Our successes wouldn’t be possible without the support and expertise of our experienced Senior Leadership team and the guidance of our committed Board of Trustees.
Their contributions have been key to our continued growth and success.
Kevin joined Voluntary Action Leicester (VAL) in September 2002 and has over 20 years’ experience supporting communities and strengthening the voluntary and community sector (VCSE). He was appointed as CEO in September 2023.
Passionate about creating positive change, he has built a long and committed career at VAL, developing extensive expertise in strategic leadership, partnership working, governance, and change management.
Kevin has held a range of roles within VAL which include six years in senior management. He brings a confident, values‑driven leadership style and deep organisational knowledge. He has successfully led service restructures, including the merger of three teams into a single Sector Support Team, improving performance while maintaining staff morale and meeting all contractual targets.
Over the past seven years, Kevin has secured around £3 million in funding through contracts and partnerships and has extensive experience managing complex budgets and programmes. During COVID‑19, he led VAL’s community response, recruiting thousands of volunteers and coordinating sector‑wide collaboration. Widely respected for building strong strategic relationships, Kevin regularly represents VAL and the local VCSE and is committed to leading VAL to help people change their lives for the better.
Hardip is Director of Operations and Services at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL), leading organisational delivery and managing services that support the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector.
With over a decade’s experience of delivering services in the VCSE Sector, leading multi-disciplinary teams and representing sector voice within strategic forums. Her career spans local government, NHS and the commercial sector, giving her a unique cross-sector perspective. She brings strategic leadership, inclusive communication and practical change management to complex programmes and partnerships.
Hardip specialises in strategy and organisational transformation and as an accomplished bid writer has secured and managed contracts from £150k grants to £3m programmes including the Work Live Leicestershire Rural Employability Project and as the Strategic Lead for the East Midlands new model of cancer care for those aged 13-24 years, ensuring robust governance, performance reporting and continuous improvement.
Her strengths includes building strong stakeholder relationships and supporting organisations to grow and deliver meaningful impact.
Trace started her career in the Education Sector initially as a volunteer and then studied at University and achieved a Teaching degree. She then undertook further studies and completed qualifications to support individuals with special needs, learning difficulties and those requiring emotional support. Finally, after 20 years in this sector, she ended her teaching career in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) for abused and neglected pupils, before moving into the corporate world.
During this change of sector, Trace loved supporting the charities that the businesses she worked with were connected with, and she soon realised this was the next career move for her. During this time, Trace built strong relationships/partnerships with lots of businesses, many of which she still works with today. Trace joined us here at VAL with a wealth of relevant knowledge, skills and experience, to build and strengthen business relationships whilst making an impact for our clients at VALUES.
Trace continues to support individuals with severe learning difficulties here at VAL. With her strong business relationships and knowledge of the clients we have here at VAL, she ensures the partnerships she builds are two way and both our clients and the business see the huge benefit of collaboration.
Having worked with many businesses and charities, Trace has a strong passion to ensure all her efforts make specific impact to people’s lives here at VAL.
Trace brings this all together by organising the annual VAL Awards, these are held to shine a light on the Charity Sector. Trace brings to the awards an array of businesses who join us as sponsors and who without them, these awards would not be possible.
Trace also continues to support the education sector, whilst volunteering at a Pupil Referral Unit as an Enterprise advisor, something she has a strong passion for.
A devoted mother of three daughters, and 3 grandchildren, Trace continues to be passionate about empowering as many people as possible and creating opportunities to enable everyone – no matter what challenges they face – to be the best of themselves.
Linda has lived in Hallaton, near Market Harborough for over 37 years. Her professional background was in criminal justice. She was Chief Probation Officer for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for 16 years between 1988 – 2004, before moving to the Home Office and Ministry of Justice as the regional commissioner for prisons and probation across the East Midlands.
Since retiring in December 2009, Linda has been actively involved with the voluntary and community sector as a trustee and chair of a range of charities and other community organisations. She has chaired the Board of Trustees at Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL) for the last 15 years. VASL is based in Market Harborough but provides services across Leicestershire. Linda currently chairs 5 Boards of Trustees for charities of different sizes and with a focus on different subjects. Linda plays an active role in the life of her village, wanting to use her skills and experience in giving back to her community.
