Copyright © The Charity Service 2022
About Us
A trusted expert in charitable giving
We’re all about making charitable giving easy and empowering donors to make impactful donations.
We try to make the giving process as simple as possible by providing exceptional personal service to all our donors. Our Donor Advised Funds reduce the administrative burden on donors and make long-term charitable giving easy.
Our services mean donors can concentrate on what matters: creating effective giving strategies and selecting charities that will make an impact. Our Philanthropy Advice Service is designed to help donors with this too.
We are an independent charity and operate on a not-for-profit basis.
With our roots in the Manchester charity sector, we draw strength from the city’s cooperative spirit and diverse communities. We are driven by our vision and values. We think this makes us a bit different from other providers of Donor Advised Funds and philanthropy advice. You’ll find our people to be very down-to-earth.
Vision and Values
A values based approach to philanthropy
The Charity Service’s vision is a world where philanthropy is commonplace, generous and kind.
Through its services to donors, The Charity Service promotes philanthropy that:
- Supports communities to drive their own positive change.
- Builds strong and trusting relationships.
- Respects and values diversity.
- Takes a long-term perspective.
- Reflects on actions taken and learns from experience.
Staff
Chris Mills
Head of Philanthropy Services
Chris leads our philanthropy services. He started his career as a chartered accountant with Deloitte and has since worked for a range of charities, accumulating extensive leadership experience along the way. Chris has also worked as a Research Associate for the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) for over 10 years, authoring reports on topics as diverse as social value, grant making practices and funder program evaluations. He has a PhD in the organisational sociology of voluntary associations and an MSc in Voluntary and Community Sector Studies. He is a trustee of the LTA Tennis Foundation. In his spare time, Chris is a keen hillwalker, gardener and football supporter.
Pete Yarwood
Grants Officer
Pete manages all grant-making by The Charity Service. Prior to joining us, Pete spent 19 years at The Prince’s Trust where he was responsible for the management and delivery of various engagement, enterprise and employment programmes. He has worked closely with public and private sector fundraising teams and a wide range of partner organisations within the charitable, further education and private sectors. His interest include watching football (a Manchester United supporter), music and reading (fiction and biographies).
Trustees
Richard Dyson
Chair of Trustees
Richard was a partner at Ernst & Young for over 25 years and a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Since retiring from practice, Richard has devoted much of his time to the not-for-profit sector.
Kathryn Graham
Trustee
Kathryn is a solicitor and consultant at Fielden Marshall Glover Strutt (FMGS), where she advises clients and their families on estate planning. She also provides advice to charities and their trustees. In her spare time, she is a trustee of the Kentown Wizard Foundation.
Paul Chorlton
Trustee
Paul is a Fellow of the ACCA and finance director of LOVE Creative, one of the UK’s leading design agencies. In his spare time, he is an organiser of the Annual Manchester Ball, an annual fundraising dinner, raising money for Manchester charities.
Stephen Griffiths
Trustee
After a management career in the housing, health and care sectors, Steve has developed a portfolio of non-executive directorships. He has served on various public and charity sector boards, and is currently a trustee of the Rochdale AFC Community Sports Trust, National Family Mediation and Cartwheel Arts.
David Newns
Trustee
David is a retired company director with expertise in sales, marketing and international trade. He has also been involved in European politics and was chair of his party’s local Euro-constituency. Since retiring, David has been a trustee of Cheadle Royal Industries and Chair of Bury Independent Living Development, a charity providing supported living for adults with learning difficulties.
Jane Kiely
Trustee
Jane is Head of Marketing for a multinational PLC based in the north-west of England. She enjoys endurance running and is a passionate fundraiser for Once Upon A Smile, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of bereaved children in the North West and Headway, the brain injury association.
Karen Webster
Trustee
Karen is Head of Philanthropy (North) for The Prince’s Trust, where she works with major donors and trusts & foundations across the Northern region. Her fundraising and relationship management career has also involved working at other charities including The National Football Museum and Arts About Manchester.
Matt Ralph
Trustee
Matt is a Partner and Chartered Financial Planner at Castlefield Advisory Partners. Before joining Castlefield, he had accumulated extensive financial advisory experience across various firms. In his spare time, Matt enjoys reading, live music and following his hometown football team, Sheffield United.