Governance at Nelson and Colne College

The Board of Corporation make a valuable contribution to the success of the College. Members contribute their collective skills, knowledge and experience on an unpaid basis to ensure Board business is conducted effectively.

Their role is to determine the strategic direction of the College, to ensure the quality of the service provided, to be accountable for the appropriate use of public funds, and to ensure the solvency of the organisation and that business is conducted within the legal framework.

The Governing body, which consists of 16 members conducts its operations in accordance with the Instruments and Articles of Government. The last significant changes to this where introduced on 1st January 2008 and minor amendments were introduced on 1st January 2010.

Governors are not appointed to manage the College, that is the responsibility of the Principal. They do however observe regulations issued by the Skills Funding Agency and act within the accepted principles for those who hold public office, namely:

• Selflessness
• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Accountability
• Openness
• Honesty
• Leadership

Board membership

The Membership of the Corporation is made up of 'Skill,' Parent, Staff and Student categories. These are considered to be the major stakeholder groups within a Further Education College. The Principal is also a Corporation Member. The current membership is as follows:

Skill Members (click for more information)

John David (Chairman)

I have been a College Governor for about 18 years and remain fully convinced of the absolute necessity of Further and Higher Education in this country. I am a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from the University of London and worked as an engineer and senior manager in two large multi-national companies before buying and managing my own business in Burnley, which was allied to the Engineering Industry. I am very active in the local community. I am a Governor in two Schools within the Borough, a local Politician and strongly support the Arts via my involvement in Burnley Municipal Choir and Orchestra and Pendle Leisure Trust.

Rob Pheasey (Vice Chairman)

I have recently been appointed Chief Executive at Marsden Building Society. As a strong mutual organisation, the Marsden has established links with the communities in which they operate. They take their corporate social responsibilities very seriously, reflected in their sponsorship support for local events, the product pricing strategy, the maintenance of a branch network and the fairness and transparency in our dealings with members.

On a personal level, involvement with the community must extend to participation in local events and a willingness to provide the skills and experience learned through employment to other organisations. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be involved with Nelson and Colne College and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

Stephen Barnes

I am the Chief Executive of Pendle Borough Council and Secretary to Pendle Partnership (a public/private sector partnership addressing the regeneration of Pendle). I have held my present post for the last eighteen years and was previously Director of Finance & Deputy Chief Executive at Pendle Council.

I am adviser to the National Local Government Association and many national working parties; a past President of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy for the North West & North Wales Region, and part of the Review Panel for the Improvement and Development Agency’s national peer review programme for local authorities. I am an Accountant by profession and a past examiner for the Final Part of the CIPFA examination.

Saj Butt

My association with the College stretches over three decades, initially as a student in the late seventies, then as the assistant Manager of the then unique Drop in Skills Centre (DISC) in the early eighties and finally as a Lecturer in Technology. I moved to Lancaster and Morecambe College (LMC), initially as a Lecturer in IT and then as its Staff Development Manager.

The past decade has been dedicated to the family Computer Business, 3B Systems Ltd., which I had helped launch as a small computer shop in Nelson in 1985. My main areas of work are Marketing and Development, Finance, Purchasing and Sales and some Personnel work. My background is in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, in which I have an HND. I have a Certificate in Education, an Advanced Diploma in Management and am currently studying, part-time, BA (Hons) Business and Management. I am married with four children and I am:

• Board Member and Former President: East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce
• Member of Pendle Vision Board
• Fellow of the Winston Churchill Trust
• Founding Member of the Roof of the World Charity
• Former Captain and Manager of Paak united F.C.

I enjoy reading, walking, travelling, playing and watching various sports, particularly football. I hope to play a positive and constructive part as a member of the corporation in achieving its stated Mission, drawing on my background in education but also on the business acumen acquired running my own business. I am a committed, enthusiastic and positive person and hope these qualities will shine through.

Mike Calvert

I was born in Burnley and have lived and worked in Pendle for 36 years. Initially I lived in Nelson and Colne and then the village of Trawden. I have two grown up children, Diane and Sharon, and two grandchildren, Luke and Nathan.

On leaving Accrington College I began as an apprentice at Lucas Aerospace in Burnley where I worked until 1976. Then, after 3 years as a professional musician, I worked in the motor industry until the mid eighties. For the last 23 years I worked in the catering & leisure industry primarily involved in providing a service and repair facility throughout the UK, specialising in commercial microwave ovens. I have recently retired to concentrate on my work as a Lancashire County Councillor (Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services), Pendle Borough Councillor & Colne Town Councillor, and so best serve ALL my constituents.

I am a LEA governor at two local schools, those being Trawden Forest Primary School, and at Laneshawbridge Primary School. I am also a member of S.E.L.R.A.P (Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) with whom I served as General Secretary until May 2005 and support the Royal British Legion and several Wildlife Protection Agencies.

My interests and hobbies include, Formula I Motor Racing, Snooker, Bowls, Walking and anything to do with old trains and railways. I have always been very interested in politics and more recently in the local political scene. Following my successes at local elections I intend to make a difference for the better in Pendle East. At County Hall I am the Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services which has a budget of £450million, and is the largest of the County Councils Directorates.

Alison Chambers

I qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1985 and worked as a Physiotherapist in a number of hospitals across a wide variety of clinical specialisms. My clinical career culminated in specialising in Adult Neurological and Older Person Rehabilitation.

