Governance
Vision Support President
The Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs ‘M.B.E., K. St. J. (www.cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk)
Vice Presidents
The Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester (www.chester.anglican.org/who_list.asp)
The Very Revd Dr Gordon McPhate, Dean of Chester Cathedral (www.chester.anglican.org/who_list.asp)
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees are all volunteers giving their time to ensure that the Charity is fulfilling its purpose, is legally compliant and financially sound. All Trustees apply to join the Board and are formally voted in at our AGM. Each member serves a three year term, after this they must stand for re-election should they wish to continue.
The Board has full responsibility for the Charity but delegates the operational work to the Chief Executive and staff team. Detailed financial planning and monitoring is delegated to the Finance Sub-Committee and Board members also appoint the Directors for Vision Support Trading.
Pen pictures of our current Board Members are detailed below. If you wish to contact a member of the Board please send correspondence to Vision Support, Units 1 & 2, The Ropeworks, Whipcord Lane, Chester CH1 4DZ.
Carl Pierce (Chair)
Carl lives in Denbighshire having moved from Hereford in 1961. He is retired after 48 years service with the NHS. He was formerly a Clinical Nurse Manager in Ophthalmology and his main duties involved staff management, budget, health and safety, clinical risk management, quality, teaching and assessment.
He was quality facilitator for the whole Trust with duties involving, teaching quality improvement team problem-solving tools, facilitating teams and project managing accreditation for the Trust.
Alex Wilson (Vice Chair)
Alex is a retired Chartered Accountant who has been a Board Member of Vision Support for a number of years. He has worked as an accountant for Pilkington for 28 years before leaving to take up various part time positions. He is currently Chairman of Vision Support Trading.
He lives in St Asaph with his wife Sue and has three grown up children. His interests are Golf, Sport, Walking and Rotary.
David Griffiths
David Griffiths was born and brought up in Liverpool, where he still works. Although he now lives in Chester he continues to follow the fortunes of the football team he supported in his youth.
As a solicitor in private practice the type of work which David does has varied over the years but throughout his career he has always tried to fit in voluntary work along side his daytime job.
His voluntary work has included giving legal advice at a law centre and for the Citizens Advice Bureau, being a business mentor for young entrepreneurs for the Princes Trust and acting as an unpaid director of a “not for profit” company supporting business start ups.
David joined Vision Support in 2004 and is currently the Chair of its Finance Sub-committee.
Linda Anne Davies
Linda lives in Mickle Trafford, Chester, is married to Paul and they have two children and four grandchildren.
Until September 2010 Linda was employed by the Welsh Assembly Government in the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills, where she was the Area Office Manager in the North Wales Area Team. Linda specialised in Human Resource Management and Office Management.
She is now semi-retired but works part-time at Bishops High School as an Examination Assistant/Examination Invigilator.
Her interests include keeping fit, walking, gardening and being entertained by her grandchildren!!
Mr Miles Tutton FRCS FRCOphth DO
He has been involved in ophthalmology for the last 30 years, serving communities in the southeast and northwest of England. Since 1986, he has been a consultant ophthalmologist in Chester looking after both adults and children. He has carried out surgery for cataracts, squints and glaucoma, as well as treating retinal conditions. He has been at the forefront of the use of lasers especially in corneal refractive surgery.
He is interested in how people deal with eye defects and diseases. He is keen to help those with low vision to fulfil their potential and to lead as active lives as possible.
He lives in Chester with his wife Ruth and has four grown up children. His interests are Lecturing, Golf, DIY and Rotary.
John Graham
John is 67 and lives in North Wales with his wife, son and grandchild.
He was formerly a Chief Officer in Local Government.
He has been a volunteer with Vision Support for a number of years and assisted in Resource Centres and with group social activities for the elderly visually impaired.
John has been a Director of Vision Support Trading since its inception.
Marie Dean
My life completely changed after being registered as Visually Impaired in 1995. I was at 'rock bottom' but thanks to a Rehab Officer, Support Worker and College tutor (helping V.I students), I learned basic IT, and then studied for 4 years to get an Advanced Diploma in Counseling Skills & Theory.
Since qualifying I have worked with many students at West Cheshire College, and also done some private work.
I have been a volunteer at Dial House for 12 years, where I am a Benefits Advisor and fill in DLA forms, etc.
I am also a Tele-friend for Vision Support and regularly attend the Western Cheshire Local Eye Health Group (as a Service User) for over 10 years.
I have one daughter who is a P.C.S.O. in Chorley (with 2 granddaughters) and one who is a Major in the Signal Regt.
I have enjoyed many holidays to far-flung places with my husband over the last 15 years and, at home, love to spend time pottering in the garden, swimming and walking my dog.
Joe Dudley
Joe retired in 2011 following a thirty year career as a Social Worker; he has worked for two London authorities; Shropshire County Council; Telford & Wrekin Council and Wrexham Council. In Wrexham he was the manager responsible for delivering Sensory Services and worked jointly with Vision Support to develop visual impairment services locally.
He currently works part-time with a voluntary agency in Shrewsbury providing services to family carers.
He lives in Oswestry, Shropshire with his wife and they have two children.
Cllr Peter Curtis
Councillor Peter Curtis is a Labour Party member for Holywell Central with Flintshire County Council. Peter has been a Trustee of Vision Support since 2009 and is Vice Chair of Holywell High School. Peter is also Chair of Vision in Wales (formally Wales Council for the Blind), and a trustee of the Greenfield Valley Trust and the North Wales Deaf Association.
If you feel that you have skills that would contribute to the work of the Trustees and would like to join the Board please contact the Chief Executive for further details and an application form.
