Splitz Support Service

Francis Wakem QPM

Chairman

Francis retired as a police officer at the rank of Chief Superintendent in 1997. In 1998 in Her Majesty’s New Year Honours he was Awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) for distinguished police service.

Francis is passionate about supporting victims of crime. He has held a number of positions as a volunteer with Victim Support since 1988. He was Chair of Victim Support Wiltshire from 1998-2008 and presently holds the position of National Advocate representing all Victim Support Volunteers in the South of England. From 1998 until 2004 he was a founding trustee for the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, a charity committed to helping those affected by or at risk of personal crime. Between 2005 and 2007 he participated in and led Domestic Homicide Reviews in Wiltshire. In his spare time he was Chair of the Wiltshire County Scout Council from 1993 to 2001, and has been Vice President since 2001. From 2008 until 2013 he served as Independent Facilitator for the Wiltshire Crown Prosecution Service multi agency Hate Crime and Domestic Abuse Scrutiny Panel.
Joined: Sep 2010.

Annette Taylor

Vice Chair

Annette has been practising Family Law in Wiltshire since 1985. Annette has considerable experience in all aspects of Family Law and is a member of the Law Society Family Law Advanced Panel. She is a trained mediator and is the chair of a counselling charity in Chippenham. Annette has held various leadership positions and is a lay preacher in the Methodist Church. In her spare time Annette enjoys walking her dog on the Wiltshire Downs.
Joined: Nov 2013.

Stephen Foster BSc PhD ACA

Treasurer

Stephen has been a chartered accountant in practice since 1990. He is the principal in his own general practice employing 7 staff members. Wide variety of clients from small sole traders to large million pound turnover companies. Also has a small number of charities as clients. He is also the Treasurer of two other charities.
Joined: Nov 2006.

Penny Cannings

Penny spent her working life between being a telephonist (GPO trained in 1964!!) and accountancy work. Her last work was Adminstrator at Splitz covering maternity leave for a few months.Penny has an adult son and enjoys a wide varierty of hobbies and interests ranging from gardening & crosswords to arts and crafts. She is now retired and living in Trowbridge. Penny is very aware of the needs of lone parents particularly those with experience of domestic violence and abuse and feels that her contribution to the trustee board is valuable and relevant.
Joined: Oct 2009.

Ann Cornelius

Ann has almost 30 years’ experience of working in social housing, which involves a great deal of work with communities, vulnerable people, and finding both housing and suport solutions to improve the quality of life in our neighbourhoods. She is passionate about ensuring people have access to support and advice at times of crisis, and throughout their lives if needed, to enable them to fulfil their personal potential. Ann has developed services and projects for a range of clients with differing needs - older people, enduring mental health, tenancy sustainment, learning difficulties, homelessness, young people at risk of homelessness, refuges, extra care, etc. Ann has a degree in Social Policy, and a professional post graduate housing qualification. Originally from Wales Ann has been working in the South West since 2000.
Joined: Jan 2015.

Alison Craddock

Alison recently retired as Head of Art at Lavington school, where she worked for 20 years. During that time she was also a tutor, pastoral leader, child protection officer and NUT rep. Alison is currenlty a town councillor in Bradford on Avon. Her charity work includes work for Bradford on Avon branch of Save the Children.
Joined: Sep 2012.

Sue Eley

Sue has worked in the housing sector since 1999, starting as a ledger clerk with Somer Community Housing (now Curo). Sue gained a recognised professional accountancy qualification (CIMA) and was promoted to Head of Treasury and Revenues in early 2008. Sue moved to Selwood Housing as Head of Finance in August 2008 and was made Group Head of Finance when the Selwood Housing Group was formed in 2014. In July 2016 Sue took over the role of Group Finance Director which is for a 12 month period to cover a sabbatical. Sue is Company Secretary for the various companies within Selwood Housing Group.
Joined: Nov 2016.

Cindy Ervine LLB (Hons)

Cindy has over 18 years experience as a matrimonial solicitor. She has been based in North Wiltshire during that time and is now based in Devizes and is also covering Calne. Cindy is a member of Resolution and the Law Society Advanced Family Panel with specialisms in domestic violence and children. She can also provide assistance for all aspects of matrimonial law to include high value financial cases. She is a trustee member of Splitz, Royal Wootton Bassett Children’s Centre, Devizes Contact Centre and also HEALS UK. Cindy is a trained collaborative lawyer and very much advocates a non-confrontational manner when seeking to advise and assist clients. She is also an experienced advocate and will ensure clients feel supported through the court process. Away from work, when not running around after her 2 children, Cindy runs and enjoys yoga and red wine – although not together!
Joined: May 2004.

Rosie MacGregor

Rosie has experience as a Town Planner working in Local Government and previously in the private sector for more than 30 years, during which time she has been actively involved in the Trade Union movement. She was for many years on the advisory panel for Civic Trust Awards in Wiltshire and was South West Regional Convenor for UNISON. She is currenlty Chair of the Wiltshire UNISON branch, Co-Chair of South West Provincial Council and sits on the South West Regional TUC. Her hobbies include writing a weekly column in the Bath Chronicle on world music, and she is also a folk singer who regularly plays in clubs, concerts and festivals throughout the UK.
Joined: May 2006.

Alan MacKenzie

Alan has lived in the Oxfordshire / Wiltshire area for the last 27 years before retiring 2 years ago from the quarrying and construction industry where he has worked for some 45 years. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Quarrying and gained experience in the skills of mineral planning, land acquisition, production, man management, meeting targets, finances and budgets, project management, legislation and Health & Safety.

Alan served as Group Director at Wiltshire based family business of Hills Group Ltd and as Managing Director for Hills Quarry Products Ltd with responsibility for setting future 5year planning development and strategy together with 5 year ,annual and monthly budgets and tasked to achieve the set Budgets / Targets.

Alan was a member of the Lions Club of Witney and has served as President, Vice-President, Fundraising Chairman and Treasurer.
Joined: Dec 2015.

Louise Wilson FCMI

Company Secretary

This in a non-trustee, non-director role. Louise was appointed company secretary in 2013. Prior to this Louise had been assisting with many of the admin duties of the company secretary. Louise is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and an Affiliate Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

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Trustees