In 1995, I took up my first post in Higher Education at the University of Salford where I progressed from Lecturer to Director of Physiotherapy. In 2002, I moved to the University of Central Lancashire where I have held a number of senior roles including Head of School; I am currently Head of Student Experience. Outside of work, I am married with children, and enjoy walking in the Lakes, skiing and reading.

Carole Dixon

I was born in Burnley and we have lived in Colne since 1984. Married to Ivan for 38 years, we have one son Ivan and a grandson Liam. I attended school in Blackburn to the age of 15 and Burnley Municipal College, for a further year, before commencing a secretarial career, whilst continuing to study part-time at local colleges. I've always enjoyed working and have been fortunate enough to gain employment with some very good local employers, where different opportunities presented themselves, which supported my development and longer term career aspirations.

Falling into Personnel by necessity with a local growing company I was keen to progress further. With Shire Hotels I was encouraged to return to part-time study, for 3 years, to achieve a Post-graduate Degree and with continued personal development Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Family time is important to me. Together we have a good social calendar with proportionate quality time spent with the older and younger members of our family as well as our friends. Holidays are now spent in this country, although foreign travel has been wide and very much enjoyed in the past.

Hafiz Malik

I graduated from University of Punjab, Pakistan and arrived in UK in the early 1960s. Initially, I spent several years in private companies such as Smith & Nephew where I had been in management posts before working as a development officer at Burnley Borough Council.

Latterly, I was deeply involved in the work of the Racial Equality Council. During my time as a Vice Chairman of the Council, I have played an invaluable role assisting and advising on community based issues. I live locally and undertake a considerable amount of voluntary work within the community. I hope to continue to play a constructive role as a Member of the Board of Corporation and to further contribute to the development of the College.

Steven Jackson

I was born in Burnley and have (except for time away studying) lived in Burnley for my entire life. I went to Briercliffe County Primary School and then to Habergham High School. After leaving secondary education, I gained a place at The University of East Anglia to study law and completed my studies at The College of Law, York. Thereafter I moved back to Burnley after gaining employment with Southerns Solicitors in 1998, where I have worked since. My family have lived in Burnley since 1976. My father worked in the textile industry for many years in Barrowford and Colne and my mother worked for most of her working life as a Maths teacher at Nelson and Colne College. I currently live locally in Barrowford with my partner Laura.

I have been actively involved in various organisations in the area. I was, for a considerable number of years, a member at Burwain Sailing Club and swam with Rosegrove and Bobcats swimming clubs. Latterly, although work commitments have reduced my leisure time, I still enjoy sailing, golf and most outdoor pursuits in order to keep fit and active generally. I have taken part in a number of Charity events over the last few years - I have successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden in 24 hours), I have completed a 100km non-stop Charity Walk on the South Coast in 30 hours and have recently completed the Barnoldswick Triathlon for Pendleside Hospice.

I am an active member of the Committee of the Burnley and Pendle Law Society and attend their meetings regularly. I also am one of three Partners within the firm of Southerns who are members of the Management Committee. We are responsible for the day-to-day running of the firm. My main area of responsibility within the Management structure is to deal with all staffing issues of the 80 staff members of the firm.

I have been exposed to Committee responsibilities for many years now - starting at University with my appointment as President of the Sailing Club, continuing with my integration onto the first incarnation of our Management Committee at Southerns with Andrew Buchanan around 6 years ago, my membership of the local Law Society Committee, which also started about 6 years ago, and the newly re-organised Management Committee at Southerns after the departure of Andrew.

I have always been a dedicated and hard worker - academically and in work, which led to my appointment as a Partner in Southerns at the age of 32, and through other, non-work activities such as those I mention above. The prospect of being part of such a large organisation and having a positive input in so many people's lives is a challenge I relish.

David Whatley

I trained with Borough of Pendle Council where I qualified as a Chartered Public Finance Accountant. After leaving the Council, I held several positions in financial services, industry and the NHS which involved overseas travel to countries such as USA, Ireland, Latvia and Malawi. I then moved into Practice, joining RSM Bentley Jennison where my last position was Director in the Manchester Office.

My association with the College began with RSM Bentley Jennison (now RSM Tenon) being appointed as Internal Auditors for which I acted as Account Manager. Early in 2009 I left RSM Bentley Jennison to take up a position as Head of Internal Audit at the Health and Safety Executive in Bootle. I expressed a desire to maintain my links with the College and am now Chair the Audit Committee.

I have 3 children and list my interests as a season ticket holder at Burnley FC, long distance running, five a side football and antique collecting.

Mike Tull

I have been a teacher since September 1986 beginning in the London Borough of Harrow. My career has included 2 posts with Buckinghamshire County Council in Hampshire and Southampton prior to my move 'up north' to Gawthorpe High School as Deputy Head/Acting Headteacher then Mansfield High School as Headteacher in January 2004. I was appointed as Headteacher at Marsden Heights Community College (known at the time as Pendle School A) in August 2005.

I was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire and lived on the south coast until I was 18. I have a BA Hons degree in English and History and a Master of Arts Degree in Education not to mention the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

I am passionate about education and committed to developing local, national and international links to ensure that the local community has maximum access to educational opportunities from a diversity of providers. To this end I have forged links with Russia (via my Partnership with UCLAN) and Pakistan (I recently returned from a Partnership visit to Gujrat where I visited the villages from which 70% of my students' families originated). I have recently jointly formed a charity, Furniture for Education Worldwide (FEW), for the distribution of unwanted furniture to areas of need around the world.