has worked in finance and pharmaceuticals compliance is a senior Compliance Manager with experience in embedding governance and compliance culture within organisations.
She is also interested in human rights and equality and set out to ensure that she contributes to making the world a better place in her own unique way.
She also loves discovering different cultures and meeting people from across the world. She has a great passion for cooking and works on keeping those additional calories at bay with her other love, which is dancing!
Sylvia Oba
Trustee
Danny Thompson
Trustee
Danny Thompson is the proud owner of Danny Thompson Photography & Co-founder of Albion Street Studios and is an award-winning wedding photographer in Yorkshire who brings creativity and media support to the board.
After initially meeting Louise, volunteering at the homeless feed and delivering food parcels during Covid he was impressed by the work the charity does. Danny says ” I feel honoured to be a trustee of such an amazing charity, which continues to support so many people in the community.”
Outside of his business and charity roles, he takes care of his wife and 2 teenage children, coaches for Beacon Rangers FC, is a massive Leeds UTD fan and loves nothing more than meeting with friends for a good meal out and walking his dog Russell.
Danny Thompson
Trustee
