Contact us
Telephone
01245 268 303
Email
info@cityofchelmsfordmencap.co.uk
Board of Trustees
CCM has a strong trustee team of knowledgeable and passionate volunteers who share their expertise for the benefit of our staff and service users alike. The Board helps to make a valuable difference to the lives of those who depend upon our charity.
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Our Board
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to the trustee's biography
Chris Newson
Acting Chair and Treasurer
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Vivien Molulu
Secretary to the Board and Governance Lead
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Lucy Burgess
Trustee
Ruth Thompson
Trustee
Sharon Symon
Trustee
HR Lead
Meet our Trustees
Chris Newson
Acting Chair of Trustees and Treasurer
Chris Newson was born and educated in Essex. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant before joining the first UK financial services regulator, IMRO. After two years, he moved into financial service businesses and accumulated over 25 years’ experience working at fund managers and investment banks such as Janus Henderson, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup. During this time he was a regular speaker at conferences and actively involved with industry bodies, including lobbying regulators and tax authorities.
In 2019, Chris started work as a consultant for major fund management firms, helping them improve profitability and compliance with new regulations. He also used his extensive knowledge and skills to help a friend set up a charity to promote the interests of people with disabilities in the local community and continues to be both treasurer and trustee for that charity.
In 2021, Chris started working with the Altilium Metals group and is now the Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer. However, he was keen to extend his involvement with local charities, so he joined the board of trustees at City of Chelmsford Mencap as treasurer in 2022. He was appointed Vice Chair in September 2024 and Acting Chair in April 2026.
As Treasurer, Chris works closely with CCM’s Financial Administrator to oversee the charity’s financial affairs and ensure that the other trustees and senior CCM staff have a good understanding of the fiscal position of the charity. When he is able, he enjoys helping out at the charity’s services, including driving the minibus to outings and the allotment, where he shares his horticultural skills with students.
As Vice Chair, Chris liaises with the Chair to oversee the development of the charity and to support the Board and senior management team.
In his spare time, Chris enjoys open water swimming, dog walking and gardening.
Vivien Molulu
Secretary to the Board and Governance Lead
A resident of Chelmsford, Vivien began her career as a chartered accountant, spending a decade in the financial services sector. She held key roles at major institutions, including Santander Bank, The Bank of New York Mellon, GE Capital, and Euler Hermes, where she specialised in financial analysis, strategic reporting, and risk assessment.
In 2009, Vivien transitioned to the NHS as a finance manager, marking the start of a 14-year career to date dedicated to healthcare transformation. She has since held leadership roles across NHS South East Essex Commissioning and other regional bodies, leading programme management offices and driving large-scale transformation initiatives. Her work has focused on enhancing efficiency, optimising performance, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders.
Vivien holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Economics, complementing her expertise in financial modelling, change management, and data analytics. Her contributions have led to improved service delivery and greater healthcare equity.
A passionate advocate for inclusive and effective community services, Vivien has led initiatives tackling health disparities and improving access to care. Her work in cancer awareness and screening, long COVID services, and quality improvement programmes has demonstrated her commitment to making a meaningful impact on public health and service accessibility.
In June 2025, Vivien was appointed Secretary to the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee. Vivien uses her expertise and enthusiasm to support City of Chelmsford Mencap in continuing to deliver its vital services and empower people with a learning disability in our community to live life to the fullest.
Lucy Burgess
Trustee
Lucy has over 10 years of experience in the charity sector. As Event Fundraiser with The J’s Hospice, then Havens Hospices, she worked on a variety of major fundraising events, including the Chelmsford Marathon and Pedal for The J’s. Through this role, Lucy developed organisation skills, budgeting, risk management and supporter development, encouraging engagement and sponsorship through persuasive supporter communications.
Currently serving as Fundraising Manager at Gingerbread, a national charity that supports single parent families. In her role, Lucy manages a diverse portfolio of funders maintaining strong relationships through thoughtful stewardship, emotive applications and detailed reporting.
Outside of work, Lucy enjoys playing her guitar, dancing, making cards and trips to Devon in her campervan.
Having fed into organisational budgets from the front line, Lucy is eager to develop and expand her awareness of the role trustees play in charity finance. She is also passionate about bringing her fundraising experience to board level for a local charity serving her community. With a personal connection to learning disability through her aunt, who had Down Syndrome, she feels City of Chelmsford Mencap is a perfect fit.
Lucy plans to use her keen understanding of the importance of inclusive support and social opportunities for people affected by learning disability to develop her interest in charity governance. She is excited to contribute her skills to City of Chelmsford Mencap to help broaden and diversify the charity’s income and increase financial stability.
Ruth Thompson
Trustee
Ruth’s entire career has involved supporting people and families with neurological conditions, from learning disability and autistic spectrum disorders to her current role in a dementia charity. Ruth has had various roles ranging from frontline social care work to writing legal documentation to provide young people with the SEN support to which they are entitled. Her current role involves leading carers’ support services, ensuring that carers of people with dementia have the information and support they need to navigate the journey they have found themselves on. As part of this role, Ruth delivers various training courses to individuals and organisations supporting people with dementia.
Ruth has two dogs and loves nothing more than long walks in the countryside with them. She also loves
to crochet and to escape to various places across the world with her family when the opportunities arise.
Ruth’s drive to support City of Chelmsford Mencap comes from her career and seeing first-hand the impact of the charity. Having worked within the social care and charitable sectors, she looks forward to using her experience and skills to support City of Chelmsford Mencap and to offering strategic guidance to help the charity to continue to grow and fulfil its vision and mission. Ruth supports staff and volunteers with a variety of initiatives.
Sharon Symon
Trustee and HR Lead
Sharon’s first career in her native Scotland was in sales and marketing, during which she worked for the building trade and a pharmaceutical company. She then went to university as a mature student to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming a Speech and Language Therapist. Throughout her 20 year career, Sharon worked for community learning disability teams, including three years as Professional Lead. Her roles included assessing and managing communication difficulties, contributing to the management of complex swallowing difficulties and writing and delivering training packages for colleagues, carers and families.
In addition to her main role, Sharon has been involved with young people and performing arts for the last 15 years. Sharon owned a theatre school in Scotland and now manages a school owned by her daughter. Sharon’s other interests are gardening and her many grandchildren!
Sharon is keen to use her professional knowledge and experiences to benefit CCM and its service users as she is aware there is still work to do to ensure people with a learning disability have equal access to the opportunities others take for granted. She believes that providing really good quality services is protective and supportive and can be the difference between a “happy life” and not. She has a particular interest in carrying out meaningful conversations with service users and ensuring they are included in decision making. Sharon chairs CCM's HR Committee and also uses her skills, voice and energy to assist with the development of CCM’s services.
Acting Chair and Treasurer
Secretary to the Board
Trustee
Acting Chair and Treasurer