James Smyllie,
Chair of the Trustees

Jim has been Chair of the Trustees since Kaloko Trust UK's foundation, and became involved with the charity through his friendship with its founding director.

Jim is Executive Director Regional Delivery for Natural England, the organisation which protects and enhances the natural environment across the country, and has specialist knowledge on environmental protection issues. Jim previously worked in several senior jobs in Westminster, and before that in the NHS and independent sector. He is also a published writer.

 

Jean Blackstock, Trustee

With a career in human resources spanning more than 24 years, Jean has specific expertise in ensuring the effectiveness of organisations, and has served on the boards of numerous institutions in Britain and Jamaica.

Volunteering her skills to Oxfam after the 2005 tsunami, Jean spent two weeks conducting interviews to recruit emergency staff for Indonesia. She later undertook other charity sector consultancy work including an assignment in West Africa.

She is currently reading for a Doctorate in Leadership and Organisational Culture at Surrey University.

Domino Champe, Trustee

Domino has been on the board of Trustees since 2001. Originally from Zambia, he has been in the UK for 34 years, so is well-placed to advise on Anglo-Zambian relations. As a Director of a Mortgage Company he is also an invaluable source of financial advice.

Although now living in the UK his heart is in Zambia, and he supports Kaloko's efforts to improve livelihoods in his native country.

 

Rajesh Chaudhary, Trustee

Raj is an investment analyst and has had a long career in assessing the issues facing developing countries and in identifying opportunities to maximise the use of available resources.

While studying at Christ's College, Cambridge he wrote a Specialist paper on The Economics of International Development. Raj also has an MBA from Berkley, California.

Born in Kitwe on the Copperbelt, where he lived until 1997, Raj also carries a personal understanding of the challenges confronting the people of Zambia. Raj and his wife have been stalwart Kaloko supporters for some years.

Chris Clarkson, Trustee

Chris qualified as an Accountant in 1980 and is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He has worked in financial management for 29 years including 10 in industry and 19 in the charity sector.

His voluntary sector experience is mainly in overseas development including: three years in Southern Sudan as a volunteer with Voluntary Service Overseas; nine years working for ActionAid, three of them spent in Sierra Leone; and seven years working as Head of Finance for small NGOs. Chris has been Kaloko’s Treasurer since 2000.

Chris changed career and completed training as a Nurse in September 2008, while maintaining a keen interest in development in Africa.

Amy Sheehan, Trustee

Amy joined Kaloko in 2004, as our HIV/AIDS specialist. She has worked in international development for six years, with a particular focus on community-based responses to HIV. Amy is currently the HIV Programme Funding Manager at Christian Aid.

Amy has also spent time living and working on a community project in a small village in Ghana. Prior to this, she worked for several years in programme funding for national UK-based charities including Mind, the mental health charity.

Dr Katy Steward, Trustee

Katy leads and develops leadership programmes in the NHS. She is a change management consultant with particular experience of working in the financial sector but with a strong record of success in the public and private sector. Katy has a PhD and MBA. She works with boards, developed the Code of Governance for Foundation Trusts and has a detailed insight into the challenges facing the NHS.

Katy's particular experience includes change management, organisation development and leadership. She is closely involved, along with her husband, in running a successful chain of independent bookshops that they set up in 1989.

Katy has a long-held interest in Third World development: her academic background is in Social Anthropology and early in her career she worked for a specialist consultancy operating in developing countries.

Tom Ventham, Trustee

Tom is the son of a farmer and was passionate about agriculture from a young age. Following an Agriculture degree he travelled around the world during his early 20s, visiting Malawi in 1991 where he developed a love of Africa. On his return to the UK he took a Tropical Agriculture masters course which included a placement in Zimbabwe.

Tom volunteered at Kaloko Trust Zambia from 1995-98 where he set up the cheese making facilities, developed the vehicle workshop and pursued his interest in farming.

On his return to the UK, Tom worked to wind down his father’s farm before taking on the community supported, biodynamic Plaw Hatch farm nine years ago. He rears a range of livestock for meat and dairy, grows arable crops and still makes cheese.