Members / Trustees

Barry Eldred

Appointed: June 2014

Company Director, Deputy Lieutenant for South Yorkshire. Former Non-Executive. Director of Barnsley Building Society (twice Chair). Northern Ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and trustee of various other bodies.

Dianne Murray

Appointed: April 2019

BA, Cert Ed. Former Vice-Principal, Barnsley College. Currently a part-time consultant with Luminate Education Group

Russell Gill

Appointed: April 2021

Russell is Head of Community Delivery at the Co-operative Group, with responsibility for the execution of the Co-op’s community plan. He is Chair of the Co-op Academies Trust, which operates 26 schools across the North of England. Russell is also a trustee of the People’s History Museum in Manchester and is Chair of the Co-op’s Northern Pension Fund, which is responsible for over £700m assets.

Gordon Beever

Appointed: July 2014

Board Appointed

Member of ICSA. Company Director. Former Trustee of Barnsley College.

Colin Booth OBE

Appointed: October 2015

Board Appointed

LSIS MBA Post Grad Diploma in Social Education. Group CEO of Luminate Education Group.

Neil Clephan OBE

Appointed: August 2018

Board Appointed

National Leader of Education. Education Consultant.

Jennifer Field

Appointed: March 2021

Board Appointed

Jenni is Deputy Director of Finance and Strategy for Health Education England (HEE). She was previously Associate Director – Finance in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), preceded by finance roles in the NHS and local authorities.

Stewart Harper

Appointed: December 2018

Board Appointed

AGC. Freelance Company Secretary & Non-Executive Director.

Yiannis Koursis

Appointed: December 2018

Sponsor Appointed

BA BSc. Principal & CEO, Barnsley College.

Jayne Lawrence

Appointed: March 2021

Board Appointed

Jayne is Head of Operations in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York. She previously held a similar position in the University of Warwick’s Centre for Teacher Education and former roles include a senior position in Sheffield City Council’s Children, Young People and Families Portfolio.

Hearl Lenton (Chair of the Board)

Appointed: December 2018

Board Appointed

FRICS, Senior Partner at Holroyd Miller Chartered Surveyors.

Mark Wilson

Appointed: December 2018

Ex-officio

National Leader of Education. CEO of Wellspring Academy Trust.

John HallAppointed: July 2015Resigned: October 2020

Former Member

Richard OwenAppointed: December 2018Resigned: December 2020

Former Trustee