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
Rachel Tomlins
Chief Executive Officer
Rachel leads our philanthropy services programme. She is a skilled relationship manager with extensive experience in the charitable and higher education sectors in Australia and the UK. Most recently, Rachel worked at Manchester Metropolitan University, managing relationships with business, public and third sector clients. Prior to that, she led the major gifts team at the University of Salford working with philanthropists to support their giving, and worked at Oxfam Australia managing a portfolio of major donors. Her focus is on developing meaningful relationships that lead to sustainable and impactful change. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys reading (especially crime fiction) and cryptic crosswords.
Pete Yarwood
Grants Manager
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
Eleanor Wotherspoon
Chair of Trustees
Eleanor works for financial services firm Evelyn Partners, a role she has held since 2017. Responsible for business development in the North West, Eleanor works with business owners, families, professional advisers, trusts and charities. In her spare time she has been involved with a number charity boards and committees including Band on the Wall, Gorse Hill Studios, and The Prince’s Trust.
Iain Lownes
Trustee
Iain is a partner in S&W Group focussing on Selling, Buying and Fundraising for businesses for over 25 years. In the Charity sector Iain is also a trustee of Geese Theatre Company. Iain chairs our Investment Committee providing oversight of our investment policy and strategy.
Kate Thurman
Trustee
Kate is a Chartered Financial Planner and Chartered Wealth Manager with over 20 years’ experience advising high-net-worth individuals, business owners and trustees. She is a Wealth Planner at Artorius Wealth, where she provides specialist advice on pensions, investments, tax planning and succession. Kate has also held senior roles at Barclays Wealth, Brown Shipley and Coutts, building deep expertise in retirement planning, inheritance tax and the needs of entrepreneurial families.
Kate sits on the Investment Committee, where she helps oversee investment strategy and fund due diligence. She is keen to help more people give effectively and with confidence, and brings a practical understanding of how philanthropy fits into wider financial planning.
Pippa Smith
Trustee
Pippa leads the Sir John Fisher Foundation, a grantmaking foundation based in South Cumbria. She previously worked with social entrepreneurs and led a charity promoting student volunteering. Pippa lives just outside the Lake District and is a keen quizzer and fell walker.
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.
Robert Nieri
Trustee
Robert is a charity lawyer and is a partner in the charities team of gunnercooke llp. He has a special interest in philanthropy and collaboration between business and civil society and advises a number of corporate foundations. Outside work Robert’s interests including getting into the great outdoors, doing charity events dressed as shorted-sighted Spiderman, following Manchester City (since way before the glory days and forever more (come what may!) and all things Italian.
Mehran Mokri
Trustee
Mehran is a consultant and advisor working with mission-driven organisations, charities, and schools on organisational change, operating strategy, and the thoughtful use of technology, including AI. He brings experience of working with boards and senior teams to strengthen decision-making and leadership practice. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Youth Leads UK, a charity dedicated to empowering young people to build skills and lead change. Mehran is also a secondary school governor and sits on a number of strategic advisory panels. Outside of work, he enjoys being outdoors, hiking, travelling, and flying when he gets the chance