Our People

Mike is educated to degree level in Law and has been a qualified Solicitor of the Supreme Court for nearly 40 years’. He previously worked in general property and commercial law but after finding his passion for work that can improve the lives of others, he began his 35 year career working specifically for housing associations. Mike has been engaging in charity and voluntary work to support a range of organisations for over 25 years.

In 2006 he became Manchester office Managing Partner at Trowers & Hamlins. He retired in 2019 and has been our Chair  since January 2018.

Maggie is a management consultant who delivers leadership development programmes in the housing and health sectors. She has worked at Director level in both Housing Associations and Local Authorities, and has experience of governance in a range of settings.

With a strong commitment to tackling poverty and improving quality of life in communities, Maggie is interested in making connections between health, housing and social issues. She loves running, art, walking on the moors and playing the piano.

Ged is the Executive Director of Valette’s Business School Manchester and has established five successful businesses. Ged’s consultancy assignments have included projects with many corporates and the British Council. In recent years, his work has taken him to many countries, worldwide.

His research interests include career transition, dimensions of business strategy and city branding. Ged has served as board member for three not-for-profit organisations.

John has his own consultancy business and is also involved in the charity sector, having been president of a community charity. John is a recognised mentor and consultant. He believes in giving back to the community, which is his motivation for being on the board of TLC: Talk, Listen, Change.

Alvin is a Chartered Manager and IRCA certified Lead Auditor with extensive experience of business improvement, risk management and change management.

Barbara is a partner in the chartered accountancy firm Topping Partnership situated in Salford Quays.

Adiba is a Health Development Coordinator working for the Manchester Local Care Organisation. Adiba has experience in working in community development, one-to-one health coaching and developing partnerships across different sectors to reduce health inequalities in Manchester.

My name is Grant, and I’m one of the new trustees at TLC. Originally, I’m from South Shields on the Northeast coast, which is in fact where the Great North Run ends, however I’m not based there anymore as I’ve moved up and down the country as part of my work. 

My professional background is mainly procurement supply chain, and I’ve been doing that for over twenty-five years. The majority of that was with a company called GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and more recently with the Co-Operative group where I’ve been for about four years now.  

I picked TLC because I’ve worked with organizations with a really strong purpose, and TLC really engaged me with their mission. I personally believe we need the amazing services that TLC deliver to be open to as many people as possible.  

I’m Carolyn Blunt, and I’m delighted to be joining TLC as a trustee. I’m from Preston, Lancashire, and I’ve lived in the Northwest all my life. I currently work for a company called Davies, and my background is learning and development.

I’ve been in learning and development my whole career: I’m a learning consultant by trade. I’ve done lots of different designs and delivery; I’ve been an exec coach, a life coach, a motivational speaker, and an author. I do a lot of work in business development: I’m an entrepreneur by background, and that’s what I’d like to get involved with at TLC.  

I would like to support TLC in growing its services and getting it out to more people because I think the work it does is fantastic.  

My name is Charlotte, I am originally from Newcastle but currently live in London.

I started out as a wedding planner, which was amazing – I got to have some great experiences. It taught me a lot about running my own business as well, which I then took into the world of start-ups. I have since worked in various start-ups, building teams, putting lots of processes in place, and developing strategies, which I really enjoyed. I am really passionate about problem-solving and bringing creative ideas to life.  

Personally, I can usually be found playing some form of sport or watching some form of sport. It’s just a really big part of my life, that providers a great outlet for whatever else is going on in the world.  

 I really believe that safe, healthy, and happy relationships are the bedrock on which we can build the rest of our lives. Having those relationships in the strongest place possible allows us to be the happiest and most fulfilled versions of ourselves, which really is just the most important thing. I think the work that TLC does across northern England is unrivalled, and the fact that it gives us the opportunity to strive for safe, healthy, and happy relationships is incredible and I’m really excited to be a part of that.  

My name is Sarah Ingleby; I’m from North London but lived in Manchester since 1994, via Wirral, a bit of Liverpool, and Leicester.   

Professionally, I started to be a student nurse in 1990 for a variety of jobs, working in attentive care, then leading projects in IT, children’s services, and then more operationally, supporting A&E, medicine, and surgery. Presently I’m the Divisional Director of Nursing for Tertiary Medicine at Salford Care Organisation, which is Northern Care Alliance.  

 Working with TLC will be a great opportunity: the ethos of safe, healthy, and happy relationships is one I absolutely aspire to in my personal and professional life. The energy, enthusiasm, and drive of the teams are tangible, and the culture is fantastic. I’m really excited about working with them going forward.  

My name is Chong Liu. I am originally from Tianjin, China. Since 2015, I have been living in the UK for my master’s and PhD degrees, respectively in Birmingham and Leeds. 

I am a sociologist doing research about young people, sexuality education and social stratification. Besides, I also have experience performing as sexuality education tutor, consultant and project coordinator cooperating with various organisations. In my personal life, I am a bookworm. I say hi to all animals I meet. 

TLC’s work attracted me (to this role) when I first checked its website. Especially as a person researching sexuality education and young people’s sexuality and relationship experiences, I could not find any better place to transfer my capacity from academia to the practical field.