Our Team
Diane Williamson
Charity Manager
Diane is the manager at The Teesside Charity and has worked for the charity for over eight years. Diane is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity, including looking after our donors, supporting Mandy at events, helping Jenny with the caravans and shortlisting the funding applications.
Diane also works with Sheila to customise our reporting and database information. No day is ever the same. Diane loves connecting people and working collaboratively with other charities.
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Jenny Williams
Funding Coordinator
Jenny has worked for The Teesside Charity for the last six years and is the funding coordinator. Jenny coordinates the applications for funding and monitors how it is used.
Jenny also looks after the charity caravans at Reighton Sands Holiday Park, co-ordinating bookings and ensuring everyone has an amazing time and makes lots of memories.
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Mandy Shields
Events Manager
Mandy is The Teesside Charity’s events manager and has worked at the charity for almost eight years. Mandy organises a wide range of events, from skydiving to golf days to the Annual Ball, all to raise funds for the charity.
Mandy is great at persuading people to take part and join in, she’s our secret weapon.
Sheila Neal
Office and Finance Administrator
Sheila has worked for the charity for five years and is the office and finance administrator. She keeps our database and financial records up to date and accurate.
She is very methodical and meticulous and is our resident Sage and Salesforce expert.
+ MoreBoard of Trustees
Harriet Spalding
Chair
A proud Teessider, Harriet is both the marketing and business development manager and Investment Sales Manager of our patron, Mandale Group.
In 2017, she successfully conquered Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, raising more than £5,000 for the The Teesside charity.
Stockton-based Mandale is a leading property development and investment company, responsible for some of the best redevelopment and regeneration programmes around Teesside – and committed to helping Teesside to thrive.
Harriet is part of a company with more than 30 years’ experience in building accommodation from residential to offices, shops, leisure facilities and warehouses.
Andrew Rowe
Vice chair
Andrew is a partner in the Wynyard office and is head of accountancy & business services in the North East for Azets, the UK’s largest regional accountancy and business advisers to SMEs. He brings over 30 years of experience of advising businesses across Teesside.
Andrew grew up in Redcar where he still lives, where he has been a school governor and is chairman of the North East Chamber Redcar & Cleveland Committee.
Most weekends Andrew can be found socialising in Redcar and at the side of various football pitches around Teesside supporting his son and daughter playing for local teams in the TJFA. Once these games are over, he also supports Middlesbrough FC.
Emily Bentley
Trustee
Emily is marketing and business development manager for Stockton and Newcastle based business and personal legal firm, Jacksons Law Firm.
Emily is also director of Tees Valley Business Club, a not-for-profit organisation.
Born in Middlesbrough, Emily has studied and worked in Teesside her entire life and describes herself as passionate about the communities, people and businesses across the area.
She says she is also always willing to give time and do “crazy things” to support charity.
Alisdair Beveridge
Trustee
Energetic Alisdair first approached the charity while working as a commission-only salesman after reading a book about Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American steel giant and famous philanthropist.
The rest, as they say, is history as he is now also a committed trustee as well as a loyal patron, who is managing director of his own expanding Stockton home improvements firm The Build Directory.
Alisdair set up what is a growing and successful business with clients across Teesside, the North-East and Yorkshire.
And the passionate Teessider remains committed to helping others clear their own hurdles and have a better life through the charity, stressing: “I like to help people live their best life, and always like to be the best version of myself I can be.”
Ian Gordon
Trustee
Ian became a patron of Teesside Charity in 2017 along with wife Jayne, through their business Vitality Dental in Stokesley . Vitality is now part of Riverdale Healthcare of which Ian is a director.
Riverdale operates 59 dental practices across the North including the Alpha Dental brand of practices which operates practices in Fairfield and Eston in the Teesside region
Ian hails from Stokesley , graduated as a dentist from Newcastle in 1984 and has worked in the Teesside area since, previously establishing dental surgeries and practising in Guisborough, Eaglescliffe and central Middlesbrough.
He currently works clinically at Vitality Dental in Stokesley and maintains roles as dental director of the expanding Riverdale Group and as a dento-legal advisor. He is involved in both local and national dental politics and as an advisor to a Corporate dental trade association , The Association of Dental Groups.
Ian and Jayne have lived in Osmotherley for the last 12 years and might one day be regarded as locals!
A lifelong Middlesbrough fan Ian flies the flag for Teesside and the North East whenever possible and is delighted to be involved with the charity as a patron and trustee.
