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AJN's Trustees' Profiles bring communities together
Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE OD DL Chair
Dr Lindsay was born in St Thomas, Jamaica and came to the UK in the 1960’s to join her parents and complete her secondary education. Throughout her career and the building of her travel agent business, Diamond Travel, Dr Lindsay has always found time and energy to provide a selfless service to the development of her local community and her beloved country – Jamaica.
In 2008 Beverly was awarded a National Honour by The Jamaican Government
–Order of Distinction (OD). In 2011 Honoured by Her Majesty The Queen with Order of British Empire (OBE), and made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the West Midlands in 2013.
In July 2017 Ms Lindsay made history once when she was appointed as Vice
Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands for a three year term, the first female Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands in the 500 years history of that role and in that same month, received two honorary doctorates from Aston University and Birmingham City University.
Dr Lindsay is a School Governor of King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls Academy and former Trustee of King Solomon International Business School and is a Patron of three charities and supports many others both here in the UK as well in her beloved Jamaica.
Dr Lindsay is a committed Christian and is a longstanding member of the New
Testament Church of God, Handsworth Birmingham.
Rev Carlton Ellis JP Treasurer
Rev Carlton has a background in Accountancy. Having worked for over thirty-five years in a large manufacturing company, he has been involved in various types of voluntary community work over many years. This includes being a member of the Independent Monitoring Board at Birmingham prison. A board member of the former Drum arts centre for ten years. Rev Ellis also sat as member of the Birmingham Employment Tribunal. For over thirty-five years he sat as a Magistrate in the Birmingham Magistrate Courts and this included sitting on The Lord Chancellors Advisory Committee. Rev Ellis has also been a member of a local Pentecostal church and have been one of its leaders for over thirty years. For over fifteen years he has been involved with the Association of Jamaican Nationals as treasurer and Committee member.
Mrs Cythnia Spence Charity Secretary
Mrs Spence has lived and worked in Birmingham for 49 years and her working life includes banking, the private sector, and Local Government (Housing); she retired after 29 years of service. Mrs Spence has been involved in several voluntary community work over many years, including School and Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust Governor (E-ACT) at the Heartlands Academy, Birmingham, Birmingham Diocesan Board of Education (Church of England Religious Education Board), Board Member and Chair of Operations Committee of Nehemiah UCHA. She is founder and Committee Member of Gateway to Succeed (GTS) a local group set up to provide support, mentoring and providing bespoke training and development programmes for young girls/women at the New Testament Church of God (Handsworth) and holds a number of leadership post in her local church. Mrs Spence is also one of the Co-founder’s Trustee and Operations Director for SHAPE Women’s refuge, a local Charity in Birmingham as well as Coordinator of the Villa Cross Soup Kitchen (VCSK) a community initiative set up to support the homeless and those in need in the local community.
AJN's Management Committee Profiles
Mr Tony Kerr Vice Chair
Mr Kerr has over thirty-five years’ experience in Financial Services, Business Advice, and Directorship in Private and Public Sector. Mr Kerr is an adept Business and Financial Individual who is currently semi-retired. Mr Kerr was a member of the HM Forces, Non-Executive Director of Enterprise Agency and served on several NHS Trust Boards for a number of years.
Mrs Pauline Lewars Public Relations
Mrs Lewars was born in St. James, Jamaica and moved to the UK in the late 1960’s to join her parents who had settled in Birmingham. Mrs Lewars is qualified in Social work and Youth & Community Work, as well as a qualified Counsellor, Mentor and Advocate. Mrs Lewars has worked in various capacities within the statutory and voluntary sectors spanning over 36 years. Mrs Lewars has served as a school Governor at several schools in Sandwell and Birmingham and for the last 6 years has been assisting the Honorary Consulate of Jamaica in Birmingham as a Consular officer. Mrs Lewars has been a member of AJN management committee since 2013.
