Our Management Committee

Each year our members elect our Management Committee. The Committee is made up of 14 places for representatives from local groups and individuals, 6 places for local authority funders and 5 places for co-opted members to address any imbalance on the diversity of the board.

You can find our Articles and Memorandum of Association (Dec 2015) here: DLC Articles of Association.

Want to find out more about being involved on the Management Committee? See more details on our Becoming A Member page. 

Any member organisations can nominate representatives to our Management Committee at the Annual General Election by completing our Nomination Form. 

Our next Annual General Meeting is on 7th December at Chesterfield Town Hall.

Meet Our Committee

Jenny Flood – Chairperson

I was delighted when I first was elected to be appointed to represent Chesterfield Borough Council as a member organisation.  I became aware of the Law Centres work during my time as a union official when some members had received help with issues such as rent arrears and evictions.

I hoped that my experience and knowledge gained from my time both as a Nurse Manager, and as a union official would be of assistance on the Management Committee.

I believe that equalities, fairness and justice are  principles that the Law Centre and I have in common. I have also been the Labour Party constituency Women’s Officer for a number of years and have throughout my career tried to help women attain their potential and fight for equality of opportunity and pay .

Since retiring I have volunteered for several community Groups within Rother Ward. We have referred a number of residents to the Law Centre for help.

Rob Busby – Vice Chairperson

Justice for all is something I have believed in all my life and when I retired I was delighted to be accepted as a trustee for Derbyshire Law Centre which not only provides free legal services to disadvantaged and marginalised members of society, but also operates as a worker’s cooperative, showing how effective organisations can be democratic and worker-led.

I have lived in Chesterfield for most of my life. I am a former local government worker with expertise in Enterprise IT systems, Project Management, Social Services Delivery, and Mental Health and Child Care Law. I also volunteer for Chesterfield Foodbank.

Alan Craw – Treasurer

Degree level education (HNC Chemistry) while working as a research chemist in the plastics industry.

After a successful career in the private sector I retired in 2002 and entered a short career in local government where I was elected member for Newbury central on West Berkshire Unitary Council.  After arriving in Chesterfield as the elected member for Old Whittington I also became the vice chair of planning.

John Duncan

I graduated as a Civil Engineer in 1955, although the first five years were spent in the aircraft industry. Thereafter I moved back into Civil Engineering and travelled around the country as the work demanded. I arrived in Chesterfield in 1982, anticipating a stay of 2 to 3 years.  As it has turned out, apart from 4 years in Hong Kong, I’ve never left.

I retired in 1998 and looked around for voluntary work. I joined Age Concern, in response to their advert, for one half-day a week. This was long enough for me until, in 2007, AC invited Chesterfield Law Centre, new to us, to come and speak  about their work. Teresa Waldron answered the call, arrived and spoke in such an interesting way that I jumped at the invitation from the Law Centre to Age Concern to send a representative to sit on their Management Committee, meeting once every 2 months. This sounded very interesting, and just the right short sort of time commitment.

Well, I was right about  “interesting”—a bit naïve about ”time”!

I was lost for the first few months, not really engaged with anything, and not sure of what the Law Centre did. Gradually, I began  to get to grips with its activities but really found my feet when I joined one of the two Sub-Committees, in my case Finance.   Since then I’ve enjoyed positions as Chair of Trustees and Treasurer as well as continuing on the Finance sub-committee.  I’ve also seen the charity expand and change its name to Derbyshire Law Centre. Long may it continue its invaluable work.

Michael Gordon

I have been involved with the Law Centre since 2020, serving as a volunteer employment advisor and also becoming chair of Management Committee on three occasions. I am a retired trade union national officer.  I sat as a member on the employment tribunals for 13 years.

For 12 years was a district councillor on North East Derbyshire District Council, and was cabinet member for most of the time with responsibility for the environment, planning policy and street scene etc.

Colin Hampton

I have been Co-ordinator of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers’ Centres for over 35 years beginning my tenure during the great miners’ strike 1984/5.  I was instrumental in setting up the National Unemployed Centre’s Combine during the 1980s and I have served on the TUCs National Consultative meeting of Unemployed Workers’ Centres since its inception.  I have represented the Centres in the European Anti – Poverty Network and was President of Links CVS in the 1990s.  More recently, I have been involved in the emerging Unite Community initiative, using my long experience to give voice to the concerns of the many people who are unemployed, under employed or in receipt of benefits and credits.  I have been on the Chesterfield TUC executive since the 1980s and, together with others, was responsible for the development of the Trade Union Safety Team and Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team.  I am part of the team that organises the prestigious Chesterfield TUC May Day Gala.

Sasha Lawrence – co-opted member

My name  is  Sasha Lawrence.  I am pleased  to be joining the team.

I am eager to work with Derbyshire Law Centre Manangement Committee and hope to be able to use my insight and skillset to compliment the vital contribution DLC are  making towards the  advancement of  issues pertaining to Equality, Diversity and inclusion,  with an emphasis on concepts that  embody  Anti-racism and best practice.

My working background is  centred  around the  criminal justice arena, where  I  spent  time as an Offender  manager, and  Substance misuse practitioner .

I am  currently  pursuing a masters  in International  Disaster management, and   volunteer across a number of areas and organisations including   British  Red cross,   Community Befriending, and End of life support as a  Death  Doula.

