MEET OUR TRUSTEES

William Petersen (Chair Trustee)

A local resident with experience of working in a variety of roles, both in business and in the military. Aware of the impact disability can have, especially in the early years, he is extremely grateful to have an opportunity to support The Bumblebee Children’s Charity in any way he can.

Alison Stonham

Alison worked for the charity for nearly 19 years. She began working here as a team member in the classroom and was asked to temporarily take responsibility and manage the centre, subsequently becoming the Principal. Alison was in the forefront of reopening the school after it was forced to close back in 2015. She has given the last 19 years of her life supporting hundreds of families with additional needs. She has kindly agreed to stay on as a trustee to assist us with her wealth of knowledge and the ongoing tasks of fundraising and keeping the charity open.

David White

David was a primary school Headteacher for almost 30 years in Northamptonshire, Bromley and Suffolk and then worked as an Educational Consultant with Local Education Authorities, and also as an Ofsted Inspector. David has viewed the education system from a range of positions. Dedicated to improving practice and maximizing pupils’ attainment, David took part in various research programmes for the development of Children’s Language and Writing Skills.   He is now involved in the Governance of two local Multi Academy Trusts.  He is a keen Rotarian and a volunteer worker, having worked with Tools with a Mission in Uganda (TWAM) dedicating a large chunk of his time to supporting others.

Ivana Barron

I am delighted to be part of the Bumblebee Children’s Charity trustee team and support the charity with the valuable work it is doing. I have lived in Suffolk for 20 years, I’m married and have 3 grown up children. I am an animal lover and when I am not working I spend lots of time with my dogs and horses. I have spent a large part of my adult life working with young children with Special educational needs and disability (SEND). I currently work as a SEND/inclusion trainer for the Early Years & Childcare service at Suffolk County Council training early years practitioners to support 0-5 year olds with SEND.

Julie Goodridge

Julie lives in Essex and has worked in education since training as a Primary Teacher in London in the late 1970s. She taught in Essex until 2007 in a range of roles, across several schools, from classroom teacher to Senior Leader. A significant amount of those years were spent working with EYFS/KS1. Since 2007, she worked as an Achievement Adviser for EdisonLearning Ltd delivering DfE funded school improvement programmes and more recently has worked as an independent adviser/coach and Director of Education for an Academy Trust in Sussex. She has always had a passion for early education and a belief that all children deserve to have the best chances in life. To continue to be involved in this area, and offer support as a Trustee of Bumblebees Children’s Charity, is a welcome responsibility and a pleasure.

Michael Scrivener

Michael is a chartered accountant working for a Big 4 audit Firm and has lived in the local area his whole life. Born and raised in Ipswich, he graduated from the University of East Anglia where he studied Management and accounting. Michael has been an auditor for over 15 years working with a variety of local and international businesses. Michael now lives close to the Bumblebee Children’s Charity with his wife and children and is looking forward to fulfilling the role of Trustee and supporting the local charity to help sustain its ongoing success.