Could you become a Trustee?
We are keen to expand our board to better reflect the diversity of our member groups and the wider community. We seek individuals who can make a commitment to join us in our governing and fundraising activities, acting with unquestionable integrity, to support our endeavours in the successful promotion of our objectives.
If you are looking to utilise and further develop your professional skills, and to work with a group of inspiring leaders towards make a positive difference in North East Wales, then this is the role for you. If you feel you could make this commitment to TCC, please see the full role description here.
TCC'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Christopher Graffius
Christopher Graffius lives in Rossett and works as the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. He has worked in and around politics and the media for most of his career. He spent thirteen years working in parliament, and has lobbied on international, national and local issues. Along the way he wrote "Election '97, a Christian Guide to the General Election", published by Hodder and Stoughton, and a course on local political action validated by the University of Wales.
Christopher has been a school governor and a member of the Board of the Catholic Union.
Peter Burke
Peter grew up in Manchester and, after a career as a civil engineer working on projects around Britain and for many years managing the design and construction of roads and airports in Africa, is now living in retirement in Rossett.
​
Peter has been an active listening volunteer with Samaritans for over 27 years and is looking forward to working with TCC in their endeavours, through community organising, to remedy issues causing distress in our community.
Zoe Lavery
Zoe is originally from Wrexham and got to know about the work of TCC when she shared an office with them whilst working for CAFOD in their North Wales Diocesan Office. Working for CAFOD gave Zoe a good understanding of campaigning for change but she was really inspired, during a visit to Kenya, by the community advocates who helped to train people in their own community to know and understand their rights and to take action for themselves.
That experience led Zoe to train as a solicitor and she has spent the last eight years working as a lawyer for the Government Legal Department, advising central Government ministers on public and constitutional law.
She is looking forward to getting involved in the work of the board and supporting TCC in the inspirational work that it, and its member organisations, does.
Patron - The Bishop of St Asaph, The Rt Revd Gregory Cameron.
Bishop Gregory was born in south east Wales, and grew up in Monmouthshire. He discovered his faith as a teenager, and started attending the local Anglican Church (St Cybi). He was educated in Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School in Cwmbran. While reading Law at Oxford University, he discerned a vocation to the ordained ministry, and, on being accepted as an ordinand of the Church in Wales, took a Theology degree in Cambridge.
​
He was elected Bishop of St Asaph in 2009, where he serves the Church in north east and central Wales. Gregory is married to Clare, a teacher of music, and they have three sons. Gregory has a wide range of interests and enjoys reading, heraldry, calligraphy and Egyptology.
Melissa Griffiths
Melissa has lived in Wrexham for the majority of her life. Having been educated locally, she gained a Law Degree from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, before qualifying as a Solicitor with Allington Hughes Law in Wrexham. She is a Director of the Company and has spent all her working life with Allington Hughes. She practises exclusively in criminal law.
Melissa has attended St Giles Parish Church in Wrexham for many years and is a member of the Parochial Church Council. It is through this connection that she became involved with TCC when a vacancy arose. Her late parents the Rev Gerald and Marlene Griffiths were heavily involved with TCC in its early days and this was her motivation to become involved.
Darren Hampton
Darren lives in Coedpoeth just west of Wrexham with his wife and two teenage sons. He moved to the area in 2018 when he and his wife became the Salvation Army officers responsible for the church and community shop in Coedpoeth.
Darren has been an ordained minister of religion with the Salvation Army for 12 years and prior to that worked in various hostels, homeless day centres and churches in the inner city of London for 15 years. He has a great love for people from all walks of life and a real passion for achieving social justice for all.
Steve Byrne (co-opted)
Stephen was born in Chester in 1960, to Maureen (nee O’Sullivan) and Joseph, both members of the Post War, Irish diaspora of the 1950’s.
​
​Parallel to fulfilling a broad range of nondescript but nonetheless, life nourishing jobs, Stephen secured a part time Youth Worker qualification in 1979. This in turn, eventually, led him back into full time education, completing his Youth and Community studies in 1990.
For the next 30 years, working for either the Health Authority or Local Authority, Stephen helped to deliver open access drug and alcohol Services, across Liverpool, the Wirral, Chester and finally Wrexham, having moved permanently to North Wales in 1998.
​​
Stephen is thrilled to have become a Trustee on behalf of TCC, having reignited his original interest via Paolo Freire, Training for Transformation and Caia Park Partnership… Creating a fitting triumvirate indeed.
​​
Stephen describes his passions as music, art and literature and his distractions, as any one of his 16 grandchildren.
Charlotte Cooper
(co-opted)
Charlotte lives in Wrexham where she attended Ysgol Bryn Alyn and Coleg Cambria before gaining a law degree from Bangor University. She qualifies as a solicitor in October 2024 with Allington Hughes and practices criminal law.
While in Ysgol Bryn Alyn Charlotte was a part of her local community youth group which then progressed to the Senedd Yr Ifanc and its connected Management Group. While a part of these groups, Charlotte took part in various opportunities including a debate in the Senedd in Cardiff and a visit to the European Parliament buildings in Belgium. She also took part in experience with Judicium and was invited to speak on a panel at the National Teachers Conference in Cardiff.
Charlotte was introduced to TCC by Melissa Griffiths and is motivated to support the brilliant work it does, especially through craftivism.
Hugo Panayiotou (co-opted)
Hugo is a graduate of Psychology, and has worked in various sectors, including several years in welfare-to-work at Citizens Advice Wirral, where he supported individuals with long-term health conditions into employment and ran group sessions for those awaiting psychological therapy intervention. He has previously worked for TCC, and the skills and experience gained during this time will prove invaluable to the board.
Currently, Hugo serves as the Regional Account Manager for Maximus, where he supports employers with recruitment gaps and ensures that the individuals he places into work remain employed by offering ongoing support to both employers and employees. He has experience in managing teams and maintains an upbeat and can-do attitude, which he cascades to ensure positive mental health. As a mental health practitioner, Hugo finds this aspect often overlooked.
Throughout his career, Hugo has extensively traveled around the coastal regions of North Wales, a part of his job he particularly enjoys due to his sociable nature. He is approachable, loves to learn, and feels happiest out of his comfort zone. Hugo is also a member of MaxPride, the LGBTQ+ board within Maximus.
Hugo is a father of three and a dog dad, finding happiness in nature, whether walking the dogs in the woods or along the coast. He is deeply interested in humanity and humility, never taking either for granted.
Hugo is a ‘live and let live’ type, striving for equality for all. His most common advice to his children is, “Be kind, it’s very simple.”