Alan Powell

I represent North East Derbyshire District Council (supporters of the Centre) on the Management Committee. My home is in Dronfield, where I chair the town’s Heritage Trust, which runs a community venue in a medieval barn. I also chair Dronfield Musical Theatre Group for whom I also write and direct. I spent all my career as a journalist and before retirement I was editor of the Sheffield Star, and before that I was launch editor of the Sheffield Telegraph. In addition to my NEDDC council role as cabinet member with responsibility for Housing, Communities and Communications and am also a member of Dronfield Town Council. I am an honorary doctor at Sheffield Hallam University.

Philip Rose

I am one of two Derbyshire County Council appointees to the Management Committee having recently been elected by the people of Alfreton & Somercotes division.

My background is Sales and Marketing, in recruitment, finance and most recently nine years in the home improvement sector.

Personal interests include heritage, particularly industrial heritage, the development of public transport and the protection of our natural and semi-managed environment. Also, I believe the goal of a just and civilised society must include a focus on the welfare, and for that matter, the rights of other animals to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.

I am keen to make sure we all enjoy equal, fair and affordable access to services such as law, housing and welfare and aim to assist the great team at DLC continue to achieve that goal.

David Shaw

Hello, my name is David Shaw. I am a retired Solicitor and former Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council. Ever since I was a law student in the 1960’s I have been a keen supporter of access to justice for all, especially for the most disadvantaged in society. I was a supporter of the original law centres movement when it first started and later was instrumental in creating a law centre in Chesterfield in the late 1980’s. I am very pleased and proud that our Law Centre has provided an excellent service for over 30 years, but not so pleased that problems in society mean that their services are still needed more than ever!

Julie Skill

I am a family solicitor, family mediator and partner at a local Chesterfield firm.  I have worked in family law for over 30 years and take a very conciliatory approach when helping separating couple sort out their future family arrangements.  I support my client through very difficult situations.

I am also very proud to be the current President of Derby and District Law Society and their representative on the Management Committee for the Law Centre.  I hope to use my year as the current President to try and promote access to justice for all.

I have lived in Chesterfield all of my life and believe it is important to support local service and businesses.

In the little spare time that I have, I enjoy spending time with my first grandchild and try and go swimming and to the gym when time allows.  I hope to soon be able to resume travelling and am keen to be able to embark on my next cruise!

Derrick Skinner

Welfare rights worker since 1989 for DUWC, The citizens Advice bureau and Enable Housing in total 30 years.

Previously I was a Trade Union lay officer for 10 years working as a Decorator at the local District council.

I have been a parish Cllr since 2007 for Clay Cross and for 8 years as a District Cllr for Shirland district.

I have always been keen on justice for the underprivileged and have assisted hundreds of people in my previous work as an advice worker and as a Cllr .

I am passionate about the community I live in and regularly direct people to the Law Centre with housing and employment issues

I believe we need to ensure that Law Centres and other advice and representation organisations are needed more now than ever
That’s why when Clay Cross parish Council nominated me to sit on the Law Centre Committee I welcomed it.

Angela Webster

I trained as a Junior/ Secondary teacher specialising in Drama with English and Art but during my working life went down through the ages working with Infant children out of the Diagnostic unit based at Birdholme and for Primary Support Teams working peripatetically from Special Schools. I have two children and three Grandchildren. For nine years I was Vice Chair of the board of Staveley Neighbourhood Management, a Government funded regeneration scheme. In 2012 I received the Derbyshire County Council’s award for Excellence in the Community. In 1998 myself along with Cllr Roland Beckingham and Robert Mckittrick founded “The Roof-Stop Trust” registered charity with the aim of relieving homelessness in the town and have been working closely with Pathways and the three local councils ever since. I am joint Secretary and Treasurer of Staveley Seniors Forum, Secretary of Chesterfield Christian Action and a Trustee of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre. I am also an actor in “The Crackpot Company” that takes Christian Assemblies into Primary Schools in the Staveley and town centre areas, and south as far as Wessington.

Sarah White

I have volunteered for Derbyshire Law Centre for a number of years firstly as a receptionist, then an assessor, and presently as a member of the Management Committee. I started volunteering for the Law Centre whilst studying law at college and I now work in the legal sector.  I am extremely passionate about equal access to justice, and identify strongly with the Law Centre’s aims. The Law Centre has a fantastic team of dedicated staff and volunteers, and the work that they do to improve the lives of people within my local community is truly inspiring.

Mick Wilson

My name is Mick Wilson I was nominated from Ripley Town Council to be a Trustee of Derbyshire Law Centre.

I have worked and volunteered in the advice sector over 25 years.

It’s now time to help support those who need help but in a different role   As a Trustee I want to enable the centre and its vital services to evolve.

Jack Woolley

I am the newly elected County Councillor for the Sutton Division, representing the communities of Calow, Arkwright, Long Duckmanton, Holmewood, Heath, North Wingfield, Sutton Scarsdale and Grassmoor.

I am from Brimington and after finishing school I studied Law at Sheffield Hallam University. Following work I went to work in politics for Lee Rowley in North East Derbyshire and now for Mark Fletcher in Bolsover.

During my final year at university I volunteered for the Chesterfield Branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau, helping those with legal questions and providing support to those who needed it.

I am the youngest councillor at Derbyshire County Council.