Board of Trustees

Kevin initially joined the Board of Trustees as a co-opted member in 2021 and in 2023 took on the role of Chair. His working career spans five decades, primarily in Financial Services, specialising in Investment Fund Proposition Development, management and training. Kevin and his wife settled in the area in the early 1990s, raising two children here. They now focus on helping raise their grandchildren, whilst volunteering in the local community. Having worked both in the UK and overseas Kevin brings a fresh perspective to the work of the charity. He is committed to ensuring that COG maintains and develops its place in the local community. "The work that the wider COG family have done and continue to do is as essential today as it was when COG was founded over 50 years ago. Helping young families at times of need, and supporting the local community, is as important as the emotional, physical and educational development of our children. I am proud to support the professional management team we have at the centre and am committed to the long term sustainability of COG as a fully inclusive setting that supports all members of our community.”

Gaynor is a seasoned business individual with experience in a vast array of industry sectors at all levels – from starting as a cleaner on Glaswegian building sites to working for the Board of a PLC who bought one of her companies. Despite holding advisory and operational roles to Board and CEO level, Gaynor retains her grass roots “can do” attitude and strong work ethic, as well as her enthusiasm and energy making her both relatable and approachable. She is a recipient of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management’s outstanding contribution to Recycling Technology; with a keen interest in all things sustainable, she is guiding her and partner's accountancy business, The NumberCrunchers, on their net zero journey. Always keen to assist others, her experience in the Charity Sector includes working for The Big Issue as well as setting up and running one of Scotland’s most commercially successful Social Enterprises (named after one of her polo ponies – a pastime she took to professional levels, winning the British Ladies Title). Away from work, Gaynor occupies her time by playing netball, attending gym classes, tackling DIY projects and working on Charity Boards.

As someone who is passionate about the delivery of high-quality education, as a Trustee of COG,  Jane feels she has the privilege to work with a group of people who really care about delivering exceptional education and experiences in early learning. As COG’s Trustee with responsibility for Safeguarding, she works with members of the leadership team, and Ofsted, to ensure that all due process is followed, and amazing outcomes are delivered for children and families. But Jane feels there is more to it than that. She says, "It is about being part of a community and making a difference within that community, and that is what I hope I help to deliver as a Trustee."

In his working life, Matt has successfully managed and delivered large-scale IT network and infrastructure projects, such as building an international private cloud, delivering a disaster recovery plan, and implementing multi-factor authentication and next generation firewalls. He is a proven leader adept at building and motivating global technical teams to achieve outstanding results and complete projects on time and within budget. He is also a firm believer in personal development, always seeking opportunities to learn and grow, and embracing new responsibilities and challenges. Matt brings all of these skills and ethics to his trustee role at COG, where he continues to be instrumental in supporting the delivery of an up-to-date IT System with protective processes and procedures. Matt also leads the trustee group on the continuing development of a strategic plan, to steer the charity towards a sustainable future.

Hugh became a COG trustee in 2024. He grew up in the Cotswolds and has lived in the Cirencester area with his wife and three children for the last fourteen years. Hugh was motivated to become a trustee because of COG’s great team and ethos, and the inspirational work they do to support local children and their families. He has more than twenty years of experience as an investment manager, and co-founded Cotswolds-based Evenlode Investment in 2009. His areas of expertise include financial analysis, strategic planning, governance and leadership. He graduated from Edinburgh University with a first-class degree in Philosophy and Mathematics and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. In his spare time, Hugh enjoys hanging out with his family, playing tennis, gardening and beekeeping.

Vacant trustee role - please take a look around the website, and contact us should you feel you have time and skills to offer to support the Charity. You will find our Trustee advertisement on the Vacancies page.