Sarah Hale
Trustee
Sarah is chief financial officer of px Group, a leading provider of services in the process, energy and high complexity industrial sectors. Born in East Cleveland, Sarah began her career in 2004 and qualified as a charted accountant in 2007.
Graduating from Newcastle University and working for several different businesses in the North East, Sarah has never strayed far from her Teesside roots.
Sarah became a trustee of The Teesside Charity in 2022, continuing the px Groups involvement with the charity after colleague Dave Henderson stepped down as trustee. As a proud Teessider, Sarah is delighted to be involved with the charity and is really looking forward to making a difference in any way she can.
Sarah resides in Saltburn with her partner and two children, and she spends her spare time exercising and showcasing her musical talents at the Cleveland philharmonic orchestra.
Dr Bill Scott OBE
Trustee
Dr Bill Scott OBE is chief executive of Wilton Universal Group and honorary doctor of business administration at Teesside University. Born in Middlesbrough, Bill is particularly proud of his Teesside roots and devotes a lot of his time to giving something back to the community.
His biggest passion is to inspire the next generation, and in that regard, he engages with schools, colleges and universities.
At the age of 32, Bill teamed up with his business partner Steve Glenn to set up Wilton Engineering with grand plans for company growth. After beginning his career as an apprentice, the Wilton Universal Group has allowed him to come full circle and offer the same opportunities that were once offered to him to the next generation.
Bill was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2019 for services to the Engineering and Offshore Wind Sector and to the community on Teesside. When he’s not running a business, championing the region or winning awards you’ll find Bill northern soul dancing.
Ian Stark
Trustee
Leicestershire-born Ian is CEO of chemical company Chemoxy and a passionate Teessider, having spent the last 40 years living and working in our region.
He first came to the area in 1980 to work in Hartlepool after studying chemistry in Nottingham, and was involved in the acquisition and sales of various companies as commercial director and MD before being part of a management buyout of Chemoxy in 2011.
A personal patron of our charity along with wife Adrienne, Ian remained CEO of Chemoxy after the company was sold to a French multinational in 2017.
A fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and member of the NEPIC leadership team, he has several angel investments on Teesside in the plastics recycling and water conservation sectors, and is also a partner in lavishly restored village pub The Devonport, Middleton-One-Row.
Stephen Smith
Trustee
A born and bred Teessider, Stephen Smith, has lived on Teesside all his life. Passionate about the area, he has been a personal patron of the charity with his wife Angela since 2018.
Following his departure after a successful career as CEO of Northgate plc for 11 years, Stephen began building a portfolio of non-executive roles with medium sized private and public companies including Ramsdens Holding plc, Secured Mail, Procomm Site Services Ltd, Nixon Hire Ltd and Transflex Vehicle Rental. Now semi -retired, Stephen remains a chairman of Kitwave Group plc.
A lifelong Middlesbrough Football Club fan, and a golf and travel enthusiast, Stephen is a proud Teessider and delighted to be involved with the charity, as a patron and trustee.
Helen Lyne
Trustee
Helen Lyne is a dispute resolution partner specialising in dispute resolution and business protection and is enthusiastic about supporting businesses across Teesside in their growth strategies.
Passionate about Teesside, Helen has supported The Teesside Charity throughout her career, first raising funds when she was president of the Tees Valley Law Society in 2016 and taking part in various fundraising activities and appeals since.
Helen has always had a special place in her heart for The Teesside Charity, and she is thrilled to be involved with it and ready to help in any way she can.
In her free time, Helen enjoys strolling with her beloved Labrador and exploring Teesside’s best dog-friendly spots.
James Robson MBE
Trustee
Born 4,400 miles away in Port of Spain, Trinidad, James has always felt his home was here in Teesside, where his grandfather and father were both born.
James relocated to Teesside from Leeds, where he had studied at university, after securing a job with a small chemical distribution company (now Univar).
In 1992, after being made redundant, James founded Exwold Technology, a chemical formulation business based in Hartlepool and Billingham. Today, the company has grown to employ 130 people.
James, along with his wife Elizabeth, is a dedicated patron of The Teesside Charity. Together, they have two daughters and are deeply committed to giving back to the community.
James has served as a governor at Red House School in Norton and Richmond School and currently sits on the executive board of South West Durham Training in Newton Aycliffe. His other roles include non-executive board positions at The Entrepreneurs’ Forum and NEPIC.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth granted James the title of MBE in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to North East business. He continues fulfilling this role and is proud of this achievement.