We are proud to say we recently gained official charity status, and are now a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

We currently have a group of Trustees, and an Advisory Group, as well as partnerships and Supporters. We will aim to tell you a little more about them in the coming few weeks.

John Squires, OBE

• John is a founder member and Chair of CCP
• He was behind the formation of the Squires Foundation and, for a long time, Chair of Newcastle Cathedral Trust.
• Previously he was Chair of the family Motor Group business – Benfield Motors, a past chair of the Community Foundation and Vice Chair of the Sage Gateshead.

Rev’d David Glover

• David is a founder member of CCP and the current Rector of Hexham Abbey.
• During his 30 years in ministry, his particular concern has been for churches to closely engage with and be supportive of, the communities in which they are set – including working in partnership with other statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
• His time as Chair of Sunderland Connect Network resulted in much community and individual flourishing.
• David’s hope for CCP is that we can be a catalyst for enabling new church and community projects, partnerships, and initiatives and thereby encourage mutual flourishing.

John Goddard, OBE

• John is founder member of CCP and Emeritus Professor of Regional Development Studies at Newcastle University.
• He built links between the University, the City and Newcastle Cathedral as Chair of the delivery board for its Common Ground in Sacred Space development project.
• John is currently a Trustee of Newcastle Cathedral Trust and a member of the PCC of St James’s Church Riding Mill.
• He hopes to link CCP to the wide body of knowledge on the know what,  know-how and know who of  community development and the role of faith groups in this.

Dr Helen Paterson

• Helen is Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council having, amongst other things, been deeply involved in the education and well-being of children all over the country.
• Her conviction is that resilient communities result from right relationships between the public, private and voluntary sectors, and from enabling communities to make best use of the resources available to them to bring about increased well-being and sustainability.
• Not only is Helen a daily swimmer and small-scale keeper of chickens, she is also a JP.

John Sadler

• John is a founder member of CCP and an Anglican priest with a passion for and a track record of working with churches to enable them to become much more community facing.
• These include St Martin’s and St Silas’ in Byker and Newcastle Cathedral.
• John’s hopes for CCP are that churches in West Northumberland may, also, become increasingly community facing.

Rev’d Mary Beard

• Marie is a Methodist Church minister of 25 years experience with her roots in the North East.
• She is currently the Superintendent Minister of Tynedale Methodist Circuit leading a staff team of 5 ministers which cover 14 churches spread across West Northumberland.
• She is based with her family living in Hexham and is keen to see the church and community work in partnership for the good of all and is delighted to be working alongside ecumenical colleagues to seek to achieve this through CCP.