Meet the JVN trustees

JVN Trustee Board

Clive Nathan

Chair of Trustees

Clive has been in insurance all his career (although he did run a market stall to get him through university). He is currently CEO of Underwriting at Brown & Brown (Europe).

Clive began his career in 1987 as a graduate entrant with Commercial Union, where he had a number of different roles. He joined AXA UK in 1999 as national broker director. Between 2006-2016 he was CEO of Towergate Underwriting, having joined the business in 2003 as a regional managing director.

Clive has worked with JVN in the past and was formerly a trustee of Leket UK. He is  a Spurs fan and a keen cyclist and raises money for charities such as Kisharon Langon and Alzheimer’s through his two wheel adventures.

Daniel Levy

President

Daniel Levy is Co-Chairman of The Grove Hotel and Luxury Family Hotels.

He has been actively involved in philanthropy for around 40 years, primarily as a long-standing board member and campaign chairman of UJIA, as part of the founding trustees of Jewish Continuity and a board member of MDA. Daniel is currently Chair of the Board of Governors at Immanuel College.

As well being a trustee since 2015, Daniel became Chair in 2021 and has recently become JVN President. .

Daniel is truly passionate about volunteering, the development of youth and engagement within our community and across communities.

Jo Coleman

Trustee

Jo is a Partner in the Charities Team of Womble Bond Dickinson in London and has particular expertise in charity governance and constitutional work, advising trustees on their legal duties and responsibilities, powers and vires. Jo advises all range of charities, from large national, household names to regional providers and local voluntary groups. She also advises on all matters relating to charity law, including in relation to collaborations, mergers, fundraising, trading, tax and compliance issues, including the prudent management of conflicts of interest. Jo also advises charity trustees who find themselves subject to Charity Commission Inquiries, taking steps to ensure that the Charity can meet and address the Commission's concerns.

Jo has been a member of the Charity Law Association Executive Committee for 8 years and have served as the Chair since 2019. She has given evidence to the Joint Scrutiny Committee in the House of Lords on the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act, and led various CLA working parties including on Alternative Therapy Charities and the proposed new PROTECT duty.

Jo writes regularly on matters of charity law and governance and can be found @CharityNotesUK.

Karen Cooper

Trustee

Karen runs brand and research consultancy, Living Brands, after a career in management consultancy and advertising. She works with a wide range of commercial and not-for-profit clients helping them grow. She has been volunteering for many years and is now delighted to help JVN increase its reach across the community and beyond.

Eli Gaventa

Trustee

Eli Gaventa is the Director of Strategic Operations at UJIA where he works to support a more sustainable, efficient and impactful organisation. He has a Master's in Voluntary Sector Management and Grantmaking from Bayes Business School’s Centre for Charity Effectiveness. Eli is a youth worker at heart and has over 12 years of experience working with young Jewish people in the UK and Europe. He is a passionate believer in the empowering effect of volunteering and giving back to your community and society. In addition to roles at the United Synagogue, Bnei Akiva and Sinai Youth he has volunteered with Limmud, New Israel Fund, Tzedek and the Union of Jewish Students. 

Debra Morris

Trustee

Debra Morris FCA is our treasurer she runs her own consultancy providing quality accounting support and services to smaller businesses and charities.

Debra began her career at BDO Stoy Hayward progressing to working in industry. She formerly held positions as a trustee for Mitzvah day and Jewish Womens Aid.

Debra describes herself as a committed community volunteer (she was the first female chair of Woodside Park Synagogue) and is currently the lead volunteer for 20^th Finchley Scout group.

Max Sobell

Trustee

Max is Head of CRM Campaigns for The LEGO® Group and has spent his career working in a number of industries leading on digital transformation and marketing. He used to be active in Jewish youth movements, working for Hanoar Hatzioni for two years and is passionate about volunteering experiences with a focus on youth engagement.

Richard Werth

Trustee

Richard Werth FCA was Chief Executive of Banner Homes, a house builder, until the company was sold in 2014. He subsequently set up a new house builder called Troy Homes building high quality homes in the South East of England. Previously Richard was a Governor of Immanuel College, stepping down after over 10 years, having been treasurer and Chair of its Property Group as well as Deputy Chairman. He has also been a director of NHBC, the largest warranty provider to new home owners. Richard joined the Board of JVN in December 2017.

Life President

Rosalind Preston OBE

Ros describes herself as a “professional volunteer” in the not-for-profit sector and has dedicated a major part of her life to volunteering.  She has served as a Trustee of the J.C.Trust;  President of the National Council of Women G.B.; Co-chair of the Inter Faith Network and a former Chair of Nightingale/Hammerson.  Ros accepted the position as president of JVN because she believes that this organisation serves the best interests of both individual volunteers and charities across the community.

JVN Founders

Dr. Judy Citron Z"L

Co-Founder

It was Judy’s vision, determination and energy that led to the creation of the Jewish Volunteering Network. Judy saw a gap in the market for a
cross-communal network dedicated to promoting and supporting volunteering and with Susan Winton, founded JVN in 2006. 

Susan Winton

Co-Founder and previous Chair of Trustees

In Spring 2006, over coffee with Judy Citron z”l, I learned about her vision to match Jewish volunteers with organisations needing support. Having just started a career break, I was searching for a meaningful way to spend my time. Judy’s idea felt like “bashert.” I was all in.

The early days of JVN were an adventure—meeting donors, creating a logo, building a website, and supporting one another through challenges. My six-month career break turned into six years, with countless angels helping us build JVN into the integral resource it is today.

Leonie Lewis MBE z'l

Leonie was the founding director of JVN and held that position for 12 years. She believed that volunteers were the lifeblood of our community and what we do as volunteers is a reflection of our society.

Leonie was a trailblazer for women’s involvement and development in the Jewish community at every level. She was co chair of US Women and a female observer on the Trustee board prior to women becoming Trustees. She became the first female Vice President of the United Synagogue in July, 2014.

Leonie also reached out way beyond the Jewish community and was hugely active in her interfaith work. She held several leading voluntary positions including the Faith Based Regeneration Network (FBRN); the Faiths Forum in London; the Children’s Aid Committee; the Association of Jewish Sixth-Formers and JLGB. She stood outside supermarkets for 13 years collecting for Harrow Mencap and in August 2021 published her book about charity collecting.

Leonie Lewis MBE; born December 12, 1955. Died April 29, 2022