Trustees
The Board of Trustees has overall legal responsibility for the charity and are responsible for strategic direction and policy. They are also directors of Southwark Diocesan Welcare for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006.
Trustees are volunteers who are committed to our aims and values and usually meet six times a year as a board. In addition to their specific duties, set out in our governing document, they support the work of the charity by:
- Chairing and participating in the work of sub-committees
- Representing Welcare at community and fundraising events​
- Strengthening our relationships with churches and supporters​
- Participating in selection interviews​
Chris Elliott, Chair of Trustees
Chris worked in The City of London for most of his life in the Lloyd’s Insurance Market where amongst many roles he had responsibility for teams of people and budgets. He was also a Member Nominated Trustee of the company’s final salary pension scheme. In church life, Chris has been Church Warden of St John the Evangelist Redhill and was also Chair of their New Building Committee through the time of gaining planning permission, tender and the start of construction. He has been a Trustee of Southwark Diocese, Lay Chair of Reigate Deanery and continues to be a member of Diocesan and Deanery Synod. He chairs Reigate Archdeaconry Social Justice Focus which aims to join churches and others across Surrey in raising awareness of the signs of County Lines Drug Dealing, Modern Slavery, Serious Youth Crime and Domestic Violence and how to report concerns.
The Venerable Allie Kerr, Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley
The Venerable Allie Kerr joined the Diocese of Rochester as Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley in April 2023.  She previously served in Portsmouth Diocese since her first incumbency in 2012, ministering for seven years on the Isle of Wight and in the city of Portsmouth.
Prior to ordination, Allie worked as PA to a vicar and before that held a variety of retail management positions. Â She trained at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, and served her curacy in Salisbury Diocese.
Allie is married to Adrian and they have four adult daughters and one grandson.
Chris Taylor
Chris is a chartered accountant and spent almost 40 years with PwC, retiring in 2020 as a Partner and member of the Executive Board for the PwC Risk Assurance Business. For a decade Chris was the Head of Risk Management for the PwC Assurance practice and before that was audit partner in the financial services sector working on the audits of financial institutions such as Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, Barclaycard and UBS. Chris has a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics (First Class) from Manchester University.
Chris is also a governor of Reed’s School in Cobham and St. John’s Angell Town Church of England Primary School where he is Vice Chair of Governors. Chris also served as Treasurer and subsequently Churchwarden of St Margaret’s Church, Chipstead and is currently Deputy Chair of the Parochial Church Council.
The Venerable Greg Prior, Archdeacon of Croydon
Greg, originally from South Africa, has recently joined the Board of Trustees. He has been an ordained priest in both South Africa and the UK. Greg was previously vicar of All Saints with Holy Trinity, Wandsworth and saw it transformed into a growing, vibrant, and culturally diverse Christian community representing more than14 different nationalities.
Greg is passionate about schools ministry, and in particular caring and supporting those less fortunate. He was actively involved in his local Church of England secondary school (Saint Cecilia’s) where his three children attended school. Greg was a governor for 12 years and chair of governors for 8 years before his appointment to Croydon.
Greg will continue to serve the people of south London and East Surrey in his role as Archdeacon and will bring his skills, experience, strengths, and commitment to supporting our most vulnerable families through his membership of Welcare’s board.
Rachel Phillips
Rachel is currently Education Adviser for the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education, working with schools across the Diocese of Southwark. Previously she worked in schools within the Diocese of Southwark, starting as a class teacher in a local Lambeth school. Since 2012, Rachel has held leadership posts in three Lambeth schools, improving education and developing schools for local communities. Before teaching and education, Rachel worked in communications and public relations, within both the private and public sector. Her voluntary roles have include the Kennington Bethlehem Link and a member of the PCC at St. Augustine’s Church, Tooting.
Louise Villeneau
Louise is an experienced independent Social Worker with 7 years previous experience in the statutory sector in south London in child protection and family support. She also works with social work students at Goldsmiths. Louise is doubly qualified in social work and research methodology at Masters’ level. She has previously worked in education, and for much of her career in the voluntary sector as a researcher at a range of respected organisations in mental health: The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, The Centre for Mental Health Services Development at King’s and the Revolving Doors Agency. She started her career in service development at Mind.
Natalie Walters
Natalie Walters is Head of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation at the Diocese of Southwark.  She is an experienced education practitioner and a qualified Youth and Community worker with 20 years of experience in supporting and educating young people in informal and formal settings. Natalie was previously Head of Year and Sixth Form in schools in Lewisham and Croydon and previously worked in colleges in Croydon and Epsom. Natalie has worked with young carers, refugee youth and with the Youth Offending Service; Natalie served on mission doing youth work and community work in Costa Rica and was team leader for Tearfund Bolivia working in relation to Domestic Violence awareness and support as well as fighting child sexual exploitation.
Natalie is very active with the youth and women’s ministry in her church, NTCG Herne Hill, as well as nationally and is currently the National Young Women’s Discipleship Coordinator for NTCG England and Wales.  Natalie has a BA (Hons) in Marketing and International Relations and an MA in Applied Anthropology, Community and Youth Work.
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