Mrs Karen Duke-Thompson Administration/Membership
Mrs Duke-Thompson is an Administrator and Project Manager who has been working in the Telecom Industry for 13 years. She was a Civil Servant working for the Ministry of Finance Customs Department in Jamaica for 5 years before leaving for the UK. Mrs Duke-Thompson attended the University of Technology (Jamaica) where she achieved a Degree in Business Administration. Mrs Duke-Thompson has been living in the UK for 19 years and has been a member of the AJN for over 10 years. She is a Sunday School Teacher at her local church, volunteer community worker and is involved in the Parents Association of her children’s schools. Mrs Duke-Thompson has three sons aged 16 and 11 (twins).girls/women at the New Testament Church of God (Handsworth) and holds a number of leadership post in her local church.
AJN's Management Committee Profiles
PROF MARTIN LEVERMORE MBE DL COMMITTEE MEMBER
Prof Martin has recently been appointed by the Home Office as its Independent Person to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, he is also Vice Chair to Nehemiah United Churches Housing Association (UCHA) (Nehemiah Housing (nehemiah-ucha.co.uk), CEO of Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTI) and Chair of Medilink Midlands the largest life science network in the UK. Martin's commitment towards eradicating inequalities see him working as a Trustee for New Roots a Homeless Charity whilst supporting the activities of the Commonwealth as Director of the Birmingham Commonwealth Association (BCA). Martin is a Senior Associate of Royal Society of Medicine, a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Martin has been published widely in several academic journals and hold appointments with Birmingham City University (BCU) as Visiting Professor for Health, Education and Life Science and Honorary Consultant for Health Innovations with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the West Midlands in 2018.
AJN's Management Committee Profiles
Mr Stephen Brooks Committee Member
Stephen has worked within the Social Enterprise and Community Education sector for over twenty-five years and has initiated several personal development initiatives, accredited mentoring programs, social enterprise and business courses. He is the Pastor of Mount Peniel Church in Stafford.
He is a board member of several national and regional organisations including the Black Country Urban Industrial Mission and The Amos Bursary.
His work has been recognised by several institutions including the Jamaican High Commission; West Midlands Fire Service, Citizens UK for his outstanding contribution to the community.
He is currently the Regional Director of the Amos Bursary and an Ordained Minister of Religion and a regular feature writer for Keep the Faith one of Britain’s leading Christian magazines.
His overwhelming passion is to help people and organisations move from Potential to Performance.
AJN's Patron & Honorary President
Lord Bill Morris OJ DL Patron
Lord Bill Morris OJ DL Patron
Lord Bill Morris OJ DL Patron
"Son of Jamaica" is how Bill Morris is described on a health centre plaque in rural
Jamaica. Born in Bombay, Jamaica, he came to England at 16 and began the
steady climb which led to him being described as "probably the most influential
black person in Britain". Best known as the General Secretary of the Transport
and General Workers Union, h
"Son of Jamaica" is how Bill Morris is described on a health centre plaque in rural
Jamaica. Born in Bombay, Jamaica, he came to England at 16 and began the
steady climb which led to him being described as "probably the most influential
black person in Britain". Best known as the General Secretary of the Transport
and General Workers Union, he has held directorships of the Bank of England and
the England and Wales Cricket Board, and his passion for education led him to
become Chancellor of both the University of Technology, Jamaica and Staffordshire
University, England; now retired from both posts.
Professor Sir Geoff Palmer obe cd dsc Honorary President
Lord Bill Morris OJ DL Patron
Lord Bill Morris OJ DL Patron
Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer CD, OBE, DSc arrived in London as an immigrant from Jamaica in 1955 to re-join his mother who left Jamaica in 1948.
After leaving school in London in 1958, he worked and attended evening classes
to improve his qualifications. He subsequently entered Leicester, Edinburgh and Heriot Watt Universities where
Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer CD, OBE, DSc arrived in London as an immigrant from Jamaica in 1955 to re-join his mother who left Jamaica in 1948.
After leaving school in London in 1958, he worked and attended evening classes
to improve his qualifications. He subsequently entered Leicester, Edinburgh and Heriot Watt Universities where he gained BSc, PhD and DSc degrees, respectively.
Sir Geoff is a Board Member of various organisations and is Patron of the
Association of Jamaican Nationals (Birmingham) UK. He has published books on
different subjects and has received various research, academic and community
awards. Professor Palmer is an Honorary Freeman of Midlothian, Scotland. He
gained his OBE in 2003, CD of Jamaica in 2020 and was Knighted in 2014 for his
contributions to Science, Charity and Human Rights.
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