As a charity, we have a volunteer board of trustees who bring their own individual areas of expertise to benefit the organisation. The current board comprises: Derek Lum (Chair); Irena Sobolewska (Vice-Chair), Rev Meelis Süld and Paula Morris. Among the many skills they have are: financial management; charity governance; staff development; performance management; local government, disability service development and adult social care.
In 2019, our founder and former trustee Donna Werner was named our honorary president.
The Trustees work closely with the executive management team (EMT) on the strategic direction of the business. They coordinate and attend quarterly board meetings, through which they review the work of the charity and provide advice, support and focus attention onto the areas that the EMT needs to consider and prepare for.
The Trustees work on a voluntary capacity for the benefit of the charity, this usually equates to one day per month.
Currently, we are particularly interested in hearing from people with financial and/or legal experience and expertise.
Derek Lum
Chair
Derek joined the Bethphage board in 2002, becoming Chair in 2004. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering Derek has over 35 years’ experience in industry and commerce as a director of private and public listed companies including Managing Director and Group Finance Director roles.
Irena Sobolewska
Irena joined the Bethphage board in 2001, becoming Vice-chair in 2004. With a Masters in Business Administration, Irena has over 30 years’ experience in the private, public and not for profit sectors as a leadership coach and organisational change consultant. Having sold her business in 2013, Irena now spends her time volunteering for Bethphage and other organisations.
Rev. Meelis Süld
Meelis serves the Lutheran community in the UK as General Secretary of the Council of Lutheran Churches and as a pastor in the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, both with a particular focus on migrant communities.
Originally from Estonia, he is also known there as a journalist, having worked as Health Editor and Religious Editor for the main radio channel of Estonian Public Broadcasting – a role he partly continues as a freelancer. Meelis is passionate about supporting initiatives that help people live fully and flourish, and is actively involved in work with LGBTQ+ people of faith.
Paula Morris
Paula joined the Board as a Trustee in 2025. She is a registered social worker, with over 25 years experience in Adult Social Care with adults with learning disabilities.
She has worked in local authority roles as a support worker, social worker and as a strategic senior manager in a West Midlands Council.
She lives in Shropshire and is passionate about good quality local support for disabled young people and adults in the county.
Honorary President - Donna Werner
Donna established Bethphage in 1994 having travelled from Bethphage (now Mosaic) in the US to undertake preliminary studies with Shropshire Health and Social Services on the provision of transition services for people then living in long stay hospitals.
In 2019, on our 25th birthday, Donna was named honorary president. Donna brings outstanding commitment to the mission, vision and values of Bethphage. She has a wealth of experience having been both CEO of Bethphage and later, from 2004 to 2016, serving as a trustee. In addition to her work with Bethphage, Donna was Senior Vice President of Advocacy for Mosaic in Omaha.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.”
CQC Inspection
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