Linda has extensive experience of good governance in the VCS, leading on governance reviews in a range of charities and setting up systems to ensure their implementation. This is the second time Linda has been Chair of VAL. She is passionate about the organisation and keen to ensure that she leads the Board, supports the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, to enable VAL to deliver the best quality services they can to the VCS sector and in communities across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Mr. Narendra Waghela has been living and working in Leicestershire since 1978.
The two things that make him feel truly fulfilled are when he is with his family, and when he is doing something to help make real a difference in his community and city.
Narendra has gained a wealth of experience and knowledge on social, political and economic issues through being a Chair & a Trustee Board Member of several organisations, a key member of various organisations in Leicestershire and over 31 years as a Senior Project Manager, Business Co-ordinator and Scheduling Manager with an International Design and Production Company.
As well as his business skills, Narendra has also used his valuable personal attributes such as his natural empathy, ability to make a fair and sound judgement, and problem solving skills.
His unique role with BAPS, working with today’s youth with the difficult objective of keeping them away from drugs, street crimes, smoking and alcohol, has been extremely rewarding.
As a past member of the Valuation Tribunal Services and also past Co-Chair of Inter Faith Network UK, Narendra has been involved in dealing with sensitive issues through working with people of different backgrounds. With his ability to speak English, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Swahili and Urdu he has on many occasions helped as interpreter and translator in some ‘sensitive’ conditions.
Through the work that Narendra does in the community, he feels a real sense of satisfaction and that he is making his contribution towards the betterment of our society.
Adam has a wide and varied employment history spanning the third sector, health and social care, banking, and government-backed development finance.
He began his career in Health and Social Care, working extensively in hospital ward environments with a focus on elderly care, dementia community outreach, special needs support, and youth work specialising in sexual health, housing, and mental health. After nearly a decade in this sector, Adam transitioned into banking, gaining experience across both retail and commercial banking with Barclays, NatWest, and Cambridge & Counties Bank, where he was one of the founding members and developed specialist expertise in secured property lending.
Adam later worked as a Commercial Finance Broker, supporting organisations — including charities and social enterprises — to access funding that helped them grow, sustain services, and expand their community impact. This work deepened his engagement with the charity sector and strengthened his commitment to supporting voluntary organisations.
Adam now works at Homes England within the Development Finance – Origination team. His role focuses on enabling the delivery of affordable and market housing through structured development finance, working with developers, housing associations, and local stakeholders to help bring much needed homes forward.
After many years of collaborating with charities across his career, Adam chose to become a trustee at VAL to focus his experience and energy where he believes it can make the most meaningful and lasting difference.
I completed my PhD at the University of Delhi, India, where my research focused on the resettlement process of Tibetan refugees in India. The study examined how displaced communities negotiate identity, belonging, and aspirations within a new socio-economic, political, and legal framework. It explored the role of faith, religion, and faith-based identity in shaping the expectations and experiences of a minority community during resettlement. The research also sought to understand the broader challenges faced by minority communities in India in achieving social integration and community cohesion.
I moved to the United Kingdom in 2006, and since then I have been reflecting on and learning from my own resettlement experience. This journey has given me valuable insight into the aspirations and expectations of people who have migrated to the UK from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Many come from different faith traditions, speak different languages, and hold varied political beliefs. Some also belong to disadvantaged or marginalized groups, including women and people with disabilities.
Through my work and lived experience, I have sought to better understand the barriers to interaction between different communities, and why individuals from diverse backgrounds sometimes live parallel lives within the same society. I am particularly interested in examining structural inequalities within social, political, and economic frameworks, and the broader challenges of promoting community cohesion in an increasingly interconnected global society.
For more than 30 years, I have been actively involved in the voluntary and charitable sector in the UK and India, working with grassroots organisations, civil rights initiatives, and interfaith networks. I was a founding member and Secretary of Faiths Forum for the East Midlands, an organisation dedicated to promoting dialogue and cooperation between different faith communities. I had also been associated with Leicester City of Sanctuary for the many years, an experience that has further strengthened my understanding of community work and the diverse perspectives of people seeking safety and belonging.
Duncan joined the Board in June 2016 his background is in criminal justice and community engagement. He is a retired senior police officer having served the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for over 28 years.
Duncan has extensive experience in change management and project delivery both in the public and private sectors having led significant change projects, mergers, restructuring and modernisation of policing and private businesses.
