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Our people

Meet the people who lead our charity. Meet our Patron and President as well as trustees and senior directors.

Our patron

His Majesty King Charles III has been Patron of the Civil Service Benevolent Fund, operating as Charity for Civil Servants, since 2024.

King Charles, succeeded his Mother, Queen Elizabeth II who was our Patron for over 70 years, continuing an unbroken Royal tradition dating back to Queen Victoria, our inaugural Patron in 1886.

King Charles III

Our president

As Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case is President of the Civil Service Benevolent Fund, operating as Charity for Civil Servants. He succeeded Sir Mark (now Lord) Sedwill in 2022.

Simon has been a civil servant since 2006 when he joined the Ministry of Defence as a policy advisor. Previous roles have included heading up the Olympic Secretariat in 2012, working as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Director of Strategy at GCHQ and as Director-General Northern Ireland and Ireland.

As well as our President, Simon is a member of the Privy Council, a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case

Honorary Life Presidents

Upon leaving the Civil Service, the role of President passes on to the incumbent Cabinet Secretary. We are pleased to continue benefiting from the continued support of the Honorary Life Presidents.

  • Lord Sedwill of Sherborne GCMG, FRGS, PC
  • Lord O’Donnell of Clapham GCB, FBA, FAcSS
  • Lord Turnbull of Enfield KCB, CVO, PC
  • Lord Wilson of Dinton GCB
  • Lord Butler of Brockwell KG, GCB, CVO, PC
Sir Richard Wilson

Our trustees

Our Board of Trustees set the charity’s strategic direction, monitor the delivery of the charity’s objectives and uphold its values and governance.

We are grateful for the time and commitment they give.

Peter Schofield
Sir Peter Schofield – Chair

Peter became the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions in January 2018.

Previously, Peter worked as Director General for Finance at DWP, Director General for Housing and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government and as Director of the Enterprise and Growth Unit at HM Treasury.

Sonia Phippard
Sonia Phippard – Vice Chair

Sonia joined the Civil Service in 1981. She worked in the centre of Government for a number of years, with periods of secondment to the Department for Education and to the private sector, and was Principal Private Secretary to the Cabinet Secretary from 1989-92.

In 2001, she moved to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, becoming Director-General, Environment, Rural and Marine in 2015.

Since leaving the Civil Service in 2020, Sonia has combined voluntary sector roles with occasional consultancy: longer-term plans having been somewhat delayed by COVID!

David Kuenssberg
David Kuenssberg – Treasurer

David is currently Director General, Corporate & Delivery for the Home Office having performed a Finance Director role in the department from January 2020.

Prior to that he was Executive Director, Corporate Resources at Brighton and Hove City Council from 2016, after various finance roles up to Deputy Director at the (then) Department for Communities and Local Government from 2007.

He was also Finance Director and Head of Business Operations at English Heritage between 1999 and 2007, having become CIPFA-qualified with PwC in 1997.

Matt Brook
Matt Brook

Matt is currently head of communications at the Valuation Office Agency.

He has worked in the Civil Service for over 20 years in various communications roles including two stints at the Home Office in the media relations team and internal communications, head of strategic communications at the Treasury and deputy head of external affairs at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Prior to government, Matt worked in the private sector as a public relations consultant.

Clara Lane
Clara Lane

Clara is a financial services conduct specialist with a range of experience across the financial services industry, from the private sector through to regulated sectors and within the regulator itself.

She spent 10 years working at the Financial Conduct Authority where she specialised in supervisory, enforcement and policy matters relating to market integrity. Her experience includes working on the trading floor within investment banks and on the investment teams of hedge funds based in London and New York. She is also a trustee of a charity which promotes performance through music, dance and drama.

Angela MacDonald
Angela MacDonald

Angela became HMRCs Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary in August 2020. She is an Operations professional with 30 years’ experience of service delivery, transformation and change in both the public and private sector.

Angela joined the Civil Service in 2009 to deliver reforms in Child Support. Following four years as a Director at the Department for Work and Pensions, leading service delivery and transformation, she moved to HMRC in 2017 and became the Director General for Customer Services.

Before joining the Civil Service, Angela worked in a number of operational, sales and marketing roles at Aviva plc and its legacy companies.

James Renwick
James Renwick

James is an Executive Coach who works with leaders, groups and teams to influence and enhance their understanding, learning and behaviour.

Following a degree in psychology, James has spent 20 years in leadership roles across government, creative and charity sectors, specialising in behaviour change, marketing and brand strategy. Organisations include COI, WorldSkills London 2011, Royal Museums Greenwich and World Vision UK.

Most recently, James was responsible for the UK’s most trusted brand at Macmillan Cancer Support, where he also led a 35-strong brand and creative department.

