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ABOUT US

HISTORY

CPPS was established in April 2004 as an independent organisation designing and delivering high-quality seminars with Government and other public bodies, with its head office in Hebden Bridge, in Pennine West Yorkshire. Its predecessor body, QMW Public Policy Seminars, was established in Hebden Bridge in 1993.

WHO WE ARE

STAFF AND DIRECTORS


Sydney Roper
Managing Director
Sydney founded CPPS in 2004, having previously been the founder and Managing Director of QMW Seminars. In a long career in public service, he has worked in senior positions in a national quango, English and Welsh local government and higher education. He has also directed seminar programmes for the Universities of Birmingham and London, where he was a Professor in Public Policy.

Previously he was a department head and then regional chief officer of the Commission for Racial Equality, where he was responsible for promoting policy across the public and third sectors, managed offices in Manchester and Leeds and opened them in Edinburgh. He was deputy director of planning in a Welsh city and worked as a corporate and developmental planner in London local government. His first job was in a private surveying practice in Westminster, where he also grew up and went to school.

He is a graduate of LSE and has a post graduate diploma from UCL. Away from work, he has chaired a comprehensive school governing body in Lambeth, a housing association in Swansea and a music festival in Yorkshire and has sat on national boards of bodies ranging from Save the Children to Stonham Housing.

Sydney has overall responsibility for all of CPPS’s work and leads on planning and design of programmes.

Sydney

Cheryl Shackleton
Deputy Director and Director Designate
Cheryl joined CPPS in early 2008 and was later promoted to Deputy Director.

Previously, for many years she was a researcher and lecturer in criminal justice and social policy at Bradford University, where she also conducted academic and vocational training of probation officers in association with Sheffield and Hull Universities. 

She has a BA and a MA from Bradford and is completing a PhD. She has been a research consultant in both local government and the community sector and a campaigner for cancer research.  She is a school governor in Halifax.

Cheryl has lead responsibility for delivery of CPPS programmes and will take on the Director’s mantle in August 2010.

Cheryl

Dr Anna Osborne
Associate Director
Anna has worked for CPPS since 2005 and has been responsible for running many of its programmes. She is a historian with a PhD from Durham University and a MA from Edinburgh. She has had a range of other jobs in Europe, Africa and New Zealand and has her own garden design business. Anna now conducts special projects for CPPS. Anna

Louise Rushworth
Business Manager
Like Sydney, Louise has worked for CPPS, and QMW before it, since 1993. She was born and bred in Hebden Bridge and joined QMW following a training course after leaving school. She has been involved in most aspects of our work over the years. As Business Manager, she is responsible for managing both our offices and our marketing, handling and registering all bookings, dealing with customers, liaising with venues and suppliers, preparing materials for events and managing the website. Louise

Kathryn Brooks
Finance and Development Manager
Kathryn is a lawyer by training, with a Manchester LLB. She has worked for private law firms in Manchester and had her own business managing rock bands. She joined CPPS in 2009 and is now Finance Manager, responsible for all aspects of finance and credit control. She also event manages a range of seminars and is responsible for developing CPPS work into new areas of activity. Kathryn

Joanna Gill
Events Manager
Joanna is also a lawyer by training, with a London LL.B., who joined CPPS in 2008. She is an Associate of King’s College and a qualified solicitor.  She has worked in private law firms in both Yorkshire and Lancashire and with the CPS, where she was a Senior Crown Prosecutor.  She currently event manages a wide range of CPPS seminars from time of contributor invitation to delivery on the ground. Joanna

Linda Dean
Events Manager
Linda started her career in banking and has been company secretary of a family furniture business in Calderdale.  She has worked for the Countryside Foundation for Education, Wild Rose Heritage and Arts and Pecket Well College. She currently manages our Manchester seminars and conducts much of our marketing. Linda

Harriet Clayton
Intern
Harriet is studying for a degree in Events Management at Leeds Metropolitan University. She works for CPPS part-time, manages the diary and assists with marketing and other aspects of our work. Harriet

David Leedham
I.T. Consultant
David provides support for the centre’s computer network and internet presence. David Leedham

Neil Peden
Non-Executive Director
Neil has been non-executive director of CPPS since 2004. He is director and company secretary of Greystone Financial Services. Neil

Dr Kit Evans
Company Secretary
Kit has been company secretary since 2004. She is a consultant psychiatrist, medico-legal consultant and specialist adviser to the General Medical Council.  She qualified in medicine at the University of Manchester. Kit

THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

The work of the Centre is steered by an eminent Advisory Council, chaired by Joint Presidents, Lord Toby Harris and Graham Mather. The Vice Presidents are Karamjit Singh and Jacqui Henderson. Members are leading figures in central and local government, other public bodies, NGOs and business.
Lord Toby Harris
President
Government Peer;  Director, Toby Harris Associates;  Chair, All Party Group on Policing;  Chair, Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody;  Former Chair, Association of London Government and Metropolitan Police Authority;  Former Director, Association of Community Health Councils;  Vice President, Local Government Association

Graham Mather
President
President, European Policy Forum; Member, Ofcom Consumer Panel; Director of Greenham Common Trust; adviser to Tudor Investment Corporation, and other companies, charities and public organisations; contributor to The Times and other journals. A lawyer educated at New College, Oxford : Burnet Law Scholar. Previously first Head of Policy, Institute of Directors, General Director, Institute of Economic Affairs; Member, Monopolies and Mergers Commission; MEP and member, Parliament's Social Affairs and Economic and Monetary Affairs Committees; Member, Competition Appeal Tribunal; Visiting Fellow, Nuffield College, Oxford.

