Members & Trustees
Members
- Member – Mark Bell
- Member – Rebecca McCullough
- Member – Chloe Parker
Trustees
- Chair of Trustees – Jan Vicary
- Vice Chair of Trustees – Emma Gregory
- Trustee – Rachel Goodwin
- Trustee – Stephen Cowperthwaite
- Trustee – Mark Dale
- Trustee – David Hird
- Trustee – Paul Horwood
- Trustee – James Melia
- Trustee – Jacqui Paterson
- Trustee – Rosanna Stanley
Career summary
For the last fourteen years Mark has worked for the Sovini Group, whose main purpose is to provide social housing to the Sefton area with property stock of more than 13,000 homes. Prior to working for the Sovini Group Mark had been employed in retail for 10 years and then Royal Mail whilst commencing my accountancy exams.
Mark’s initial role at Sovini Group was an entry level accounts payable assistant role on a short-term maternity cover basis, following this role he has held positions at all levels up to my current role as Group Head of Finance – Commercial, which he has held for the last seven years.
Prior to Mark’s current role he was a Management Accountant, this provided Mark with a broad range of technical knowledge and skills to assist Mark in his ACCA professional studies. Having the support of the Chief Finance Officer and dealing with the complexities of working in a large group with 800 plus employees across 11 companies ensured that Mark was able to cover a broad range of finance departments.
In Mark’s current role as Group Head of Finance – Commercial he is responsible for a team of 18. As part of this Mark’s main areas cover management accounts, statutory accounts, business planning, accounts payable and receivable as well as payroll.
Career summary
Rebecca has worked in the NHS for over 20 years in various finance and leadership roles across commissioning and provider organisations and is a CIMA qualified Accountant with evidence of Continuous Professional Development.
Rebecca’s current role is Associate Director of Finance for Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) in Sefton Place. Rebecca has worked in a Senior Leadership capacity for over 10 years being a key member of the leadership team within the organisation.
The ICB is responsible for planning and commissioning health services for the population of Cheshire and Merseyside, working in partnership with the Local Authorities in each borough. The Associate Director of Finance is the lead Finance role in each borough, having responsibility for all aspects of finance, financial planning, control and management, a key enabler to delivery of the organisation objectives.
Rebecca has held a number of roles within the organisation; Deputy Director of Finance, Head of Financial Strategy and Head of Financial reporting, all of which are foundations to my current role.
My current role as Associate Director of Finance includes:
- Leading and developing a financial strategy to support the key clinical and commissioning functions to enable the organisation to deliver high quality healthcare for the population of Sefton.
- Developing financial planning, governance, reporting and monitoring processes, working closely with ICB colleagues to ensure alignment with the wider health system financial plan and strategy.
- Supporting the ICS to build partnerships at place to enable effective integration of the place partnership with the Local Authority.
- Leading the development of pooled budgets in partnership with Local Authority to ensure the best outcomes across Health and Social Care for the Sefton population and the wider ICS footprint.
- Ensuring robust systems are in place to support effective financial control, management, and reporting.
- Providing financial leadership and oversight to support the delivery of place efficiency schemes.
- Supporting the organisation to deliver efficient and effective services which demonstrate value for money. This includes finance and business support for service developments, procurement support and investment appraisal.
- Working closely with other business functions such as performance, contracts, and HR to deliver an integrated management support service.
- Deliver finance training and support to all members of the organisation from Board Members to individual Budget Holders
- Previous positions in provider organisations have been in the areas of Finance Business Partnering, Lead Accountant roles and Management Accounting.
Area of responsibility have been:
- Financial Planning
- Financial Management and Reporting
- Financial Control and Governance
- Oversight and approval of the Annual Accounts
- Management of internal and external audit processes
- Statutory Reporting to regulatory bodies
- Management of Efficiency Programmes
- Provider Contract Management
- Skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to trustee role
- Strategic and operational financial planning to ensure optimum use of resources and best value for money.
- Financial management and reporting including in year budget management and year end final accounts and audit.
- Service redesign, investment appraisal, procurement, contracting and provider management.
- Corporate governance and risk management
- Statutory and board level reporting
- System level working, leadership, integration, and partnership working.
- Implementation of Government policy and guidance
- Analytical and technical skills
- Knowledge and understanding of contract and procurement processes.
