Our Trustees

Steve joined the board in September 2019 and took over as chairman in January 2020.

Prior to leaving full-time work in 2017, Steve had a long career in the international telecoms industry based in the UK and the US. He took a break in 2011 and then switched direction to lead a national non-profit in the charity fundraising sector. He has experience in leading and growing organisations, online technology, fundraising and advocacy. In the past few years, he has served as a local primary school governor and business mentor for the Prince’s Trust but is now focusing his energies on YMCA.

He became interested in YMCA because of its commitment to helping young people regardless of circumstance and background and its deep understanding of the complex factors that affect their lives, along with its professionalism and wide range of services.

Andy Lucas joined the YMCA Board in 2015. He has over 25 years of commercial experience focused around marketing, sales, customer service and IT from roles in public, private and not for profit organisations. Andy currently works as a Director of a Cambridge-based financial services organisation, which also brings him into active involvement with a number of Cambridgeshire-based charities and voluntary organisations.

Andy has also been an active volunteer in working with young people for most of his adult life, with different Christian organisations and firmly believes in giving people the right support and challenge to help them understand and achieve their potential – an equally important aim he’s had for his family as they’ve been growing up. He wants to use his skills and experience in continuing to develop still further the range, reach and quality of the services YMCA can offer, building on the substantial success already achieved.

Antonia Maclean joined the Board of YMCA in 2011. She runs an organisation effectiveness company and lives near Peterborough. Her background in the organisation of business and board development has assisted with our YMCA Board’s work in the last 18 months. Antonia sits on the Oversight committee, is involved in trustee recruitment and is looking at how to increase the participation of young people at Board level.

She is involved in YMCA Trinity Group because she wants to contribute to an organisation that gives the variety of young people another chance to achieve a better life with prospects for themselves. She is impressed by the leading edge projects YMCA do in a range of communities across Cambridgeshire. Antonia’s other voluntary activities include being Chair of a Building Preservation Trust, near Peterborough.

Chris Wilkinson joined the Board of YMCA in December 2018. She started her career in nursing after leaving school and has worked for the NHS for over 40 years. She has worked as an executive director and Chief Nurse in acute hospitals in Cambridgeshire and more recently as a health care consultant. She has experience in patient care quality improvement, clinical leadership and governance for quality, education and corporate functions. With a strong commitment to continuing personal and professional development she has enjoyed providing coaching services and co-ordinating leadership development courses for Cambridge University Health Partners.

Chris is mother to a son who has recently undergone the challenging process of finding employment after completing University studies. She has a high commitment to health and welfare for people and is pleased to use her NHS experiences to inform her work as a Trustee with YMCA, particularly in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and young people.

Tracy Simpson joined the Board of YMCA in July 2020 and sits on the Oversight Committee.

Tracy has over 30 years’ experience working within the Financial Services Sector. She started her career in financial services straight out of high school never believing she was college/university material – but with solid family support and opportunities for development presented to her through great employers, she has increasingly carved out a career which has not only provided security for her and her daughter but also one she has loved.

Her work experience focuses mainly around team leadership, customer service, business development, housing and risk management and just as important softer skills including kindness, mutual respect and encouragement. At the current time Tracy works for a Cambridge based organisation and has been closely involved with community based initiatives including assisting local young people with housing, homelessness and mental health.

Tracy lives in Essex and has one daughter in her twenties, who has recently started a career in mental health, specifically working with under 18s. Tracy is passionate about being able to help young people who are not fortunate enough to have the level of support she and her daughter have had.

This is Tracy’s first role as a Trustee and she is extremely excited to use her skills and experience to contribute to an organisation whose values are focused on enabling and encouraging young people to excel. The teams working at YMCA have hugely impressed Tracy with their commitment to deliver YMCA’s mission of Inspiring Communities, Transforming Young Lives.

Jo Mills joined the Board of YMCA in 2023. She brings a wealth of experience having worked at a senior level in the affordable and supported housing sector for more than 20 years, including as Director of Housing and Care Services for a housing association in Cambridgeshire. She was Director of Planning and New Communities for South Cambridgeshire District Council from 2008-2015, and more recently has worked on a consultancy basis in the housing and development sector. She is currently strategic adviser for a national construction company providing support to its decarbonisation team. Jo is also an executive coach and qualified social worker.

Jo was keen to become involved in YMCA Trinity Group because she is strongly committed to providing high quality housing and support options for young people, who need assistance at this critical stage in their lives.

Jo is actively involved in her local community and is part of the Hardship Team in her village, offering small grants and support to local residents. Jo has two grown-up children.

Ann joined the YMCA in 2021 and had worked in the NHS in leadership positions for nearly 40 years after doing a history degree at Cambridge.

She ran hospitals in London including the first acute hospital to achieve outstanding in the capital; a community Trust and the London Ambulance Service as well as large commissioning NHS organisations and latterly was the Regional Director for the NHS in the East of England. This gave her responsibility for all the NHS operations and strategy across the 6.5million people of the region. The last two years have been committed to leading the response to Covid19 including the roll out of the vaccine programme; the introduction of new services to treat covid and the after effects of covid and development of new responses to a unique challenge.

She now undertakes executive coaching for very senior leaders within the NHS seeking to support them to enhance their skills and respond to the current challenges.

Ann has two grown up sons, one of whom lives and works in Cambridge.

Ann’s roles have involved her working with a wide variety of communities and groups in some of the most complex and deprived parts of London; seeking to understand needs and create health services which not give a rapid response today but also create healthier and stronger individuals and families for the longer term. Both from her work and family experience she has developed a strong passion for improving mental health services and community support especially to young people.