President – Michael Coker MBE
Michael Coker was born in Coventry in 1935. He was articled to Field and Sons Leamington Spa in 1952 and was admitted to the Law Society in 1958. He subsequently became senior partner of that firm and later Field Overell Solicitors whose offices are in Leamington and Coventry.
He served as a Councilor on Warwick District between 1976 and 2018 and was Chairman of the Council in 1984/5. Amongst many other roles at the Council he led the committees that planned and developed the Leisure facilities at Leamington Warwick and Kenilworth in the 1980 s and their complete renewal in recent years. On 1st January 1991, he was appointed HM Coroner for Warwickshire, a position he held for 17 years . This saw him investigate the cause and circumstances of unexplained deaths in the county a number of which were of a high profile. A member of Kenilworth Town Council since 1976 he was Mayor of Kenilworth between 1989 – 1990 2006 – 2007 and 2014/15. He was also formerly Clerk of the Warwickshire Reformatory School Trust and his old school’s bursary fund, the Ratcliffian Association Fund.
He was appointed MBE in 2017 for services to the Community
Chairman – Cheryll Rawbone
cheryll.rawbone@friendshipproject.co.uk
Cheryll is the longest standing member of the Project having originally been Hon secretary since its inception in 1986. Whilst Cheryll received her initial insurance training with Avon Insurance she quickly moved on to an independent International Insurance Broker, as she preferred the face-to-face contact and interaction with clients. Cheryll was one of the founding Directors of Halkett Associates, a Corporate Insurance Broker specialising in Life Science and Technology risks, including privately owned, publicly listed and international companies. Halkett’s were sold to Oval Insurance Broking in 2004, then in early 2014 Oval was then sold to Arthur J Gallagher a US listed family run international insurance broker, which is now one of the top 4 brokers in the UK. Cheryll still chairs their local Coventry office, having previously been managing director. She has 30 plus years’ experience in Sales, Service and Risk Management for both Commercial UK and International Risk Insurance. Cheryll is professionally qualified as an ACII and Chartered Insurance Practitioner. She became Chairman of the Friendship Project in 2013, having moved from Hon Secretary to be Vice-Chairman for several years prior to this. Cheryll also recently joined the board of Warwickshire & Solihull CAVA as director and trustee in November 2020. She has been a “Supported Living Host” with Barnardos since start of 2018. Additionally, she is a mentor for Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber. Her interests away from work and the charity are gardening, food, travel, rugby, and cricket, the latter two by default. Cheryll is married with two daughterss.
Safeguarding – Esther Jones
esther.jones@friendshipproject.co.uk
Esther began volunteering as an Older Friend for the Friendship Project in 2006 and in more recent years has delivered safeguarding training to her fellow volunteers. She stepped back from her role as an older friend in 2017 when her younger friend of 11 years turned 17, and she took maternity leave. Keen to stay involved with the charity, she was delighted to be appointed as a Trustee in November 2019. Esther’s career has focussed on children, young people and families and the organisations working with them:
- teaching English as a foreign language to children and adults in Japan
- supporting young people not in employment, education or training
- providing advice, guidance and advocacy for voluntary organisations working with families
- delivering safeguarding training to voluntary organisations
- volunteering for the Leicester City Special Educational Needs Information, Advice and Support Service
- and since 2015, managing the ‘Troubled Families’ Programme for Leicester City Council
Outside work, Esther loves sewing, baking, gardening and being outdoors. She is married, has two boys and a beautiful black Labrador.
Honorary Secretary – Jon Gibbons
jon.gibbons@friendshipproject.co.uk
Initially I joined the Friendship Project as an Older Friend and spent several years in this very enjoyable role. During this time, I also became interested in becoming a Trustee and was originally an Older Friend Representative until I relinquished my role as an Older Friend due to family commitments, at which time I took on the role of Honorary Secretary.
Working for one of the largest electrical wholesalers in the UK, I started first at their Rugby branch in 1991 – staying there until 2017, when I changed my role to become part of a commercial team quoting large electrical projects for medium to large electrical contractors in the UK and Ireland from our office in Kenilworth, where I continue to work now.
I was born in Kilsby, moving to live in Rugby from 2008 until 2021, and now live with my partner and her four children (one at Uni, three to go!) in Northampton.
On a personal level I enjoy spending time with the family and, when time allows, walking, cycling and generally being outdoors.
Webmaster – Chris Buck
chris.buck@friendshipproject.co.uk
I first began working with the Friendship Project in the early 2000s when I helped the then Chairman, John Hancock, with fundraising in an unofficial capacity. (John is now our Safeguarding Mentor, see Operations Team).
In 2009 he invited me to join the project officially as a trustee and as Honorary Treasurer whereupon I overhauled the expenses and payments system by introducing online banking and BACS payments. In March 2011 I handed over the reins to a new Treasurer and then led the re-design and implementation of the new Friendship Project branding and a whole new CMS website which allowed for wider participation from Trustees and the Operations Team. I also moved the organisation online to Google Workspace. I also set up our social media accounts; very proud of the regular content contributions now made by the operations team and marketing. These days I primarily keep all our digital plates spinning and try to keep abreast of security, compliance, and GDPR issues.
