Our Trustees

Trustees

PJ Ellis

Lord Mayor Cllr Zafar Iqbal

Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Ken Wood

Ken is a highly experienced recruitment consultant, public sector advocate, and former Lord Mayor of Birmingham, with a career spanning over four decades. A Fellow of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, Ken is a passionate advocate for the personal touch in business as opposed to the "electronic" approach adopted by many.

Carmen Watson DL

Carmen is the Chairperson of Pertemps Network Group. She has over 30 years experience in recruitment and is responsible for promoting and delivering best practice in the field of attraction, recruitment and retention of talent on behalf of clients ranging from SMEs to blue chip organisations, servicing both the public and private sectors across the UK. She is a strong advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is a member of the Business in the Community Race for Opportunity Leadership Team. Carmen received an Honorary Doctorate from Aston University in 2021 and is a Doctor of Business Administration.

Mike Leddy

I have over forty years, working in design, engineering and manufacturing, here in Birmingham, spending over thirty-five years at what was one of the largest international automotive electrical car components businesses, up to a senior level. I have always held a strong ethos of civic responsibility, allowing me to see and being involved in the work of numerous small organisations and charities here in Birmingham, that benefit from small amounts of money to undertake enormous community-based tasks, making neighbourhoods smarter, safer and much better for everyone who lives there. A disproportional amount of my time has been working with young people, building self-confidence, assuring mental and physical wellbeing, allowing youngsters to develop numerous skills for life, through various outdoor activities, either as an individual or as a team member. Being a former Lord Mayor of Birmingham, I have seen with my own eyes, what donations can make to an organisation, so no matter how small or large your donation is, you can be assured that The Lord Mayors Charity Trust will spend your hard-earned money very wisely.

Dr Jason Wouhra O.B.E

Dr Jason Wouhra OBE is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lioncroft Wholesale, one of the UK’s leading independent Food and Drink Wholesale businesses, which supplies more than 10,000 independent retail and hospitality businesses in the West Midlands and across the UK. Dr Wouhra began his Food and Drink Wholesaling career in his family business East End Foods over 25 years ago, cutting his teeth in the Wholesale arm running two of the company’s depots. His stewardship and vision as a Company Director - including major growth in the wholesale arm - helped establish East End Foods as one of the UK’s largest and most successful Asian food companies ahead of its sale to private equity in 2019. Outside of the food and drink industry, Dr Wouhra was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2017 for services to Business and International Trade, and in 2013 he became the youngest and first Chair of Asian heritage of the Institute of Directors in the West Midlands - a position which saw him take on a business advisory role for the then - Prime Minister David Cameron. In 2024 he was appointed as Chancellor of Aston University, becoming the youngest ever Chancellor and first of Asian - and in particular Sikh - heritage in Europe.

Torie Blythe-Richards

Councillor Jon Hunt Perry Barr ward (Liberal Democrat)

A city councillor for 22 years, representing Perry Barr ward. I have been Liberal Democrat leader, chair of education scrutiny and vice-chair of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority. By profession I am a medical journalist and was Medical Correspondent on the Birmingham Post before setting up my own business 25 years ago.