Cllr Chloe Parker brings over two decades of dedicated service in education and local governance, currently working for the Sefton Central MP as Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) and serving as Leader of Maghull Town Council.
- Over 26 years of experience in the education sector, including roles as a school governor and contributor to expert panels.
- Played a key role in improving governance at a Liverpool high school.
- Currently Leader of Maghull Town Council, with extensive experience in finance and budgetary oversight.
- Serves on Sefton Council, including the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Children’s Services, ensuring departmental and cabinet accountability.
- Deeply committed to public service and educational improvement across the region.
- Chair of Trustees – Jan Vicary
Career summary
Over 40 years’ experience working within the Education Sector (firstly within the Local Education Authority and latterly within the Higher Education sector).
Currently School Manager of a large clinical school, training students on nursing and Allied Health Professionals programmes. Role involves shaping School strategy and ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to enable the School to meet its overall strategic objectives. It supports the delivery of academic and business plans through the leadership and management of a comprehensive and effective professional support service across this large and complex School.
Areas of responsibility: HR; quality; staff appraisals; resource allocation; financial planning, data protection and safeguarding.
Have been a School Governor for 14 years and Chair of Governors of a Single Academy Trust Secondary School for 7 years.
In my spare time I am also an Editorial Assistant for the Community Dental Health Journal.
Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role
Financial planning, staffing allocations, HR; safeguarding; ensuring high quality provision through appropriate challenge and scrutiny; strategic planning.
Career summary
Over 40 years’ experience working within the Education Sector (firstly within the Local Education Authority and latterly within the Higher Education sector).
Currently School Manager of a large clinical school, training students on nursing and Allied Health Professionals programmes. Role involves shaping School strategy and ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to enable the School to meet its overall strategic objectives. It supports the delivery of academic and business plans through the leadership and management of a comprehensive and effective professional support service across this large and complex School.
Areas of responsibility: HR; quality; staff appraisals; resource allocation; financial planning, data protection and safeguarding.
Have been a School Governor for 14 years and Chair of Governors of a Single Academy Trust Secondary School for 7 years.
In my spare time I am also an Editorial Assistant for the Community Dental Health Journal.
Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role
Financial planning, staffing allocations, HR; safeguarding; ensuring high quality provision through appropriate challenge and scrutiny; strategic planning.
Over 20 years’ experience working within the education sector.
Currently serves as a deputy director of secondary education in a medium-sized multi academy trust. Role involves shaping the school improvement strategy and ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to enable the trust to meet its overall strategic objectives.
Considerable experience of teaching mathematics in the secondary sector and extensive senior leadership experience teaching in different local authorities in the northwest of England.
Supported several schools in challenging circumstances, both as an advanced skills teacher and as a specialist leader of education. Served as a school governor for a number of years. Spent several years inspecting schools for Ofsted, both as an HMI and SHMI.
Areas of interest and expertise include curriculum and school leadership.
Rachel is currently the CEO of MVLT.
A qualified secondary English teacher, Rachel has extensive teaching and senior leadership experience across a range of schools.
Rachel has also taught and supported the development of leadership in the primary phase.
Rachel gained significant school improvement and leadership experience across all phases as an independent school improvement consultant and then as a senior school improvement officer for a local authority.
Prior to joining the trust in August 2025, Rachel has spent a number of years working for Ofsted as a Senior His Majesty’s Inspector. Rachel is continuing in her role as a lead Ofsted inspector.
Chartered Surveyor with over 35 years’ experience. Principal and Managing Director, Regions and Liverpool at Avison Young, a global real estate consultancy with c. 5,000 employees. Avison Young creates economic, social and environmental value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people.
Present employment
Avison Young
Global real estate consultancy headquartered in Toronto with c. 5,000 employees.
Principal and Managing Director, Regions & Liverpool
Chair Public Sector Client Development Board
Previous
GL Hearn Corporate Director
Mason Owen Partner
Valuation Office Agency Senior Valuer
Other experience
Liverpool Place Partnership – Chair
Liverpool Place Partnership is a private sector led programme working to advance investment and foster support across Liverpool’s business community to make the city region an attractive place to invest. The Liverpool Place Partnership is an advocate for the Liverpool City Region. We deliver strategic thought leadership for the Liverpool City Region. We are trusted change makers that represent the private sector and challenge and disrupt for the benefit of all, working closely with public sector political and executive leadership across the region.