Jacqui Henderson
Vice President
Managing Director, CLASS, a new consultancy and project management company. Previously Chief Executive, Northumberland Training and Enterprise Council and then TEC National Council; Regional Director, LSC in Greater London; Chief Executive, UK Skills and member, WorldSkills 2011 Competition bid team.

Karamjit Singh
Vice President
Social Fund Commissioner for Great Britain and Northern Ireland from January 2010. Previously Chair, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, and Member, Electoral Commission, QC Selection Panel, Police Complaints Authority and Criminal Cases Review Commission. Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Ombudsman. Trustee, Citizenship Foundation, Lloyds TSB Foundation and British Lung Foundation. Former Harkness Fellow.

Members

Dr Mohammad BariSecretary General, Muslim Council of Britain
Martin BarnesChief Executive, Drugscope
Yasmin BatliwalaChair, Westminster Drug Project; Recently Chair, Hertfordshire Police Authority
David BehanDirector General for Social Care, Department of Health
Jodi BergIndependent Complaints Reviewer
Jon ColesDirector General for Schools, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Edward CollinsRegional Officer, ASCL; Recently Headteacher, Todmorden High School
Tony ColmanDirector, Africa Practice
John DunfordGeneral Secretary, Association of School and College Leaders
Gareth DaviesManaging Director, Audit Commission
Bobby DuffyManaging Director, Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute
Mervyn EastmanPresident, Change AGEents
Naomi EisenstadtRecently Director, Social Exclusion Task Force, Cabinet Office
Lucy Fallon-ByrneDirector, National Centre for Partnership and Performance, Dublin
Mike FarrarChief Executive, NHS North West
Mike GranattPartner, Luther Pendragon; Former Head of GICS
Olivia GrantPro Chancellor, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Alfred HitchcockDirector of Leadership Programmes, National Policing Improvement Agency
Jane GreenoakDirector of Customer and Corporate Services, National Housing Federation
Sue HallChief Officer, West Yorkshire Probation
Jennifer HarrisManaging Director, JRBH Strategy and Management
Sir Deian HopkinRecently Vice Chancellor, London South Bank University; Chair, Student Loans Review
Prof Gus JohnChief Executive, GJP; Professor of Education, University of Strathclyde
Sir Bob KerslakeChief Executive, Homes and Communities Agency
Andrew KilburnChief Executive, London Borough of Waltham Forest
Alexandra JonesAssociate Director, The Work Foundation
Paul LincolnChief Executive, National Heart Forumv
Richard McCarthyDirector General, Department for Communities and Local Government
Roisin McDonoughChief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Marie-Thérèse McGivernDirector of Development, Belfast City Council
Sir Graham MeldrumChair, West Midlands Ambulance Service; Recently HM Chief Inspector of Fire Services
Una O’BrienDirector General, Policy and Strategy, Department of Health
Dr Ita O’DonovanChief Executive, London Borough of Haringey
Dr Linda PattersonConsultant Physician, East Lancashire PCT; Former Medical Director, CHI
Neil PedenDirector, Greystone Financial Services
Sir Denis Pereira GrayEmeritus Professor, University of Exeter; Former President, Royal College of GPs
Peter PledgerChief Executive, South London Business
Christopher PriceFormer MP, Select Committee Chair and Vice Chancellor, Leeds Metropolitan University
Prof Vicky PryceDirector General and Chief Economic Adviser, BIS
Tony RedmondChairman, Commission for Local Administration in England (Ombudsman)
Jonathan ReesDirector General, Government Equalities Office
Jo RobbinsGroup Human Relations Director, VT Group plc
Joanne RoneyChief Executive, City of Wakefield MDC
Alison RoseDetective Chief Superintendent, West Yorkshire Police
Dr Dhananjayan SriskandarajahDirector General, Royal Commonwealth Society
David ScottPrincipal, All Saints High School, Newcastle
Adam SharplesDirector General, Department for Work and Pensions
Jo ShuterHeadteacher, Quintin/Kynaston School
Prof Angus SkinnerFormer Chief Inspector of Social Work for Scotland; Consultant on Positive Psychology
Jonathan SlaterDirector General, Business Transformation, Ministry of Justice
Paddy TomkinsRecently HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland
Mick WatersProfessor of Education, Wolverhampton University; Recently Director of Curriculum, QCA
Michael WhitehouseAssistant Auditor General, National Audit Office
Diana WhitworthThird Sector Consultant; Former Chief Executive, Carers UK and Grandparents Plus
Andrew WhyteDirector of Communications, Defra
Emily ThomasFounding Director, Aequitas Consulting
Tom WilsonDirector, Unionlearn
Jackie WorrallDirector of Policy and Public Affairs, NACRO
Our Address:   6 Hollins Place, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. HX7 8EU   tel. 01422 845 004  fax. 01422 845 032