Our Trustees

Sue is a retired housing association Chief Executive.

Sue is passionate about social housing, rural communities and the environment. She helped establish the Homes for Cathy group of housing associations that work to prevent and address homelessness.

Sue’s other interests include a community link with Tanzania and chairing her local Flood Group.

Sue was previously inaugural chair of the Rural Housing Alliance; co-chair of the Rural Housing Network; a Trustee of the National Flood Forum; Chair of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers and Chair of Gordon House Association (charity for compulsive gamblers).

Sue’s church is St Andrew’s, Paddock Wood, where she is lay Chair and was warden for seven years. Sue chairs the Bereko Community Partnership (church, schools and Town Council) and its parish link with Bereko, Tanzania. Sue also chairs Rochester Diocese’s Clergy Houses Committee and its Kondoa Companionship Group.

Matthew is an Independent Scholar and Portfolio Executive who works with faith based organisations from different sides of the public square.

Relevant roles include as Lead Officer for the William Temple Foundation in the north of England and as a Dean’s Scholar at Virginia Theological Seminary, USA. Matthew completed his PhD at Goldsmith’s, University of London in 2020.

Through this work Matthew offers a new paradigm of faith based organisation and leadership called Curating Spaces of Hope which is acknowledged as a 21st Century update to the Temple Tradition of public theology.

A common thread through Matthew’s work is the use of lived experience to co-create hopeful responses to crises across communities and institutions. His first book Curating Spaces of Hope: Transformational Leadership for Uncertain Times was published by SCM Press in March 2025.

Jac is a serving senior executive within Local Government and has spent her entire working life in the wider public sector.

Throughout her career Jac has specialised in HR, Organisation Development and Communications and Engagement but also has experience leading large Health and Safety, Risk Management and Legal functions.

Jac is passionate about relationships, community and belonging, whether that is within family, church, organisations, or wider societal groups.

Jac is a trustee of Salisbury Vineyard Church where she and her husband are also part of the church family

Chris is the Chief Executive of the Investment Association. The IA is the trade body for the investment industry. He is a member of HM Treasury’s Asset Management Taskforce, serves on the board member of the European investment association and is past-President of the global association.

He is chair of the Just Finance Foundation, the charity which works to improve the financial wellbeing for all. JFF delivers financial education that helps set children up for life. Its goal is to ensure all children can make informed financial decisions as they grow up.

Chris is passionate about improving financial literacy levels as poor decisions can lead to poorer, unhappy, and less financially resilient lives. They wreck people’s life chances making for poorer communities and nation.

He brings a business career spanning over 30 years to the role of trustee. He has held senior leadership roles in major firms and consultancies, worked with regulators in the UK and globally, and helped governments address some of the most pressing social problems.

Chandru Dissanayeke is Executive Director for Strategy and Communications at the Greater London Authority, where he leads work on governance, resilience, and collaboration across London.

He is married and lives in Edmonton, London, with his wife and three children.

Alongside his professional work, Chandru is deeply committed to community life and supporting initiatives that bring people together through faith, hospitality, and shared purpose.

He brings many years of experience in public service, policy, strategy, and partnership working, as well as hands-on involvement in faith and charitable activities that build connection and hope. Chandru is passionate about helping communities flourish and ensuring that people feel seen, valued, and supported.

He is honoured to contribute to CUF’s mission of living out faith through practical action and strengthening the ties that hold communities together.

Matthew Girt is Diocesan Secretary for the Diocese of Rochester. Matthew has a background in government, town planning and major regeneration projects, and previous to his roles in Rochester was part of the Senior Management Team at the Diocese of London leading on the churches response to new housing areas, this included the building of its first new church in a new place for over 40 years. Matthew has also during his career founded and run a company dealing with data analysis for the property sector and government, been an elected Councillor, and a visiting lecturer in politics to the MBA programme at University of Nevada, USA.

From 2001 to 2016 Alison was Finance Director at Business In The Community, one of a group of not-for-profit organisations of which the Prince of Wales is president. From 1993 to 2000 she was Finance Director at ECHG, which provides supported and sheltered housing services. Prior to that she worked in retail and IT as a senior Finance professional having qualified in 1976 as a Chartered Accountant. Alison was educated at Harrogate Grammar School and St Hugh's College, Oxford, and has an MA in Mathematics. She is also a Trustee of All Nations Christian College and All Souls Serve the City CIO so she endeavours to stay current with changes in charity finance.

Richard is Director of Caritas Westminster, the social action agency of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster.

He was previously Director of Research & Development at the Power to Change Trust and before that a senior civil servant and deputy director of the independent think tank Re:State.

He has extensive experience of research and policymaking in the public sector and third sector and has advised governments in Australia, Japan, Europe, Africa and the Middle East about various aspects of public service reform.

He has published on a wide range of topics, including crime and criminal justice, deregulation, fiscal sustainability, philanthropy, social investment and impact evaluation.

Richard is a trustee of various Christian charities and sits on the Advisory Council of the Bayes Business School Centre for Charity Effectiveness.

Rachel has advised charities and institutions on leadership, governance and recruitment and was a Director at Saxton Bampfylde, the executive search consultancy.

She was a Trustee of Five Talents, the Anglican International micro-finance charity, and Vice Chair at the University of Surrey.

“Growing up in a vicarage in London, I can remember the launch service for CUF, and the excitement it caused, the sense of energy and renewed vision.
I am so excited to be part of this next chapter for CUF now”.

Shemil is an Anglican priest and serves as the Vice-Dean of Emmanuel Theological College, a multi-site institution equipping saints for ministry across the Northwest and beyond. He provides strategic and theological leadership, overseeing academic governance and, in collaboration with the Dean, implementing the College’s vision and strategy.

He also serves on the Church of England’s Racial Justice Board and previously as a participant observer in the House of Bishops. As a theologian, educator, and teacher, he contributes to the field of practical theology, with a focus on liberation and global theologies, equipping leaders to engage faithfully and imaginatively in God’s mission and in the work of justice across cultures and communities.

With more than two decades in ministry, he is currently completing a PhD on diaspora Anglicanism. He brings experience in parish ministry, chaplaincy, theological education, and international development and mission. A speaker at national and international conferences, retreats, and gatherings he was in the team that founded AMEN (Anglican Minority Ethnic Network)

To CUF, he brings theological depth and strategic insight with his leadership and service. Having lived and worked in the UK, Sri Lanka and India, and having collaborated with Anglican Communion churches in Africa and East Asia, he brings the global perspective, combined with deep pastoral sensitivity, to his ministry.

Louise is a strategic advisor and transformation leader with over 12 years' experience supporting UK public sector and global infrastructure clients to deliver complex, high-impact programmes.

Trusted to help organisations shape long-term vision, translate strategy into delivery, and embed effective governance and risk oversight.

Her work spans building organisational capability, programme assurance and sustainable change in challenging environments. She is deeply passionate about social equity and believes in the power of values-driven leadership in creating better outcomes for underserved communities.

Louise previously served as PCC member and Treasurer at St Mary's Bow, she now attends King's Cross Church.

Carolyn brings 20 years of senior leadership experience from the charity and cultural sectors, including as Director of Audiences at Art Fund (2009-2024).

She has held leadership roles in fundraising and marketing at British Museum, National Trust, and Samaritans, and currently serves as trustee for British Exploring Society, a youth development charity. She is a Clore Social Leadership Fellow and studied Leading Social Impact with the Gradel Institute for Charity, New College Oxford.

A Church of England member for 30 years, Carolyn has served in roles including PCC Secretary and Deanery Synod member, and was part of a church plant seeking to serve an inner city area.