Meet Our Board

Norman became the Chair of Regenerage in 2019.

Norman is the Managing Director of the OBAS Group which was formed in January 2008, based in Longridge Preston distributing over 17,000 building, plumbing and personalised clothing to the construction industry and services a client database exceeding 23,000.

OBAS has worked relentlessly to overcome tremendous adversity, to become highly respected within the local business community and by its national suppliers, clients and associates. The company and its management team have tackled severe constraints as a result of finance, politics and legislation.

Having previously spent 25 years providing business and IT consultancy to a variety of businesses across Europe, developing a range of skills, knowledge and experience which have been crucial in building the OBAS group. Both the company and his achievements have been recognised through a variety of awards and appointments.

Norman is a Board Director of the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University, Chair of the Remuneration Committee for the NWLCC and an honorary teaching fellow and Entrepreneur In Residence at Lancaster University management School.

Much of his spare time is spent working within the community supporting education and business, he also mentors a range of business entrepreneurs and owners. Norman is ideallypositioned with a range of skills, experience and knowledgeto provide a balanced and practical view to inspire, motivate and make a real difference and to support the charity into the future.

Mr Phil Hughes has over 20 years’ experience working at senior management levels within the Charity sector. With a background in business development, Phil worked at two of the largest Age Concern organisations in the Northwest between 1997 and 2008, moving on to take up the role as Chief Executive for a national medical education charity in 2008.

Achieving a postgraduate Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 2010, having previously gained a degree in Strategic Business Management in 2002, Phil has a keen interest in business improvement processes and marketing within Charities and Non Profit organisations.

Phil has been a Trustee of Regenerage since 2017, becoming Vice Chair of the Board in 2019. His experience of working for Age Concern was the reason he decided to join the Board, as he has been involved in the development and delivery of many vital services Regenerage has offered right across the Northwest. Phil is very familiar with the history of the organisation and the challenges it faces in the ever changing environment it operates in.

As Chair of Regenerage’s Business Development and Finance Subcommittee, Phil is able to use his vast experience and knowledge of the Charity sector to help support new and existing services and monitor income and expenditure following regulatory guidelines.

Having taken a career break in 2017, Phil decided to further his academic studies by embarking on a professional doctorate in Industrial / Organisational Psychology, and is currently researching the effects this has on the voluntary sector within the United Kingdom.

A frustrated musician, Phil’s personal interests include playing and listening to music and learning more about human psychology, in particular the non-conscious influence this has on the personal and professional development of people within the workplace.

I am professor of social work education and have researched and written about social media, digitalisation and the use of technologies in social work practice. I really enjoy working with students to help them achieve their potential. In my spare time I like cycling, drumming and swimming.

My role is Trustee and I support the Assurance sub committee.

I am motivated to be a charity Trustee, to contribute to my community and particularly where older people are concerned.

Regenerage really inspire me to think creatively about how the organisation can develop to meet the range of needs older people have, and ensure that we value older people from all of our diverse communities make to our society.

I have worked and supported services for over 20 years within health, local authority, and the independent sector. Following leaving the Local Authority in 2011 I successfully set up and established my own business Valued Care Solutions. Working to a principal base of person centred, solution focused and community asset-based approaches I have been positively supporting and championing best practice and quality assurance across all social care services.

Gaining a wide range of qualifications including Promoting Independence, Management in Social Care Services, Supply Chain Management, as well as being trained facilitator in person centred approaches for learning disabilities and autism and a dementia champion for ‘Alzheimer’s UK’. I have a real passion for community and providing quality supports in a way that is values-based and person-centred.

I have responsibility to the board as an active Trustee and participate in the Assurance sub-committee.

What motivates me is having the passion for community and quality supports to people in need I was given the opportunity to be part of the exceptional Regenerage trustee board in 2019. Working in both public and private social sector I feel I have unique skills and experiences that can benefit the variety of voices within the trustee board members to supports and drive the delivery of the charity organisation.

Steve brings skills and experience from a career in finance in the private sector and the NHS. Steve is a Trustee member of the Finance and Business Development Sub-Committee and he holds to position of Honorary Treasurer.
He joined Regenerage because of the support it provided for people with dementia and their carers. Now retired, Steve can be found every day walking his dog, Alfie and supporting Liverpool FC.

After a diverse career, spanning a range of sectors from corporate finance to local government, and scaling a video game business across Europe, he launched Essentialise in 2020. They support organisations in building wellbeing and inclusion strategies, and deliver bespoke interventions and workshops. His mission is to cultivate cultures where work is a net positive for employees, where regeneration and equity are as standard.

He has won a number of awards for this work, including the Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Industries in 2021 and a National Startup Award in 2022. He has overcome challenges such as losing the ability to walk and mental health struggles, and he speaks on a variety of topics, from gender equity to the sustainability of people.

I joined the Regenerage board as a Trustee in 2021, and am part of the Finance and Business Development Sub-Committee. As a board member, I am focusing on aspects of income generation, the development of services for future users, and diversity and inclusion.

Being a charity trustee is a privilege and an honour, and the ability to contribute to something valued within the region is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. To put it into a wider context, Regenerage is older than me, and to be a custodian of that legacy is something I cherish and aim to support to thrive and continue to positively impact lives every single day.