Trustees
Our Board of Trustees are a group of volunteers who have an important role to play in the governance of the charity:
Providing oversight to ensure the charity continues to serve its population with effective services and meets its charitable objectives
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the charity through effective risk and financial oversight
Providing support and advice to the senior team
Become a Trustee
We're looking for dedicated and passionate people to join our Board of Trustees.
We want our Board to reflect the diverse communities we serve and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences.
If you share our passion for creating safer communities and want to play a vital role in our journey, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more here https://www.fearfree.org.uk/careers/charity-trustees/
Maureen joined FearFree as Chair in January 2024. She brings considerable experience in governance, finance, strategy and risk management. Maureen’s executive experience spans several sectors including regulated housing, homelessness, IT and engineering industries. She has been serving as a non-executive on charities for over 15 years and has volunteered with charitable organisations helping women and people experiencing poverty for over 25 years in the UK and USA.
Maureen was drawn to FearFree as she has seen firsthand the impacts of domestic abuse, and advocates FearFree’s approach to break the cycle of abuse and help people truly recover.
Clare Fielden
Clare has more than 20 years experience in HR in the not for profit sector. For the past 12 years, she has worked in a variety of senior HR roles at the National Trust and is currently Head of People Business Partners. She has a particular interest in change management in values-led organisations. Clare lives in Somerset with her partner and two daughters. She enjoys cooking, yoga and open water swimming.
Clare became a trustee at FearFree in 2021. Having seen the impact of domestic abuse on families, she believes passionately in the work of the organisation.
Rebecca Ayres
Rebecca is an experienced independent social worker and expert court witness. She has a wide variety of risk assessment and communication skills. Rebecca has been involved in over 300 cases as an instructed expert witness; prepared over 300 reports for Family Court Proceedings and has provided expert oral evidence over 100 times in family cases. Rebecca has worked for over twenty years in front line social work and management with families in need, including those experiencing domestic abuse and domestic violence.
Rebecca is Co-Director of a safeguarding training company, delivering training to professionals on all areas of safeguarding including relating to domestic abuse. She has delivered training to Goldsmith University students regarding child protection and domestic abuse and has facilitated domestic abuse programs for vulnerable parents, including those with learning needs. She has wide experience of working with survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse and their children.’
Georgina Brown
Georgina Brown joined FearFree as a Trustee in 2025. She brings over 28 years of experience in equality, diversity, and inclusion leadership, with a strong focus on behavioural science, neuroscience, and social change. Georgina has led transformative inclusion initiatives across sectors including higher education, the military, healthcare, and corporate environments. She combines deep expertise in governance and strategic leadership with a passion for empowering marginalized communities and challenging systemic inequities.
Georgina was inspired to join FearFree because of her commitment to supporting survivors of abuse through compassionate, evidence-based approaches. She believes FearFree’s holistic model is vital to breaking cycles of harm and fostering genuine recovery and resilience.
Jo Kitching
Jo is an experienced non-profit leader, having worked and volunteered in the third sector for the past 16 years, most recently as Chief Executive of homeless charity Doorway Wiltshire (2019-2025). Jo is passionate about supporting vulnerable communities and has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by those experiencing disadvantage. She is a trustee at Devizes Opendoors, a mentor to a military charity fundraiser and alongside her other roles has run her own property search agency since 2009.
Jo joined FearFree’s board in June 2025 and is proud to contribute her skills and experience to the mission of breaking the cycle of abuse and helping individuals and families rebuild their lives. Outside of her professional life Jo enjoys playing lots of tennis, and is currently renovating her ‘new’ house in rural Wiltshire where she lives with her husband and children.
Adrian Long
Adrian Long is a senior civil servant who has held Executive Director roles in some of Britain's most significant public sector organisations - leading teams working on communications, policy, and HR issues. He has also worked for the BBC as a news and current affairs producer and served as Special Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister from 1998-2001.
Adrian joined the Board in March 2022. He wants to use his professional expertise and personal commitment to the core concerns of FearFree to help the organisation grow and develop into the vital and (even more) effective organisation that it needs to be.
Nigel Stevens
Nigel Stevens is a Senior Finance Business Partner with the National Trust and since Covid has been working with the Support & Revenue Directorate who are responsible for c.85/90% of the Trust’s revenue through fundraising, membership and commercial operations (food & beverage, retail, and holidays). Prior to this, he was working in the South West region of the National Trust as part of the leadership team looking after its history, nature and beauty. He has also held similar positions in Royal Mail working in finance, commercial, as well as change management roles.
Having supported his wife in her role in a pastoral care environment at a secondary school in Cornwall, he now wants to apply his personal and professional experience to FearFree to help it grow in its support of those who need its services
Mark Smith
Mark is Chief Executive at Chippenham Town Council, he has worked in local government for over forty years and has lived in Wiltshire for nearly thirty years, holding director level positions at the former Kennet District Council and Wiltshire Council. Mark also spent two years working through his own company as an interim director and manager in the private and public sector. Mark is the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Wiltshire & Swindon Sports Partnership, he is also a trustee of the Society of Local Council Clerks Education Charity
Mark is a Chartered Manager, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management and a qualified coach. Outside of work Mark tries to keep as fit and active as possible, he has competed in several half marathons. Mark is also a keen walker and has twice completed the 100km Ypres battlefield walk. Mark has recently taken up fly fishing and has also become an allotment holder.