Professional Liverpool – Board Member
PL represents Liverpool City Region’s professional community. We come together to learn, connect and grow so that we can contribute to a shared vision:
A thriving economic future for the Liverpool City Region. One with a more balanced contribution from different sectors and greater opportunities for people to stay and develop their careers.
Chesterfield High School
Governor
Chair Facilities, Finance and Staffing
Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role
I have a broad range of skills and experience built up through the various leadership roles that I have undertaken previously and currently.
I have been Managing Director of Avison Young Liverpool since September 2015 and have recently taken on the role of Managing Director UK Regions. In addition I Chair our Public Sector Client Development Board. In these roles I work closely with political and executive leadership across Liverpool City Region and beyond, including with Central Government. I provide strategic development consultancy to public and private sector partners and lead multi-disciplinary teams working on complex projects, evaluating risks and opportunities. An important element of this is working with key stakeholders across sectors and importantly local communities.
I work with national and global leadership helping to set strategy for the business and drive financial performance.
In my role as Chair of Liverpool Place Partnership I lead a private sector collective that works in collaboration with public sector partners, including Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and CEO Katherine Fairclough, to promote Liverpool City Region as a place for investment.
I have been a Governor at Chesterfield since 2017 and chair the FAFS committee.
I have been involved in the appointment of the headteacher and subsequent appraisals.
I am a firm believer in diversity, equity and inclusion, raising aspirations in schools and working with communities. Avison Young has recently sponsored Liverpool Against Racism, The World Reimagined and the Salt and Tar music festival in Bootle. As an organisation we are the people for place and believe in creating real economic, social and environmental value.
Career summary
Mark has most recently been Chair of Governors at the Rowan Park School having been a Governor at the School since 2015.
He was Sefton MBC’s Chief Personnel Officer from 2010 to March 2022 (having joined Sefton as Assistant Director in 2009). He advised on a large number of issues in education (including those from the maintained, voluntary aided and Academy sectors) in respect of HR and employment law having had responsibility for the full HR team, policy and trade union negotiations across the Local Authority. Advice has concerned anything from all day to day matters to Academy conversion. He has also been part of Interim Executive Boards to secure school improvement and/or conversion to Academy status.
Mark is currently the Deputy Chief People Officer for the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust having joined that organisation in March 2022.
He is a qualified solicitor and was a Legal Director at DLA Piper LLP (being with that firm from 2000 to 2009) advising on a large number of employment related issues and representing in Employment Tribunals. He is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Mark is strongly committed to the promotion of opportunity in education.
With over 25 years’ experience in primary education, as a teacher and school leader in Bootle, I have taught in every primary age group and held a wide a range of subject leadership roles across the primary curriculum. As Deputy Headteacher I have responsibility for the overall content, sequencing and quality assurance of the whole school curriculum, and work closely with all class teachers and subject leaders to ensure high-quality, equitable and inclusive learning opportunities for all children, especially children with SEND. I have also worked closely with colleagues in Key Stage 3 to ensure smooth and effective transition at an academic, social and pastoral level. As a senior leader, I have considerable experience in school self-evaluation, school improvement planning and implementation, staff performance management, professional development and safer recruitment.
As part of my current role, I am one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads and am the trained Senior Mental Health Lead, responsible for creating, implementing and sustaining an effective whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for both staff and children.
For more than 10 years I have been a Professional Mentor for LJMU, leading a team of ITT Mentors within school, to ensure that the ITT Core Content Framework and the DfE Teaching Standards are fully integrated and addressed by those involved in our school-based training. I am a member of the LJMU ITE Primary Steering Group which supports and advises on the operational and strategic leadership of the partnership’s ITE provision.
Beyond my own school setting, I was for 8 years the Leading Maths Subject Leader for Sefton LA, this role included subject leader coaching and development, leading the DfE National Strategy Training for teaching assistants across the LA and the delivery of Maths curriculum training for Sefton NQTs. For my M.Ed., I was asked by the LA to complete an authority wide evaluation of Early Maths Intervention Programmes; this gave me an insight into a wide range of different primary school settings across Sefton and a critical understanding of the role intervention can play in raising attainment and achievement. In additional to my Masters, I hold a range of school leadership qualifications from the National College.
Over many years I have been involved in the use of data to drive decision making and develop appropriate strategies to achieve the objectives and drive the vision of the companies I have worked for.
