Meet our Trustees

Our Trustees bring a wide range of experience and give their time generously to guide and support Nehemiah. Together, they help ensure our work is thoughtful, responsible and always focused on the men we support.

A man with glasses, short light brown hair, wearing a white shirt, standing indoors near a window with greenery outside.

Chair of Trustees - Colin Matthews

Colin joined the Nehemiah board in 2021 and became Chair of Trustees in October 2022. Colin is an engineer. He was CEO of Heathrow Airport (2008-2014) and Chair of Highways England (2014-2020).

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

A warm and sincere “thank you” from me and everyone at Nehemiah to all our donors, supporters and volunteers. Your financial resources, time and skills have enabled us to achieve great results for Nehemiah Residents in 2025. The Board of Trustees and the dedicated staff team at Nehemiah see men flourish, recover their lives, rebuild family relationships, secure employment and move on from the charity in a positive way.

On behalf of everyone at Nehemiah, thank you. I look forward to reporting equally positive results in 2026.

Colin Matthews

Board of Trustees

  • William was Director in Investment Management at Smith & Williamson until his retirement, following a long career in investment management. William has been involved for many years in a programme for mentoring ex-offenders organized by the Chaplaincy at Wormwood Scrubs.

  • Tony worked for HM Prison Service for 20 years in various roles at their headquarters, until his retirement in 2011 from the post of Head of Offender Rights and Responsibilities in the National Offender Management Service. Tony is now Volunteer Chaplain at High Down Prison and also provides faith support for Nehemiah residents through our prayer groups.

  • Joanna was appointed to the Board in December 2016, and is also a Volunteer with the Order of Malta, primarily caring for the sick and disabled, and supporting the younger helpers. As a qualified Addictions Counsellor (University of Bath) and accredited Recovery Coach, Joanna is an experienced practitioner who brings a good understanding of the problems faced by Nehemiah’s Residents.

  • Marta joined The Nehemiah Project board in 2023, having volunteered with the project for two years. Marta is a civil servant at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

    She has been involved in several social innovation initiatives, supporting people experiencing homelessness and refugees, including funding the C.I.C. 'Requalified' to assist with the recognition of professional qualifications for refugees, and volunteering with the Order of Malta.

  • Peter joined as a Trustee in December 2024.
    He has held senior leadership positions at WPP, Diageo and Infosys with a focus on innovation and digital transformation at the intersection of marketing and technology.

    More recently Peter served as Governor and Vice Chairman at The Oratory School. Peter is an active member of the Order of Malta, volunteering and leading projects supporting the homeless.

  • Rachel joined The Nehemiah Project as a Trustee in 2025. She brings extensive experience from over a decade as an operational manager across a range of prisons, followed by senior policy roles within HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice.

    Rachel is passionate about creating opportunities for people to live better lives. She enjoys working at the intersection of justice policy, strategy, and frontline operations, and strongly believes in the power of local, relationship-driven initiatives to transform lives — one of the reasons she is proud to support The Nehemiah Project’s mission.

    Beyond her professional work, Rachel serves as a school governor and has chaired the organising committee for the annual Perrie Lectures since 2022. She values collaboration, community, and practical solutions that make a real difference.

  • Gavin is currently Visiting Fellow in Astrophysics at the Cavendish Laboratory - Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, where his research focus is in exoplanetary science. 

    Gavin previously spent 20 years at Tudor Group, the global macro hedge fund, where he was Group Co-President and CEO of their European and Australasian businesses. For much of this time, he also sat on advisory committees for the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority. 

    He is a trustee of Re:State, Britain’s public services think tank established to radically improve the functioning of the state, and an emeritus trustee of the education charity Shine, which he co-founded and formally chaired. 

    Gavin is a Strategic Supporter and Advisor of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House.

    Gavin holds an MA in economics from the University of Cambridge where he also supports research in astrophysics and related educational outreach. 

  • Tim Aikens is an independent management consultant based in London. Tim specialises in business transformation and organisation-related work, helping clients to create sustainable change and organisational structures that support their vision and help generate competitive advantage.

    Whilst his work has primarily been in the energy sector, Tim has worked across a broad range of industries including, telecommunications, public sector, defence, shipbuilding, and engineering, to name but a few. His work in Organisation has covered the full range from visioning, organisational structure, values and behaviours, to culture development and manpower planning. He has also worked in the human resources sector, including management development, training, competency and counselling.

    For the last twenty years he has worked with most of the major oil companies worldwide. Tim is Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Wandsworth.

  • Bunmi became a member of the Nehemiah board in 2024. Bunmi trained and practised as an epidemiologist before switching to missions many years later. She held a senior management position at Church Mission Society and the Global office of the British Methodist Church. Bunmi also sat on UK Charity boards like Feed The Minds, The Nigeria Health Care Project-UK and the British & Foreign Bible Society. She remains involved in local and global missions.

  • Nehemiah welcomed Ed to the board in 2024. He is the Founder and CEO of Longbottom & Co, makers of the worlds finest tomato drinks! Away from the pomodoros, Ed is also the Chairman of the Employment Advisory Board at HMP Wormwood Scrubs dedicated to getting people jobs when they leave prison.

  • Robert Clarke is a seasoned leader with over 20 years’ experience in senior roles across the criminal justice, local government, and voluntary sectors. His career has centred on supporting vulnerable individuals, improving community safety, and driving organisational transformation to deliver lasting social impact.

    Robert has held senior leadership positions including Deputy Chief Executive of London Probation Trust, Chief Operating Officer of London and Thames Valley Community Rehabilitation Companies. He has also provided consultancy to local authorities and international justice ministries, designing and implementing programmes that improve rehabilitation, safeguarding, and substance misuse outcomes.

    As a Trustee of The Nehemiah Project, Robert brings strategic oversight, professional rigour, and a deep personal commitment to supporting people in recovery from addiction. He is passionate about enabling individuals to build sustainable futures, and ensuring the charity continues to deliver high-quality, evidence-based support that changes lives.