Our Trustees
Chantal Wilson - Chairman
Chantal joined the CMS Board as chairman in early 2024 having served as a volunteer mentor since our inception. She runs an architectural design business with her husband. She has several voluntary roles, including being chairman of Crowborough Community Association and a trustee of the Friends of Sussex Hospices. She was previously chairman of Action in Rural Sussex and, until 2022, of the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, which was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service during her time as chairman. She was a parish, town & district councillor for many years, including being chairman of Wealden District Council for 2 years and is a retired deputy lieutenant of East Sussex
Tim Hancock: Trustee & Treasurer
Tim spent his career in the City of London and was previously a Partner of Rothschild, the global investment bank, enjoying an extensive career with experience in banking and corporate advisory work, specialising in mergers and acquisitions. He is both a volunteer mentor and serves as our Treasurer at Charity Mentors, having been a trustee since the beginning in late 2019. Tim has been a non-executive director of three private companies and is currently an adviser to a private equity ‘value-for-control fund’and a Governor of an independent school.
Chris Gebbie: Trustee
Chris was a dentist by profession and ran his own practice locally in East Sussex for almost 40 years. He has held various voluntary, chairman roles both while he was working and since retirement, including Chair of Sussex Heritage Trust between 1996-2013. Chris also served as a magistrate on the Brighton / Hove bench between 1988-2013 and was appointed High Sheriff, East Sussex in 2014-15. A deputy lieutenant for several years, Chris was Chairman of Charity Mentors from 2019- 2024 and was instrumental in the development of the charity from the beginning.
Derek Stevens
Derek has a background in public finance and prior to retirement was Chief Executive of Rother District Council. He has a wide range of interests including membership of the De la Warr Pavilons’ Capital Appeals Committee, is Treasurer of the Rural Rother Trust and as a former G.B. International marathon runner, has been pleased to return to his old club as a Trustee of Hastings A.C. An active Deputy Lieutenant in East Sussex he has been extremely pleased to see Charity Mentors develop from humble beginnings into a much valued Sussex wide organisation.
Jane Roberts: Trustee
Jane worked in marketing on the client side and then as a strategic brand development consultant for a wide range of international clients. After moving to Sussex, she swapped her career for a position on the Chailey Heritage Foundation Trustee Board where she was instrumental in setting up, monitoring, and overseeing the fundraising department through capital appeals and ongoing fundraising, including auditing for compliance with Charity Commission requirements, until recent retirement. Jane also volunteers as a mentor with Charity Mentors.
Richard Pearson
Richard is an economist and was Director of the Institute of Employment Studies for 12 years working across the private and public sectors.
He has extensive charity expertise. He set up the Lewes Fund to help fund local community groups and has had Chairing and Trustee roles at Care for the Carers, Sussex Oakleaf, Lewes and District Citizens Advice, and the Lewes Community Land Trust, with mentoring roles in the Arts sector.
Alison Lake Project Co-Ordinator
Alison has worked as a nurse, a mental health charity project manager and has extensive experience running projects.