Our Trustees
Gary Gordon (Chair)
Gary is currently the Head of Business Support & innovation at Calderdale Voluntary and Community where he takes responsibility for the delivery of organisational/community development within the VSI Alliance. With over 20 years’ experience in Community Building/Organisation Development and Funding Management at national and local level Gary is committed to the development of a strong VCSE Sector.
Lydia Groenewald (Vice Chair)
Lydia is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and Debt Advisor (IMA). She previously worked as a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in the audit of small and medium sized entities and latterly charities. She now supports a number of local and national charities as their Treasurer/Trustee. She is also a vicar’s wife and is very involved in their church, All Hallows in Leeds. In her role as Trustee she tries to be a critical friend, providing challenge and guidance. She is accustomed to working with organisations of limited resources but who have great enthusiasm, and looks forward to assisting WYCAS to continue, and develop, its admirable and vital work supporting many other regional organisations.
Oden Makiwa
Oden, originally from Africa, is a Healthcare professional having worked in the Health Services sector for over 20 years. He is also an entrepreneur and has been involved in starting and running 2 healthcare businesses in the UK. In addition, he is a business consultant focussing on helping new start-ups in the healthcare sector. This has developed good connections with many small to medium enterprises.
Oden is involved in missionary work around the world and devotes most of his time in giving back to the community of Yorkshire which he now considers home.
Rebecca McCormick
Rebecca is a freelance bookkeeper currently working for a church based charity in Wakefield. She has worked as a bookkeeper for over thirteen years, starting off in Construction, but since 2013 she has worked in a number of charities which is where her heart lies. She has an MA in Writing and is hoping to get published. She is looking forward to a new challenge with WYCAS.
Lucillia Grayston
Throughout my career, I have worked as a cost and management accountant. I worked as divisional accountant for the northern region of British Fuels. My career took me abroad for 28 years, from America, South East Asia and the Middle East working in management and business ownership. Most importantly whilst working abroad, I was heavily involved in the local communities, having contributed my management and people skills. I returned back to the UK in 2017 and joined the management team of the Dominica Association and treasurer of the Anah Project.
Nigel Sagar
Nigel has over 35 years’ experience in the construction industry holding a variety of roles from Site engineer to Site Manager. For the last twenty years he has held an Environmental role overseeing his employer’s environmental management system, auditing and data collection. For the last 7 years he has been directly involved in the community business sector in the Hebden Bridge area. Nigel is a Director and Treasurer of the Fox and Goose co-operative pub and a committee member of Calderdale Co-operative Association. In addition, he also has a part-time job as a Community Business Development.
Dipika Kausal
Dipika has over 20 years of experience working in leadership roles across the Charity and Public Sector. She has worked at a local, regional and national level for various organisations leading on transformation, innovation, community regeneration, system leadership and driving collaborative partnerships for social impact.
Rich Warrington
Rich has over 25 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, beginning as a neighbourhood-based community development worker before focusing on policy influencing and championing community-led social action at both local and national levels. He spent six years building strategic partnerships between social housing providers and the Chartered Institute of Housing. After a mid-career switch to primary teaching, Rich returned to the voluntary sector in 2015, joining Voluntary Action Leeds. In 2024, he became Deputy Chief Executive at NAVCA.
Ian Richardson
Ian has spent most of his working life in business for himself. He had a 14 year spell as a self employed Joiner and builder before starting Savant Distribution Ltd in 1996, importing health foods from Canada and the US and distributing the Independent Health Food Trade and multiple outlets. The business started in his spare room and quickly grew to requiring larger premises, staff and systems. He sold the company in 2010 when it was turning over several million pounds annually and employing 12 staff. So Ian has had first hand experience of the challenges faced by small growing businesses and wants to bring that experience to WYCAS to help it develop its income streams sufficiently to be able to continue its excellent work.