Our People

Rebecca Kennelly is Executive Director of UK Operations at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE). Rebecca is responsible for all operational functions, and for extending the DofE programmes to as many young people as possible, including those who are at risk and marginalised through their growth plan as part of DofE Youth Without Limits Strategy. As part of the Executive Leadership team she works with her colleagues and trustee to ensure DofE strategy is realised and that the charity complies with all its regulatory requirements as well as delivering high quality youth activities through the Award.

Prior to joining DofE, Rebecca worked as Director of Volunteering for the Royal Voluntary Service, one of the country’s largest volunteering organisations. Here she was responsible for the delivery of NHS Volunteer Responders, a scheme mobilising over 600,000 volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic supporting vulnerable people in communities and the NHS delivering over 2 million volunteer tasks. Rebecca has also been a Chief Executive of two local infrastructure charities; Basingstoke Voluntary Action and Chichester and District Voluntary Service enabling her to really understand the challenges and complexities of the sector in and around Hampshire.

Rebecca enjoys working with communities and people and has a strong passion for youth work, community development and championing sustainable community solutions. An advocate of volunteering, Rebecca has held a number of trustee and volunteer positions in the sector and is currently serving as a trustee of a Homelessness charity, and is also a Parish Councillor.

Krysia Butwilowska has spent her working life in secondary education, thirty years as a Headteacher in maintained, academy, independent and special schools. She is passionate about young people being given the opportunity to achieve their potential.

In 2005 Krysia was presented with a Civic Award by the City of Portsmouth in recognition of her leadership of St Luke’s C of E School and for her contribution to Portsmouth’s educational and artistic life, an award of which she is extremely proud.

Currently Krysia is Deputy Chair of the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth and a Director of The Royal Naval and Yacht Club.

Rich is a chartered accountant, with over 25 years experience working in the pharmaceutical and financial sectors, including KPMG, Deloitte, Pfizer and Virgin Money.

He lived in Hampshire for 20 years before moving to the Isle of Wight five years ago where he enjoys being part of the local community.  He recently served as the Honorary Treasurer and a Trustee of a local charity and is currently an active volunteer of Her Majesty’s Coastguard Search and Rescue team based at The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Kennedy is a retired Solicitor having worked for Blake Morgan LLP and its predecessor firms since moving to Hampshire in 1980. He was a Partner for 35 years and Under Sheriff of Hampshire for 35 years. He was also a Trustee of the Tubney Charitable Trust until it closed in 2012.

Jim is married with four adult children and lives near Winchester.

Jo Ash CBE is Chief Executive of Southampton Voluntary Services which promotes volunteering and supports local voluntary organisations.  She has an MA in State Policy and Social Change and is an accredited practice teacher for social work.  Jo was Vice Chair and trustee of the National Council of Voluntary Organisations and has previously held public appointments as a Non-Executive member of Southampton CCG and a voluntary sector adviser to SEEDA.  In a voluntary capacity Jo has been involved as a trustee or committee member of many local organisations including Hyde and Two Saints (St Dismas) housing associations, both for over a decade and is currently an external trustee of Southampton University Students Union as well as HIWCF.

Tim Johnson joined HIWCF as a trustee in 2021 and is also a member of the Finance Committee.

On graduating with a BSC Hons majoring in Economics Tim spent five years in the Army, spending much of this time in the Far East. He then pursued a career in finance and has recently celebrated 20 years employment with Rathbones Investment Management.

Tim is married with three children and lives in North Hampshire.

Virginia Lovell is a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire, and has been involved in a wide variety of charities and voluntary activities, including being Chief President of St John Ambulance for six years, and working as a Magistrate since 1992. She is Chair and Patron for numerous charities, Trustee and Governor of King Edward VII Hospital in London, and Governor of Portsmouth University. Virginia also has substantial experience of organising events and running committees, which have included organising five operas in aid of different Hampshire charities. Virginia is married with two children.

Councillor Hugh Mason grew up in south-east London. He completed an MA at St John’s College Cambridge University, and a PhD at the University College of Swansea.  He has worked at the University of Portsmouth since 1968 as a Lecturer, later Principal Lecturer, and is currently Associate Lecturer in economic geography.

Cllr Mason’s council roles have included:

• Chair of Southsea Town Council
• City Council – Executive Member for Education
• Executive Member for Culture and Leisure
• Executive Member for Housing
• Cabinet Member for Resources and Deputy Leader of the Council

He is married with four stepsons, and enjoys hill walking, travel, theatre, music, good beer and good company.

Cllr Dan Putty JP worked as a health professional in the NHS for 20 years, and was also a financial adviser with Allied Dunbar and Scottish Amicable. He volunteered with the Juvenile Justice Unit and Social Services and has served as Mayor of Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council. Dan is a Councillor for the Hatch Warren & Beggarwood area of Basingstoke and a Justice of the Peace. He is also a trustee of many local organisations including Basingstoke Youth Action Trust/Basingstoke Itec, Basingstoke Sports Trust and the Sebastian Action Trust.

Dan has two adult sons, an unofficial adopted daughter and eight grandchildren.

