Trustees

Chair: John Neilson became a Trustee of USPG in January 2018. John is Deputy Receiver General and Director of Finance at Westminster Abbey.  Prior to that he was Secretary of Imperial College London for nine years. John spent most of his career in central Government, variously as Principal Private Secretary to the Energy Secretary, director of the energy regulator Ofgem and leader of the team advising ministers on the universities’ research budget. John also served for ten years on the Audit Committee of the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Council.

Vice Chair: Martin Uden became a Trustee in July 2018. Martin is a former British diplomat who served as Head of Post in Seoul, San Francisco and Lagos. He worked for the United Nations on sanctions against North Korea, and also for HSBC in Hong Kong. Martin works part-time for his alma mater, Queen Mary University of London, and keeps current on all Korean matters. He worships at the Church of England parish church of St Nicolas in Taplow.

Sheila Cook became a Trustee in July 2018. Sheila is a freelance journalist and radio producer for the BBC. She was on the BBC staff for over 30 years, making current affairs programmes for Radio 4 and the World Service. She has a particular interest in politics and social affairs. After studying Modern Languages at Oxford University, she began her career as a local newspaper reporter. Sheila is Parish Warden of the Wimbledon Team Ministry and a Communion Assistant at her local church.  

Catriona Duffy first encountered USPG in 2013, when she spent time with the Anglican Church in Belize as part of the Journey with Us programme and became a Trustee in July 2019. Catriona is a Chartered Accountant by profession, who qualified as an auditor within a Big 4 Firm and now works in media, advising on Financial Reporting and Compliance. She read Politics and Economics at Durham University, where she ran an organisation working to engage students in the local community. 

The Very Rev'd Joe Hawes became a trustee in July 2022. He was installed in July 2018 as the Dean of St Edmundsbury. Joe is a former Durham University graduate who studied theology at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He came to St Edmundsbury in Bury St Edmunds from All Saints’ Fulham and was previously Team Vicar for eight years at St Michael’s, Barnes Team Ministry, in London. He served his curacy within the Clapham Team Ministry. 

The Rev'd Dr Carlton Turner became a Trustee in July 2018. Carlton was born in the Bahamas, trained for ordination at Codrington College in Barbados and was ordained in 2005. In 2008, he completed his MA in Mission and Applied Theology at USPG’s Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies (SOCMS). Since 2010, Carlton has been involved with USPG on the Journey with Us programme and the Rethinking Mission conference. He is currently an Anglican tutor in Contextual Theology, Mission and Evangelism at the Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham. His first book, Caribbean Contextual Theology: An Introduction, will be published in January 2024.

Catherine Wickens became a Trustee in July 2019. Catherine is qualified Social Worker in an Adults with Learning Disabilities Team. Prior to this, she was a student at Durham University, where she read French and Arabic. She enjoys working cross-culturally and using her languages. She has worked with refugees in Greece, taught English at a university in Rwanda, worked for the intellectual disability organisation L’Arche in France and studied in Morocco and Jordan.

Mathen Thomas became a trustee in September 2021. He has lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, Brussels, Ghana, India, Thailand, and Denmark. Mathen has led businesses in the UK, EU, Asia-Pacific, and Globally. He has served on the PCCs with various churches as Warden, Secretary and in Finance, successfully restarting growth, financial stability, addressing significant fabric needs, and supporting chaplains on their change journeys. He now lives in Canterbury and undertakes interim roles and as a consultant in his niche area for delivering growth, transformation, and collaboration with commercial organisations and the Church of England.

Charles Cowling became a trustee in September 2021. He chairs the Finance and Audit Committee. Charles is chief actuary and partner at Mercer in the UK, where he leads on research, professionalism and actuarial standards. In 2024 Charles will be the President of the International Actuarial Association. Charles has extensive experience in the charity sector as a Trustee and Chair. In July 2023, Charles was ordained as a Deacon in the Church of England at Carlisle Cathedral and is now serving his curacy at the Benefice of Upper Eden and the Western Dales, based at Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. 

The Rev'd Canon Dr Chigor Chike became a trustee in July 2022. Originally from Nigeria, Chike has lived in the UK for over 30 years. He currently leads several social justice and religious organisations in the UK and is a member of Church of England’s Racial Justice Commission. Chigor teaches Christian Mission, Pentecostalism and World Religions as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Roehampton, is the vicar of an inner-city Church of England church in East London and a Chaplain to the Queen. 

Peter Wienand is a partner at London law firm Farrer & Co where he has practised for over 30 years, acting for charities and not for profits (among a wide variety of other clients). Initially specialising in intellectual property, he has acquired experience of charity governance and international NGOs. He is also a Trustee of the Henry Moore Foundation. He read Modern History at Oxford and worships at St Mary the Virgin, Godmanchester, and has served on its fund-raising committee.

Bishop David Walker, Diocese of Manchester, was appointed the new Chair of Trustees effective as of July 2024. As the Chief Pastor for one of the largest dioceses in England, Bishop David supports the mission and ministry of around 250 parishes, approximately 200 schools, and a wide variety of chaplaincies. He is passionate about leading churches in the Diocese of Manchester as they grow, nurture, and serve their communities. As a member of the House of Lords, he seeks to hold the government to account, speaking particularly on housing and homelessness, on international trade, and on matters that relate to Manchester and the North-West. Within the national church, Bishop Walker has chaired the endowment fund (of the Church Commissioners), which invests over £10 billion globally to support the work of the church, including the poorest communities across the UK. A member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis and Honorary Professor of Anglican Studies at Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, Bishop David also has a wealth of experience in working with the media.