Meet Our Trustees

Arif Hussain

Chair of Trustees

Peter Lerner

John Shaw

Mimi Harker

Adam Velasco

Derek Lovelock

Yvette Thomas

Alan Parry

Colin Hayfield

Peter Lerner

Peter and his family have been High Wycombe residents since 1998. 

After an eventful career of more than 30 years in local government, Peter formed his own consultancy in 2005, specialising in management reviews, training and mentoring within local authorities, also making use of his professional qualification as a town planner. He is an accredited Coach / Mentor and an accredited Mediator. 

Peter is also an experienced School Governor, specialising in safeguarding and equalities, and is passionate about providing the very best opportunities for young people whatever their background. 

A season ticket holder at Wycombe Wanderers since 2002, Peter was on the Board of Wycombe Wanderers Trust between 2018 and 2021, co-founded the Wycombe Wanderers Disabled Supporters Association, and is  delighted to serve as a Trustee of Wycombe Wanderers Foundation, where he is keen to support their superb work within our local communities.

Adam Velasco

Adam grew up in High Wycombe and has been Managing Director of Cherry Red Records for nearly 20 years. Cherry Red Records is one of the most respected and successful independent labels in the UK, as well as being great supporters of grassroots football for over 20 years due to their sponsorships of many leagues in the non-league pyramid as well as football league clubs such as AFC Wimbledon, and of course Wycombe Wanderers.

Since 2015 Adam has also been a director of the fast growing Activate Management group, who are the leading provider of sport specific and multi activity childcare in the UK, as well as delivering residential courses for the government’s NCS scheme and managing commercial activities of many leading sporting personalities. In 2019 Cherry Red/Activate partnered up with one of their clients, Olympic Gymnastic medallist Nile Wilson, to open the first of what they hope to be many gymnastic academies, offering coaching to children and adults of all ages and ability.

Adam is a passionate sports fan who spends most of his free time watching Wycombe Wanderers FC and attending sporting events around the world. He is also a huge believer in giving young people the chance to enjoy sports.

Derek Lovelock

Married with two children and five grandchildren, Derek has lived locally to High Wycombe for 45 years. He spent his career in fashion retailing, during which he was a Main Board Member of Storehouse PLC and also Sears PLC. He was Chairman of Aurora Fashions comprising Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse and latterly Chairman of Mamas & Papas and also Jack Wills Ltd.

Derek is currently Chairman of Joe Browns Ltd. and also The Children’s Furniture company.  In 2013, he was appointed Honorary Professor in Business and Society from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Derek is a Trustee of Richard House Children’s Hospice in East London and Chairs the charity’s Trading Company.  As Richard House is focussed very much on young people with little of their lives left to them, Derek is excited to be involved with Wycombe Wanderers Foundation which in contrast is about enhancing and improving the future lives of young people.

Yvette Thomas

Yvette has worked with Buckinghamshire Council for the past 20 years – initially as a School Improvement Adviser and currently as Equalities and School Improvement Manager for Children’s Services. An educator for the past 30 years she has worked in a range of educational institutions and has Secondary Headship experience. Yvette has during her career also been seconded to UNESCO and UNICEF working on flagship projects. Bringing schools together from different contexts has been an area of work that Yvette has been involved in both in the Caribbean and UK.

She has spoken at national conferences on partnership working with schools on Community Cohesion issues and has supported over 60 schools in the County via the Linking Network to work in pairs on the diversity and community cohesion agenda. As a result, Yvette was invited to become a member of The Linking Network Board which oversees this work across the country.

Yvette is also co-author of a chapter in a book entitled ‘Education in the Commonwealth Caribbean and Netherland Antilles’ (2014). Yvette has a passion for training and regularly delivers training to teachers, senior leaders and school Governors. She has annually supported Wycombe Wanderers FC and Show Racism the Red Card to deliver events at Adams Park for Primary pupils in the local area. Yvette proudly sits on the Show Racism the Red Card South East Advisory Group.

To date, Yvette insists her greatest achievement has been raising three well rounded and balanced children who she adores.

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