Jaspal Roopra

Jaspal is Director of People at Barts Health NHS Trust having spent 19 years in the Civil Service.

She held a series of leadership posts with Departments such as the Home Office, National Crime Agency and Department of Energy and Climate Change. She was also Co-Chair of the Race to the Top SCS Network, where her focus was to champion ethnic diversity in support of the Civil Service’s ambition to improve diversity and inclusion at its most senior levels.

Jaspal is a Chartered Fellow of CIPD and holds a Diploma in Organisational Design and Development. She is an experienced Executive Coach, is a school governor, and is an Independent Member of the EDI Committee for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Mal Singh
Mal Singh

Mal recently joined the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) as Chief Financial Officer and Board Member.

Prior to this he was Chief Financial Officer and Board Member for BPDTS Ltd, a digital technology company owned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Mal brings with him extensive experience of senior finance roles within digital, welfare reform, operations and strategy. Before joining DWP in 2009, Mal worked at HM Treasury where he led on the financial management reforms across Whitehall.

Michael Smith
Michael Smith

With a digital career spanning over 25 years, Michael has unparalleled digital knowledge and experience across both the public and private sectors. Most recently he has held a number of senior marketing positions within the Technology Sector (IBM). Prior to that he was managing partner of a modern media consulting practice.

Michael joined the Civil Service in 2002, where he spent 10 years at the Central Office of Information (COI) leading Digital Advertising, Media and Strategy. He was also involved in a number of Industry Trade Bodies, chairing ISBA’s Digital & Data Action Group.

Luke Treadwell
Luke Treadwell

With a background in strategy development, user-centred design and analysis, Luke has worked with, and alongside, civil servants since 2016.

He is currently responsible for delivery at a strategy and digital transformation consultancy, where he manages and supports teams to identify long-term solutions to deliver impactful change and transform public services.

Luke has previously worked within the charity sector with a particular focus on corporate fundraising, delivering award-winning strategic partnerships with some of the UK’s largest companies.

Our impact

Find out how we help the Civil Service community and the impact we are proud to make.

Our directors

Our Chief Executive, Jonathan Freeman, leads the Executive Management Team towards achieving our mission, vision and purpose.

Jonathan Freeman, Charity for Civil Servants CEO
Jonathan Freeman

Chief Executive

Jonathan joined the Charity as CEO in September 2024.

Prior to this he was the founder CEO of the CareTech Foundation, the leading corporate foundation in the social care sector. Jonathan was also Group Sustainability Director of leading specialist care and education provider CareTech. Previous roles include Managing Director of Mosaic, the then HRH The Prince of Wales’s mentoring charitable initiative, and managing his own consultancy. His career started in the Civil Service, where he worked across a range of policy, delivery, strategic and front-line roles in a number of Government departments.

Jonathan is Chair of Trustees of Carers Worldwide, and a Board member of NCS Trust.

He was recognised with an MBE for charitable services in Her Majesty The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2021.

Verity Williams, Director of Finance
Verity Williams

Director of Finance and Resources

Verity is a qualified accountant and worked in a global corporate organisation – GE Healthcare for 16 years, where she held a number of senior finance roles across different functions of the business. More recently, she spent eight years working for an Education Technology Charity, Apps for Good, as Head of Finance and Operations with accountability for Finance, HR, IT and Facilities.

Verity takes part in various volunteering activities such as Chair of Governors for the Frays Academy of schools and supporting her children’s football club in a number of capacities.

Verity joined the Charity in 2023 as Assistant Director and became Director in 2024.

Flavia Gapper
Flavia Gapper

Director of Help, Advice and Services

Flavia’s background includes heading up information and advice teams in charities, working in tourism and regeneration in Richmond and Hammersmith and Fulham, managing contracts, helplines, partnerships, teams and projects. At Roehampton University, Flavia was Centre and Partnerships Manager for a Centre of Teaching and Learning Excellence in Human Rights.

Flavia holds a CMI diploma in Strategic Leadership and Management and has experience in Project Management (Prince 2 Practitioner).

Flavia joined the Charity in 2012, and became Director in 2017.

Matt Forrest, Charity for Civil Servants Director of Fundraising and Communications
Matt Forrest

Director of Fundraising and Communications

Matt has worked with Historic Royal Palaces (as a civil servant), managed national helplines, worked in events delivery internationally and in the UK and has over 20 years fundraising leadership experience with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Canal & River Trust (formerly British Waterways) and Save the Children UK.

Matt joined the Charity in September 2020 as Assistant Director of Fundraising.

Work for us

Looking for a rewarding job with a great team of people? Find out about our current vacancies.

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Related pages

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Our history

We were founded in 1886. Find out how we’ve grown over the years.

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Our help services

We support civil servants, past and present, when times are tough.

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