Trustees

Gargie Ahmad - Co-Chair

Gargie joined the board after coming across Centre 70's amazing work when doing research around tackling racial and ethnic inequality in the mental health sector. She appreciated our local community based support offer and wider outreach, which she is now proud to support as a local south London resident.

She now supports community research and co-production work for the public health team at Southwark Council, and is a mental health researcher at King’s College London. She has experience in charity fundraising and programme management support for the UK migrant rights and advocacy and international development sectors.

Gargie is a member of the Counselling sub group and Fundraising sub group.

Martin Beard BEM - Co-Chair and Company secretary

Martin became involved with Centre 70 in the late 1970s as a volunteer legal adviser at the Monday evening free advice sessions - volunteering his legal knowledge and experience.  

Over 40 years later he continues to support us as a trustee, bringing his management experience as a partner (now retired) of Dawson Cornwell, a central London law firm.  Aside from that, you may find him at the allotment or doing something at St Peter’s Church Brockley amongst other worthwhile pursuits.

Martin is a member of the Finance and Personnel Sub Group and the Advice Centre Sub Group. 

Laura joined Centre 70 in 2019 due to her passion for access to justice, in particular social welfare law and seeing the importance of Centre 70’s role in the Lambeth community.

Laura has spent several years raising funds for the advice sector and has been involved with the running of the Pro Bono Week campaign since 2022. Laura currently works in Stakeholder Engagement at the Bar Standards Board.

Laura is a member of the Fundraising Sub Group.

Experienced advice sector leader, CEO and consultant. Over 30 years’ senior policy, strategic, operational, people management and leadership experience. Former Head of Policy at AdviceUK and CEO at Citizens Advice Wandsworth. Interim Director at Advice Services Alliance (04/24 - 03/25). As consultant (since 07/18) has been interim CEO at several local Citizens Advice, and conducted project/service evaluation and learning assignments, merger business case assessments and merger management projects, advice sector research studies, grievance investigations and planning event and conference facilitations.

Ex-journalist and currently a department manager at a London University. Experience of large budgets, HR and personnel, some estates work. Project management experience. Chair of the Finance and Personnel Sub Group.

Kate joined as a trustee in 2017 keen to get involved in an organisation supporting her local community.

She has over 20 years voluntary sector experience, running Superhighways - a digital, data and tech capacity building programme for small charities in London, based within the Council for Voluntary Service in Kingston. She has a good knowledge of the small charity environment and experience of working in partnership, fundraising and managing and developing teams.   

Kate is a member of the Communications & marketing sub group, the IT sub group and the Fundraising sub group.

Staff

Advice team

Mark Batten MBE, Head of Advice Services, Welfare Benefits and Housing Casework Supervisor - Joined in June 1984. Gives advice under the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract and Lambeth funding. LAA contract representative.

Brian Foxley BEM, Director - Joined in June 1988. Approved debt intermediary for Debt Relief Orders

Vacant, Specialist Housing Solicitor and Housing casework supervisor  

Ruby Kaur, Advice / Support worker - Joined April 2008. Gives student grants, finance and debt advice under Walcot Foundation funding

Helen Griffith MIMA (Cert), Specialist Debt caseworker and Supervisor- Joined January 2018. Approved debt intermediary for Debt Relief Orders

Kasia Abramowicz, Generalist and Outreach Advice Worker - Joined December 2013. Gives advice under Lambeth funding 

Ayshen Cagliyan, Generalist and Outreach Advice Worker -  Re-joined July 2019. Gives advice under Lambeth funding. Also delivers Money Managment workshops

Mark Pacsoo, Specialist Caseworker - Re-joined May 2013. Gives advice through sub contracts including to provide advice in Prisons and to ex offenders

Idoia Reams, Generalist and Outreach Advice Worker - Joined February 2017. Gives advice under Lambeth funding and funding to provide advice in outreach locations

Michael Eddowes MIMA (Cert), Generalist and Outreach Advice Worker  -  Joined January 2022. Advises under Lambeth funding and other funding 

Tonia Haworth, Advice Worker - Re-joined March 2021. Gives advice under other funding

Marilyn Kehoe, Advice Worker - Joined November 2004. Gives student grants, finance and debt advice under Walcot Foundation funding. Provides advice and information and grant help under Lambeth and other funding

Lois Jones, Information and Billing worker - Joined permanently October 2016

Carmen Sandilands-Faria, Reception and Information worker - Joined 2019

Martina Aslan, Lawyer - Joined March 2014. Gives Housing advice including under the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract 

Callum Jones, Housing Caseworker - Joined December 2024. Gives Housing advice including under the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract 

Odeta Bajraktari, Housing Paralegal - Joined October 2023. Gives Housing advice including under the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract 

 

Counselling and Wellbeing team

Gabriella Andronico, Counselling and Wellbeing Service Manager -  Joined November 2023

Rosie Trustram, Wellbeing and INSPIRE Project Coordinator (maternity leave) - Joined October 2017

Nunzia Delle Donne, Wellbeing and INSPIRE Project Coordinator (maternity cover) - Joined September 2014

Ambra Biagini, Counselling Service Administrator - Joined October 2015

Teah Powell, Counselling and Wellbeing Service Administrator - Joined March 2024

 

Jacqui Eke, Accountant - Joined 2014

Alice Denis, Cleaner - Joined 2016