I spent several years working at Sefton Council with responsibility for developing an intelligence and reporting framework for Children’s Services. During this time I was heavily involved in the setting up of the MASH and the processes and procedures for using and sharing data.
The years I have spent working with and analysing data mean I am well equipped to use these skill to interrogate all school performance and financial information in order to help shape strategic direction of the school and to hold the school to account through the use of data.
I have also been involved in school governance for more than a decade and for a large proportion of this time have taken responsibility for Safeguarding and ensuring the school is not only compliant with all Safeguarding requirements but goes beyond the statutory requirements to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both staff and students.
James brings a strong track record of leadership, governance and organisational transformation to his role as Trustee. A Chartered Construction Manager with over 15 years’ experience in senior leadership roles, James has worked at both operational and board-facing levels within large, complex organisations undergoing change and growth.
Throughout his career, James has led multi-disciplinary teams, overseen significant budgets, and been accountable for performance, risk, and assurance across large portfolios. He has extensive experience in governance, including establishing robust controls, improving reporting and forecasting, and strengthening decision-making frameworks to support sustainable outcomes. His work has frequently involved stepping into challenging environments to stabilise performance, resolve legacy issues and create clearer, more effective ways of working.
James has played a key role in large-scale transformation programmes, from designing new operating models and restructuring teams, to embedding more efficient processes and supporting cultural change. He has helped organisations enter new markets, grow responsibly and deliver long-term value, while maintaining a strong focus on collaboration and integrity.
As a Trustee, James brings a strategic mindset, commercial awareness and a calm, balanced approach to challenge. He is particularly motivated by supporting strong leadership, good governance and inclusive growth, and is committed to helping the Trust create the conditions in which schools, staff and pupils can thrive.
Following her graduation from Manchester University in 1985 and prior to entering the teaching profession, Jacqui had a varied career that included working as a retail manager of a health food store, cabin crew and the DHSS!
Her teaching career began when she gained her PGCE in 1992/3 and worked as primary teacher in Lancashire at Aughton Town Green Primary School teaching across key stage 2 and mostly in Year 6. Responsibilities included leading curriculum development as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and assessment and English. In recognition of strong pupil data outcomes for writing, in 2008 Jacqui was approached and seconded to work with Lancashire Literacy Team as an English and ‘Improving Schools Consultant’. This work covered schools in Lancashire area South (Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, Preston).
In 2009 Jacqui joined Sefton LA as National Strategy English Consultant using the Improving Schools model and her skills to support primary schools improve outcomes. Work included delivering quality training across the borough in reading, writing and phonics and provide packages of support to targeted schools.
Over the years, Jacqui’s role within Sefton Education Department has evolved and she is currently the Service Manager School Improvement. Responsibilities include leading Schools Causing Concern Protocol and engaging across the sector to ensure a strong self-sustaining school improvement model. Whilst her responsibilities are with maintained schools, she have a positive working relationship with academies, consultants and hubs.
- Jacqui is a Board Member for Children’s University and Rainbow Teaching Hub.
- Career experience Extensive leadership experience of school improvement, teaching and learning.
- NPQL
- Skilled at dealing with challenges faced by school leaders.
- Good communication skills.
- Good knowledge of Sefton Council education systems.
- Passionate about education for all.
I am an experienced leader in Children’s Services, with 29 years in the public sector, including 18 years at Sefton Council. I currently lead the Youth Justice Service and the Child Exploitation and Missing Children Service, where I shape strategic direction and operational delivery across multi-agency partnerships. My work is driven by a strong commitment to safeguarding and a deep understanding of the complex factors that influence children’s lives and outcomes. My core strengths include leading complex services, influencing strategic partnerships, navigating statutory and regulatory frameworks, and overseeing risk, performance, and budget management. I champion trauma-informed practice and lead the Adverse Childhood Experiences Partnership Network. Alongside my professional role, I bring governance experience as Deputy Chair and Safeguarding Governor at Waterside Academy. I am committed to contributing to Mersey View Learning Trust, bringing expertise in safeguarding, governance and partnership working to support educational excellence and improved outcomes for all learners.
Career experience
Merseyside Police Sefton Council (multiple roles including Community Safety, Corporate Risk Management, Insurance and Emergency Planning, Youth Justice Service, Early Help, Child Exploitation and Missing Children).
