Trustees

Katy Harper

Trustee Director

Katy Harper trained and worked in the fashion industry for 25 years at leading international fashion prediction agencies as both a General Manager and at Director level, managing divisions, overseeing cost control, running the administrative functions and a global network of sales agents. She has been a Visiting Lecturer at Kingston University and London College of Fashion and was External Examiner at Southampton Solent University for 3 years. Her interest in education led her to become Vice Chair of Governors at an Islington primary school. Latterly her administrative skills have been utilised at a London branding agency where she is Studio Manager. Katy became involved in HOPE after editing Bill Lathorn’s heritage book of family recipes for the charity and is privileged to be a trustee of HOPE UK.

Brendan Mackinney

Trustee Director and Treasurer

Brendan worked in the banking industry for 27 years most recently as a Chief Operating Officer in Wholesale, Private and Trade Finance banks. His roles involved considerable international experience offering services in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. After a short break Brendan is now an independent consultant currently working for clients in telecoms and finance.

After many years supporting charities that predominantly focus on providing education and support for people that require assistance in both the UK and abroad, which included attending fund raising events for the Hope Foundation, Brendan was delighted to take the opportunity in 2018 to apply his experience and skills as Trustee and Treasurer of the Hope Foundation in the UK.

Phil Mumby

Chairperson and Trustee Director

I am engaged with Hope Foundation for street-connected children because I have seen at first hand the plight of the street-connected children in Kolkata, and witnessed how Hope help them escape poverty and exploitation, reaching better lives through care and education. I feel that we in the West should help these innocent children of the world. I became involved after a chance meeting with the Hope founder Maureen Forrest when I was with HSBC Bank, visiting our credit underwriting team in Kolkata. The HSBC teams I worked with in the UK and India began fund-raising for Hope and supporting Hope India’s work with the children locally. I became a Trustee Director after retiring from HSBC in 2014. I support other UK facing charities too, but Hope has a special resonance for me. The people of Kolkata face many challenges, but they are really warm and engaging too and they greatly appreciate the support and encouragement they receive.

Maureen Forrest

Trustee Director

Maureen Forrest, Cork woman, mother, grandmother and founder of The Hope Foundation, has spent her life working to make life better for people across the world and is guided by a vision for ‘a world where it should never hurt to be a child’. The Hope Foundation (HOPE), an Irish charity, was established by Maureen in 1999 to help the street-connected children of Kolkata. Today, under Maureen’s strategic vision and leadership, HOPE has provided shelter, education, healthcare and drug rehabilitation to hundreds of thousands of children and adults in India.

Martin Venables

Trustee Director

Martin is a financial services professional, specialising in project management, strategy and product development. Martin works with Lloyds Banking Group in Wholesale Banking, at Executive and Board levels and his previous roles have been at RBS Private Banking, KPMG and Barclays. Martin’s focus is on improving business performance and he has a reputation for bringing new ideas and products to market.
In his gap year Martin volunteered at a school and skills training centre for the physically handicapped in India, so is aware of the plight of street-connected children. Martin offered Hope some pro bono time to help develop the business plan and, impressed by what he saw, was delighted to become a trustee in 2010.

Karen Sims

Trustee Director

Karen is a graphic and interior designer with over 25 years experience in London, New York and Toronto. She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts. Karen has also been involved in voluntary work in Education since 1998 as a school governor in both primary and secondary schools and sits on pan London school disciplinary and admissions appeals hearings. As a mother of three daughters, Karen is keenly aware of the desperate plight of street-connected children in Kolkata and is passionate about the excellent work being done by The Hope Foundation, not only in their compassionate recognition of street-connected children’s needs, but in their vital work of breaking the cycle of poverty through education and links with the local community and government.

Tim Leahy

Trustee Director

Tim is owner and Managing Director of London branding agency LBD. His background in creating brands, creative thinking and design offers the Hope Foundation support in the area of communication and telling the “Hope effect” and story to a wider audience. He has worked in London, New York and Toronto and has offices in London and Singapore. Having been introduced to The Hope Foundation through various fundraising events both in Dublin and London over several years, Tim is proud to be involved in this very successful and inspiring organisation.