Duncan is passionate in his support for children and young people, troubled families and those groups at risk of re-offending in the community. He previously worked with partner agencies and key stakeholders to deliver a joined up approach to the identification and management of offenders across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
He is looking forward to working with Board members and the senior management team to promote and enhance the work of VAL in our local communities.
Joanna is an experienced business adviser, mentor, and coach who brings over 20 years of strategic, operational, and leadership experience to the VAL Board. As the founder of Joanna Moore Consultancy, she supports SME leaders across the UK with strategic planning, organisational development, business growth, and leadership capability – expertise that strengthens VAL’s governance, decision making, and long term strategic direction.
Joanna’s career spans youth development, charity leadership, business development, and consultancy. She has held fundraising, strategic, and operational roles at UK Youth, The Prince’s Trust, New Dawn New Day, and Summit Support, alongside extensive commercial experience as a Business Adviser for East Midlands Chamber and through running her own consultancy. This blend of voluntary sector insight and strong commercial understanding enables her to bring balanced, forward thinking, and pragmatic challenge to the Board, helping ensure VAL remains both community focused and financially resilient.
Since joining the Board in 2016, Joanna has contributed significant expertise in strategic planning, risk management, performance evaluation, and organisational sustainability. Her background in programme delivery and community engagement means she brings a grounded understanding of the lived experiences of local people, as well as the operational realities faced by the charities and community groups VAL supports.
Joanna is particularly passionate about services that improve outcomes for young people and those facing disadvantage. Her commitment to empowering individuals and strengthening communities aligns closely with VAL’s mission, and she remains a dedicated advocate for ensuring the charity continues to thrive, innovate, and deliver meaningful change across Leicester and Leicestershire
Gemma Edwards is a Partner at Cooper Parry, where she leads Digital & Business Management. Her role focuses on operational strategy, transformation and global delivery across the firm, helping to build scalable operating models that support sustainable growth. She works closely with leadership teams to integrate technology, automation and improved ways of working that enhance efficiency while supporting high-quality client service.
Gemma has extensive experience leading large-scale operational change programmes, including developing international delivery hubs and implementing technology-driven improvements that enable organisations to grow without increasing complexity. She is passionate about how technology, automation and data can unlock better outcomes for businesses while enabling people to focus on higher-value work.
Alongside her professional role, Gemma is a strong advocate for people development and widening access to opportunity. She works closely with schools and community initiatives to help young people, particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, gain exposure to the world of business. Through mentoring, career guidance and practical engagement with schools, she aims to help students better understand the opportunities available to them and support them in shaping their future ambitions.
As a Trustee and Director of Voluntary Action LeicesterShire, Gemma brings experience in organisational strategy, operational governance and leadership development to support the charity’s mission of strengthening voluntary and community organisations across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Outside of work, Gemma lives with her husband and two daughters and enjoys supporting initiatives that encourage young people to explore careers in business and leadership.
Emily has extensive experience in business development, market growth, and strategic partnership management within the healthcare sector. She is passionate about helping organisations grow sustainably while supporting services that deliver the best possible patient outcomes. Throughout her career, she has worked with healthcare providers to develop commercial strategies, build strong stakeholder relationships, and identify opportunities that strengthen both service delivery and long-term impact.
With a strong background in healthcare marketing, consultant engagement, and commercial planning, Emily brings expertise in driving growth initiatives that connect organisational success with patient-centred care. She is particularly motivated by creating partnerships that enable innovation and improved access to high-quality healthcare services.
Emily became a Trustee for Voluntary Action Leicestershire because of her passion for community and her commitment to giving back locally. She values the opportunity to support an organisation that strengthens charities and community groups across Leicestershire, balancing this role alongside her busy family life.
Zahirul is a Senior Auditor, qualified with over 17 years of experience in financial services. His current role as a Senior Audit Manager at China Construction Bank, is to lead and manage internal audit reviews.
His experience in the financial world extends from, not only leading and managing business audit teams, but delivering external audits efficiently and effectively to Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) clients; financial sector clients included investment banks and other financial institutions.
Zahirul is passionate about the work of a wide range of non-profit organisations. He is a Treasurer for the BYCS, a Leicester based community organisation and also, a Secretary for Valerie Taylor Trust, supporting CRP in Bangladesh.
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