Trustees
Meet the trustees who run the Alec Dickson Trust.
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Akhil Anand
Trustee
Akhil is the Planned Giving Philanthropy Manager for Cancer Research UK. He works with philanthropists and their advisors to build tax effective strategies that maximises the impact of lifetime giving and estate planning.
Biography
When not injured, Akhil spends most of his free time on the sports field and loves to nip across to the olympic pool after work. Having volunteered extensively throughout school and university, he is a firm believer in the power of community service to develop employability skills. As a new trustee in 2021, Akhil is excited to read a diverse range of applications that positively impact marginalised communities.
Cynthia Uthayakumar
Trustee
Cynthia is the Private Secretary to the Children's Commissioner for England, where she works closely with the Commissioner to promote and protect the rights of all children and young people in England.
Biography
Cynthia loves volunteering in her spare time, predominantly working with children with serious illnesses and complex disabilities. She has been a trustee with ADT since 2019 and enjoys supporting other young people who want to make a difference in their communities through volunteering.
Eloise Pollard
Deputy Chair
Eloise currently works as a solicitor at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which is the regulator of veterinary surgeons and nurses across the UK.
Biography
Before that, she worked in-house as a solicitor at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. She also spent two years training at a law firm specialising in Charities and Not for Profits. Eloise regularly volunteers with organisations in schools and has been involved with Scouts since she was 7. You can normally find her planning her next camping trip or wishing she’d cleaned her muddy walking boots!
Emma Bird
Trustee
Emma currently works as an auditor working with large donor bodies and different aspects of grant funding. To try and keep audit slightly more interesting, as part of her job she loves to travel (or used to in non-covid times) and visit weird and wonderful places all over the world.
Biography
She is a Londoner at heart and has always lived there, except for a brief stint for university and a year spent in France.
Ezra Neil
Trustee
Ezra is a data analyst in the Cabinet Office, which supports the Prime Minister and ensures the effective running of government. Ezra has worked in a range of analytical teams across government, focussed on ensuring high-quality evidence and analysis supports policy making.
Biography
Outside of work, Ezra volunteers with the Samaritans and is a keen swimmer. He joined the Alec Dickson Trust in 2019 and enjoys seeing the breadth of applications from across the UK.
Gabrielle Newson
Chair of Trustees
Gabrielle works as an Engagement Lead at UK Research and Innovation. This involves working across multiple government departments to engage stakeholders and develop policy to ensure the UK can continue to attract the world’s best research and innovation talent to solve global issues.
Biography
A trustee with the Alec Dickson Trust since 2021, Gabrielle has recently taken on the role of Chair of
Trustees. She has personally benefitted from the community spirit fostered through her own
volunteering experiences and is keen to support more young people access meaningful volunteering
opportunities through the Alec Dickson Trust.
When not working or volunteering, she can be found chatting away to friends over a large cup of
coffee.
George Dibble
Treasurer
George is a Consultant at a small, independent economic research and evaluation consultancy based in Birmingham. He evaluates the impact of projects related to higher education, research and innovation
Biography
In his spare time, George is a keen sportsman, playing rugby for his local team and Australian Rules Football for Great Britain. He also loves to cook and play the drums. He is interested in food policy, particularly around waste and sustainability, climate change, and ethical fashion. George has volunteered for homeless charities, the National Trust, and coaches his Australian Rules Football team.
George became a Trustee in January 2018 and is looking forward to seeing what brilliant community volunteering projects people are launching.
James Jobe
Trustee
James is an analyst at IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. He works in the Venture Capital team in Washington, DC.
Biography
James is originally from Newcastle upon Tyne and worked in London before moving to Washington, DC. He is excited to help fund and encourage youth volunteering, and his focus is on fundraising initiatives.
Outside of work, James enjoys travelling and playing/watching sport.
Jem Jones
Trustee
Jem works within Strategy at Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency, supporting business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions.
Biography
Before that, Jem studied at the University of Oxford, and worked during the pandemic with SEND students at a school.
In her spare time, Jem sings in semi-professional choirs and has a passion for sustainability. Jem is a mentor at the Princes’ Trust and has volunteered for food banks, educational groups and mental health charities.
Jem became a Trustee in May 2023 and is looking forward to seeing the amazing projects undertaken by beneficiaries of the Trust.
Jim Vizzini
Trustee
Jim is currently working as a trader for UBS O'Connor, the hedge fund arm of UBS Global Asset Management. He also serves as a volunteer for UBS' Community Affairs Program and takes an active role in mentoring younger employees at various stages of their careers.
Biography
Jim holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and has always worked in the financial sector throughout his career, predominately in the UK although he has been fortunate to have worked in the US, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Japan. In his spare time he is a governor of Queensbridge Primary in Hackney, a fitness fanatic and a grandad.
Megan Burgoyne
Fundraising Volunteer
Megan is a recent graduate in International Relations and Spanish.
Biography
Megan is a recent graduate in International Relations and Spanish and is soon to start an internship in Brussels at the Centre of European Volunteering. Currently, she volunteers for Norfolk County Council as a refugee support worker.
Tom Clark
Trustee
Tom is a final year undergraduate, studying towards a Social Science degree. Outside his studies, Tom works as a Data Contractor for Beauhurst and has also taken on a number of voluntary roles.
Biography
Away from work and studies Tom enjoys sport, especially football, cricket, and tennis. He also enjoys getting out and about, making the most of the Scottish outdoors. Tom became a Trustee in 2016. He is currently Deputy Chair, and acted as Board Secretary from 2018 until 2019.