Fundraiser – Richard Barrett
Richard.barrett@friendshipproject.co.uk
I am a recently retired management consultant and a qualified accountant. I am a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, who has spent most of my career providing financial management and process improvement consultancy to a wide range of organisations from family businesses to large corporates, charities and Government bodies. For many years I worked for Coopers & Lybrand and PwC, prior to establishing my own consultancy business in 2003.
I recently joined the Friendship Project as a Trustee to lead our trust and foundation grant fund raising. I am also a Trustee of the Shakespeare Hospice and USPG, a long-established mission agency of the Anglican Church. In addition, I am actively involved with my local church, enjoy cycling, walking, gardening and spending time with my family. I’m married and have two daughters and one granddaughter.
Older Friend Representative – Pat Miller
pat.miller@friendshipproject.co.uk
Pat is a native of the United States, but has been a resident in this country for over 30 years and is also a British citizen. She joined the Friendship Project as an Older Friend in summer of 2019 and has been enjoying the experience of being an older friend. She became a group supporter in the summer of 2021 and is now joining the trustees as the Older Friends Representative. Whilst living in the United States Pat was a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for eight years, finishing when her ’Little Sister’ graduated from high school and left the program. She is passionate about the Friendship Project and keen to represent the views of the Older Friends.
Professionally she is a trainer/facilitator with qualifications in training, management and coaching. She is also a qualified Myers-Briggs assessor and facilitator, and licensed Springboard Facilitator. Since semi-retiring from being a leadership coach and trainer with Thames Valley Police in 2017, Pat has continued coaching, mentoring and delivering Springboard to domestic abuse survivors. In her spare time she enjoys jewellery making and cooking, and is currently delivering jewellery making workshops as well as her other work. She is also a keen cook, and loves to travel.
Honorary Treasurer – Ken Smith
ken.smith@friendshipproject.co.uk
I have recently retired from the post as Financial Director of an engineering company in Milton Keynes after 15 years. Prior to this I worked for Rothmans International for 22 years in a number of financial and management roles. Married to Heather and have two sons, William 36 and Samuel 39, and Boris the cocker spaniel 9 !
HR – Tina Chander
tina.chander@friendshipproject.co.uk
I am originally from Shropshire, where my heart and many of my family still reside. Professionally, I am Partner and Head of Employment Law for the Warwickshire law firm, Wright Hassall. I look after a team of employment law specialists, helping to ensure they are supported in their career development and personal goals. I am well known for my down to earth and friendly approach to clients and colleagues.
I have recently joined the Friendship Project as HR Trustee, and I am looking forward to supporting the Charity to continue reaching its goals and to ensure it remains HR compliant. I am also delighted to be able to contribute to the local community and work with a team of forward-thinking Trustees all sharing a common goal to support children in need and make a difference to a child’s life. This post is sponsored by our partners.
Ops Trustee – Nishi Mehta
nishi.mehta@friendshipproject.co.uk
With over 13 years of dedicated experience as an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion specialist, it’s my mission to empower organisations to cultivate inclusive and supportive work environments.
I’ve created and delivered numerous diversity and inclusion initiatives in the UK and globally across diverse sectors, including construction, retail, and education. Innovation is at the heart of my work. I have developed innovative training and workshop materials, including upskilling initiatives, behavioural change learning programmes, maturity models, and culture and leadership diagnostic tools, all uniquely tailored to the organisations I support.
As a seasoned public/keynote speaker, host, and workshop facilitator, I am skilled in designing, moderating, and facilitating events that guide organisations’ journey towards inclusivity. I also operate as a Level 7 Accredited Leadership coach, a postgraduate from the University of Warwick specialising in executive career progression and inclusive leadership. I guide individuals to discover their unique purpose, build confidence, and achieve things they never thought possible.
My work in ED&I was inspired by my personal experience of returning to the workforce after a career break for motherhood. Witnessing women’s challenges ignited my passion for addressing workplace inequality, breaking down barriers, and establishing a gender-led social initiative to tackle these issues head-on.
My approach is characterised by my personable and proactive style that builds trust and creates environments that support reflection and meaningful behaviour change. I work swiftly to identify issues and propose practical solutions that empower organisations and enable sustainable growth.
My passion for Wellbeing, Diversity, and Inclusion extends beyond my professional work. I’ve been appointed to the ITV Diversity and Inclusion Panel, representing the media on ED&I matters with appearances on ITV News and BBC Radio. Additionally, I serve as a member of the National Business Awards (Woman Who) judging panel and a regular panel member for industry committees. I’ve also taken on significant roles, such as Regional Policy Lead for the Federation of Small Business (FSB) and Non-Executive Director positions for Acorns Hospice and the Friendship Group.
I firmly believe that knowledge gaps in diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing can hinder team performance and limit opportunities. By equipping individuals with the tools for success and guiding organisations in fostering more inclusive workplaces, we can all thrive.
