What is the Foundation?

Bates Wells Foundation is the charity that runs the Stephen Lloyd Awards. The Foundation focuses on supporting sustainable social change. Since launching in 2015, this UK-registered charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) (1150321) has given close to £800,000 to different organisations and ground-breaking causes, funded by donations from the law firm Bates Wells, and a wider network of generous supporters from within the Stephen Lloyd Awards’ partners.

All the Foundation’s annual reports and financial statements are on the UK Charity Commission website and can also be found at the bottom of this page.

Meet the Team behind the Foundation

Stephanie Biden, Trustee and Chair

Stephanie Biden is Chair of the Bates Wells Foundation. She is a partner in Bates Wells’ Charity & Social Enterprise team. She’s particularly interested in advising faith-based charities and international NGOs. Before joining Bates Wells, Stephanie worked with International Justice Mission in northern Thailand, supporting projects fighting sex trafficking. Today, Stephanie advises new charities and social enterprises, helping with mergers, reorganisations and constitutional reviews. She also advises on grant-making, fundraising, intellectual property and social franchising, equality and discrimination and corporate philanthropy. She’s also a trustee of Tearfund, Stewardship and Breaking Barriers. Stephanie also occasionally hosts a supper club to raise money for small charities.

Lorna Lloyd, Trustee

Lorna Lloyd was married to Stephen. She started her working life as a teacher in The Sudan with VSO. On returning to the UK she raised a family, was a school governor and ran a music shop. She retrained as a paediatric speech and language therapist specialising in autism and worked for the NHS. Lorna is now retired but volunteers as a speech and language therapist and school governor.

Jim Clifford, Trustee

Jim Clifford O.B.E. leads the Social Enterprise consultancy ‘Sonnet Advisory & Impact,’ in association with Sheffield Hallam University, where he is an Hon. Professor. He is a chartered accountant, corporate financier and social researcher, and spent his formative years working in the London Theatres. As their Co-founder he led the design of the Awards’ crowd-based process for scoring applications, shortlisting and selecting winners. With specialisms in charity and social enterprise strategy and development, governance, impact measurement, and social investment, he has held public and advisory roles including European Commission level, leading the development of its Impact Measurement standards. A published author, he is a Visiting Fellow at Cass Business School, teaching on the Charities Masters programmes, having been awarded their MSc with distinction in 2010. He is a Trustee of The Children’s Society, The Bach Choir, and Go-Forward Youth, one of the Awards’ first winners.

Chetal Patel, Trustee

Chetal Patel is a partner and head of Bates Wells’ immigration team. She specialises in corporate immigration matters and regularly advises charities and social enterprises on bringing individuals to the UK and the impact of structural changes on sponsor licences. She has been a supporter of the Stephen Lloyd Awards from the beginning and not only scores, shortlists and interviews projects but also provides support to the nominees and winners. Chetal is one of Bates Wells’ co-ambassadors of REACH&RISE and champions inclusivity and diversity within the firm.and champions inclusivity and diversity within the firm.

Hugo Ricca, Trustee

Hugo Ricca is a former Charity & Social Enterprise paralegal and future trainee solicitor at Bates Wells. Originally a volunteer for the Stephen Lloyd Awards evening, he created and runs the Stephen Lloyd Awards Instagram account. He was also an ambassador of the Bates Wells Diversity and Inclusion Forum, focusing on physical and mental health & well being in the workplace. In his spare time, he enjoys running, hiking, reading, and travelling.

Nicola Dobson, Trustee

Nicola Dobson is the Operations Director at Bates Wells, where she leads both the IT and Operations departments. She oversees the firm’s ongoing B Corp certification and champions internal sustainability initiatives, including in-house recycling and sustainable procurement practices. Experienced in project management, she oversees large projects and drives improvement across systems and processes. Since joining Bates Wells in 2017, Nicola has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Stephen Lloyd Awards, actively participating in scoring applications and assisting during the event. Before joining Bates Wells, Nicola volunteered with Raleigh International in Nicaragua and Costa Rica as a Logistics Coordinator – supporting the delivery of local community projects and facilitating cross-cultural and positive citizenship experiences for young adults.

Robert Oakley, Trustee

Rob Oakley is a partner and former head of Bates Wells’ Dispute Resolution team and is currently serving his third term on Bates Wells’ Management Board. Rob has helped charities and other organisations avoid and resolve a wide range of disputes for over 25 years.

Tina Strack, Trustee

Tina Strack is currently an Associate Director at the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, leading on the commissioning and development of national clinical audits and outcome review programmes. She is passionate about how the health service can continue to improve and innovate patient care and particularly how data can support this. Originally from Canada, she has held senior roles at Nesta, the Health Foundation and the British Columbia Cancer Agency, leading impactful health initiatives and fostering collaboration between healthcare organisations, clinicians, patients, and policymakers. Tina is also actively involved in various voluntary positions, including being Lead Governor for Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and a trustee for Potential Difference, a theatre charity.

Ian Joseph, Trustee

Ian is one of the founders and Managing Director of Trustees Unlimited and co-founder of Step on Board, one of the UK’s leading senior employee engagement programmes, partnering with giants like Barclays, Google, and Deloitte. As joint Managing Director of Russam, the UK’s longest-established interim management company and senior executive search firm, Ian has a wealth of experience in leadership and recruitment. Ian’s board service includes roles such as Chair of Kidscape, Interim Board Director of Avaaz and founding Director/Trustee of Cyclopark. His career began as Chief Executive of a charity with both the UK and international operations. A trusted confidant for many sector leaders, Ian has recruited for some of the most high-profile board roles in the country. He holds a Master’s degree in Voluntary Sector Management from Bayes Business School, a degree in Business Information Systems, and certifications in Charity Law and Governance and Coaching. Ian is also a Fellow of the RSA.

Jacquelyn Oliveira, Treasurer and Trustee

Jacquelyn is a Chartered Accountant with a background in corporate finance, investment structuring and advisory for high-net-worth individuals and family offices. With experience across sectors including financial services, property and consumer goods, she has also served as a non-executive director and angel investor. Currently completing an MSc in Philanthropy, Grantmaking and Social Investment, she combines commercial expertise with a passion for social impact. A committed volunteer mentor and befriender, Jacquelyn is also a Trustee of Makomborero, an education charity supporting high-achieving, low-income students in Zimbabwe.

Mona Rahman, Foundation Projects Manager

Mona Rahman is the Foundation’s Projects Manager and she’s been the driving force behind the Foundation’s programmes. Working alongside the trustees, she oversees strategic planning as well as the Foundation’s charitable work. Her address book is packed with charitable and social enterprise leaders, who she enjoys connecting with winners and finalists of the Stephen Lloyd Awards to help them on their way.

Annual Accounts and Trustees Report

View the latest Annual Accounts and Trustee Reports from the Charity Commission website, or download the latest reports here:

2024 Annual Report of Bates Wells Foundation and Stephen Lloyd Awards here.
2023 Annual Report of Bates Wells Foundation and Stephen Lloyd Awards here.
2022 Annual Report of Bates Wells Foundation and Stephen Lloyd Awards here.

Contacts

For further information please email:

Mona Rahman |Bates Wells Foundation Projects Manager | [email protected]
Tel: 0207 551 7717/7777, or send a text message to 07919 2535 37.