Jonathan Cheshire, Independent Governor
Jonathan Cheshire joined the Board in November 2007 and sits on the Resources Committee.
Jonathan is a leading developer of charities and voluntary agencies with particular expertise in youth and young people's issues, employment and training, housing and regeneration, and outdoor and informal education. Currently he is CEO of Wheatsheaf Trust, a charity promoting social inclusion and economic development which runs a range of innovative projects to support marginalised people into training and work.
Between 1996 and 1998 Jonathan founded Portsmouth Foyer, a housing and employment project for disadvantaged young people, and between 1989 and 1996 was Director of a major national charity, Ocean Youth Club, then Europe's largest sail training organisation and provider of outdoor education for young people drawn from all social, ethnic and geographical backgrounds.
Jonathan has founded a number of other charities for homeless people in London, and has been appointed to various government committees on homelessness, rehabilitation of offenders, and marine safety. He was until recently a Council Member on the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Learning & Skills Council, the South East of England Regional Assembly, and the SEEDA Scrutiny Committee. He is a Trustee of the Association of Sea Training Organisations and a Board member of Street Kids International.
A keen sailor and rower (he rowed for England in 1969), Jonathan is married with two children.