Our Board of Trustees

General the Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL

Lord Dannatt is the former head of the British Army. He was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1971 and his first tour of duty was in Belfast as a platoon commander. During his second tour of operations, he was awarded the Military Cross. His career includes pivotal roles such as commanding the 4th Armoured Brigade during the Gulf War and leading NATO forces in Bosnia. Later in his role as Head of the British Army, he more than made his mark as Chief of the General Staff during his leadership period from 2006-2009.

Beyond his military contributions, Lord Dannatt has been actively involved in various charitable endeavours and has served as a Deputy Lieutenant of the Norfolk. He now serves as the President of YMCA Norfolk amongst other roles within his community.

Fiona Stuart

Fiona was appointed YMCA Norfolk Chair in 2022, having volunteered as a trustee since 2017. She is committed to supporting the organisation’s CEO and Executive Team in delivering an exciting strategy and charitable mission. Fiona is also a Partner at Ashtons Legal, leading their Insolvency and Restructuring legal team across East Anglia. 

“It is a highlight to see young people come alive and thrive with the investment of time, resource and unconditional care. Being a Trustee on the Board has been humbling and thoroughly rewarding, it genuinely is a privilege to serve alongside the committed staff at YMCA Norfolk as their Chair”.

Philip Macdonald

Philip was Chair of YMCA Norfolk from 2017 to 2022. He rejoined the Board in November 2023 and currently has responsibility as Chair of the E-Learning board as well as his strategic responsibility as a Trustee

Philip is employed as a charity chief executive in North Norfolk and is committed to helping people live independently and well and helping to combat social isolation and loneliness.

Philip worships at CityGates Church in Norwich where he is an Elder as well as Chair of Trustees

Philip is married to Ginnie. He enjoys spending time with family, two children and three grandchildren as well as walking in Norfolk, a bit of running, a night at the theatre, watching a good game of cricket and drinking a nice glass of red wine

John Currey

Born in East London in 1951, John has lived in Norfolk since 1982. He has lived in Dereham, Kings Lynn and Gayton over the last 35 years. He married Margaret in 1974 and has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. His leisure pursuits are skiing, running, DIY and gardening – in that order.

A retired Chartered Accountant, he has worked in financial management and accounting roles in a variety of industries since leaving the accountancy profession in 1976.

His roles have included work for newspapers (The Times and Sunday Times), public transport (National Bus), engineering packaging (Finance Director of Decorative Sleeves in Kings Lynn), hospitality (operating guest house business until 2015 and #1 of 38 In King’s Lynn on TripAdvisor!). He has also been a Trustee of Letton Hall, a Christian Conference Centre near Dereham and a Trustee of King’s Lynn Debt Centre (CAP).

He worships at King’s Lynn Evangelical Church and is Deputy chair of Gayton Parish Council

Esther Ounounou-Cousins

Esther is a paediatric junior doctor, she grew up in London and came to study Medicine in Norwich in 2013. She has been working as doctor in Norfolk since 2019, one of her main passions  is being an advocate for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS. Her drive to see change within this area has led her to reverse-mentoring two chief executives of two hospitals in Norfolk.

Esther has also sat on the regional NHS East of England people board following recommendation from one of the chief executive she mentored and has been the most junior member of this board. She has been a part of Proclaimers Church since 2013, where she has served in various areas including kids church and the youth ministry.

Currently, Esther is part of the leadership team of Proclaimers and leads the students and young adults community with her husband Sam. 

Francis Harmer

Francis has been involved with YMCA (Norfolk) for many years as a Committee Member and Trustee and has been a passionate supporter of its development and growth.

A retired accountant, he has had wide experience in financial management and governance through a variety of roles in both local government and the voluntary sector. He is also a past Chair of Governors at Paston Sixth Form College.

He worships at St Helen’s Catholic Church in Hoveton which he has attended since it opened in 1959.

Jack Banford

Jack is a Chaplain and teacher of Religious Studies at a school in North Norfolk, a role he has held for two years. Within his current role, he is actively involved in the pastoral care of pupils and staff at his school, as well as, leading the spiritual life of the community. As an ordained member of the Church of England Jack has previously led parish church communities and has always enjoyed working with young people in whatever context he has found himself in.

Jack is also a primary school governor at a community school on the North Norfolk coast and is actively involved in promoting Christian Schools’ work across Norfolk.

Jack and his wife Amanda have two young children and he is a passionate Norwich City fan.

Nicola Ingham

Nicola qualified as an Infant school teacher in 1993 and has taught in Norfolk schools ever since. Early in her career, she became interested in early years education taking further professional qualifications at the UEA, strengthening her knowledge of this age group.

She is currently Assistant Head and Nursery teacher at Hethersett Woodside Primary and Nursery School, a job that she is very passionate about and finds incredibly rewarding. She leads the Early Years from 2-5 years, specialising in SEND, Safeguarding, Communication and Language and family liaison alongside her Nursery teaching.

She leads a team of Early Years practitioners as well as working alongside health visitors, speech and language therapists and social care teams in order to support children and their families, recognising that early intervention and service co-ordination is key to achieving positive outcomes for young people. She is married with two children, aged 17 and 20 and is a member of Chapel Field Road Methodist church in Norwich. In her spare time, she likes walking in the countryside, gardening, baking and playing oboe in Norwich City Concert Band.

Raymond Scott

Raymond became a trustee in 2019 and serves on the Finance and Resources Committee. Until recently, he spent his working life in IT with 12 years at the University of East Anglia with 6 of those years looking after information compliance, policy and security. He passionate about the value of service and helping others.

He has lived in Norwich City Centre for 24 years, supports the Salvation Army Soup Run and attends St George Tombland and St George Colegate churches with his wife who was recently appointed Assistant Curate.

He is currently employed by Norwich Cathedral as a verger.

Richard Pennington

Richard was Chair of YMCA Norfolk from 2008-2017 and re-joined the board in 2021.

He has recently retired as a solicitor after 33 years and now is a civil and commercial mediator on a part time basis as well as fulfilling a number of voluntary roles including as a part time student studying for a GDip in theology, a trustee of the Kings Lynn Foodbank and of the Crowns Trust .

He is also an elder of Hope Evangelical Church in Snettisham near Dersingham where he lives with his wife Sheena and preaches regularly there and in other chapels across the county

Many years ago (in the 1990s) he was also Chair of what was Kings Lynn YMCA and is keen to support and encourage YMCA work in the west of the county

Robert Fenton

Rob has been a pizza chef, a shoe seller, an ambulance driver, a blood biker, a teacher and an international project director for one of the world’s largest private engineering and construction companies, based in San-Fransisco.  In that 20 year career he managed teams from engineering, procurement, construction, HR, accounting, project controls, contract management and more.  He’s very much an all rounder.  He also spent 4 months as a hostage in Baghdad.

Rob has had a portfolio of voluntary roles in Norfolk, the UK and overseas. He has two grown up daughters and enjoys keeping fit and travel.