Jane Sandars’ career has been spent in corporate communications and philanthropy. In 2019 she retired after nearly 30 years with the Grosvenor Estate, where her roles included Communications Director for Grosvenor Group, its international property business; Trusts’ Director with responsibility for the general management of the Grosvenor Trusts’ business,  together with communications and press relations for the Family Office and the Grosvenor Family; and in 2008, she became Director and subsequently a Trustee of the Westminster Foundation which makes grants to UK charities on behalf of the Grosvenor Family and the Grosvenor Estate. Jane’s previous employers include Ernst & Young and the Economic & Social Research Council.

Jane returned to her family roots in Hampshire 20 years ago and lives in Alresford. She is married with an adult son.

Suki has worked in the public sector in Hampshire for 35 years covering many senior strategic and operational leadership roles with Southampton City Council. She was Southampton City Council’s Chief Strategy Officer until August 2018 and left to pursue other interests. In her various roles, she has managed community engagement, voluntary sector support including grants, strategy, transformation, change programme management, human resources, organisational design, insight, intelligence and communications, finance, legal, democratic services, public health, strategic commissioning, digital, business operations, area based regeneration programmes, community safety, emergency planning, substance misuse, social cohesion, Sure Start programmes, skills and employment.

Michael is currently Chair of the Isle of Wight Community Foundation, and is now retired with a background in finance and a business career in marketing and operational management, including 21 years with HSBC Bank. He has a long association with the Isle of Wight with a keen interest in community and youth issues. As a former Commodore of the Sea View Yacht Club, Michael was honoured to have recently received the RYA’s Volunteer Award for Outstanding Contribution following a programme that he introduced offering free sailing lessons to year 5 East Wight Primary schools, which has been widely applauded.

Jacqui has worked in the not-for-profit sector in the UK for over 20 years, as a senior fundraiser working in UK and international charities, and as a fundraising consultant working with a huge range of not-for- profit and volunteer led organisations.

Alongside her consultancy work, she has also worked with Walhampton Prep School as Registrar/Head of Admissions. She was until recently a National Trustee for Riding for the Disabled (RDA UK), and is now a trustee of Netley Marsh-based Tools for Self Reliance.

Jacqui lives in the New Forest with her family.

Linzi is a qualified accountant with responsibility for the financial management of the Foundation, including book keeping, preparation of management accounts and administering payroll.

Linzi joins HIWCF from Toshiba Information Systems where she worked as Financial Controller for 11 years, gaining extensive experience in budgeting and forecasting, together with managing the assets and liabilities of a large multinational company.

Jo joined HIWCF in 2013 following a long career break to raise her family. In her admin role she mainly provides support to the CEO, Trustees and Board sub-committees. Jo also supports our Finance Manager, ensures we are GDPR compliant and generally tries to keep the team in check!

She had previously worked for a larger American telecoms company and David Wilson Homes in Sales and Finance administration. Jo lives in Basingstoke with her husband, two teenage boys and her crazy dog. In her spare time she enjoys being a taxi to aforementioned teenagers!

Lucy is the Fund Development Manager at HIWCF, with responsibility for relationship management for donors and corporates and helping the Foundation to grow it’s endowment and flow-through funds to meet the needs of local communities. Prior to taking up this role Lucy worked as the Foundation’s Marketing Manager for five years.

Lucy’s background involves working within an EU training organisation and her experience also includes account management for a graphic design agency and marketing and communications for a PR agency on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Ruth joined HIWCF in 2016 having moved to the Isle of Wight in 2001, and looks after IWCF (the Island branch of HIWCF).  Ruth has a background in the charitable sector and experience of working for a local authority, having worked in marketing, events management, change management, facilities management and building rationalisation, and business development.  Through her career on the Island Ruth has developed a good knowledge of local businesses, organisations, charities and resources.

In her spare time Ruth loves spending time with her husband, two boys and foster children.  She is a keen baker (and eater of cake), gardener, enjoys running (to pay for the cake eating) and walking her beautiful spaniel Lola.

Jenny joined HIWCF as our Grants Administrator in February 2021, having previously worked in a Marketing Communications Manager role in the London fit-out sector, and more recently, as a Bids Manager and Writer for a leading Adult Social Care provider. Jenny keeps herself very busy in her spare time enjoying her numerous hobbies which include sewing, cooking, knitting, arts and crafts, gardening, kayaking and fishing.

Rob is our Contract Manager for the European Social Fund ‘Solent Supporting Employment’ Programme which is helping long-term and inactive individuals back into work. He works closely with our grant partners to ensure smooth delivery of the employment and skills grants programme across the Solent LEP area.

Rob is also responsible for compliance for programme processes, target outcomes and reporting and providing active support and guidance as required.

Sunita joined HIWCF in December 2021 and works part time as the ESF Programme Administrator for the European Social Fund ‘Solent Supporting Employment’ Programme, with previous experience working within the children’s and domestic violence services for a local authority.

In her spare time, Sunita can be found walking, cross stitching and volunteering for a heritage organisation.

Milly joined HIWCF in December 2021 as our part-time Marketing & Communications Officer having worked for several years in both third sector and education sector marketing roles.

In her spare time, she can be found out on the hills practising her map and navigational skills.