Trustees

Paula Gardner
Chair/Trustee
Paula is currently working as Operations Director at Barca-Leeds. Her career choices demonstrate a passion for affecting positive social change, for individuals and communities.
She is currently the strategic lead for a range of grant funded and commissioned services that provide support for adults, young people and families, who are facing adversity in their lives.
Her portfolio primarily focuses on leading services that support some of the most vulnerable people in Leeds to address and overcome the issues and barriers they face.
She has experience of managing services that provide support in relation to health and wellbeing, housing and homelessness, substance misuse and social prescribing. Through her roles in both the public and third sector she has gained extensive knowledge of business development and commissioning processes, contract performance management, developing and implementing quality frameworks, including CQC, and managing budgets.
Before moving to the voluntary sector in 2014 Paula worked for Leeds City Council for 14 years in their Domestic Violence and Abuse Team, developing policy to improve practice in responding to people impacted by domestic abuse. She led on the city’s strategic plan to address domestic abuse, developed the Leeds DV Quality Mark, and worked on the introduction and implementation of both MARACs and Domestic Homicide Reviews in Leeds.
Paula sits on several partnership boards and attends the Safer Leeds Executive as the voluntary sector representative and Third Sector Leeds as the representative for the Leeds Crime Reduction Network. She also chairs the Multi-Agency Review Board for people with complex needs.

Mehreen Nadeem
Deputy Chair/Trustee and member of Governance, People and Service
Mehreen joined the Staying Put Board in August 2022 with an aim to raise awareness on issues relating to domestic violence and to give back by providing insight into lived experience.
Mehreen’s background is in HR and recruitment, having worked in various different sectors and companies before completing her MSc and Level 7 CIPD in 2019. At present, Mehreen works as a Senior HR Business Partner in the legal sector and also sits on the HR sub-board advising the CEO on the overall people strategy.

Ruqayyah Busari-Akinoshun
Deputy Chair of Finance Audit & Fundraising/Trustee
Ruqayyah Busari-Akinoshun is a highly experienced Chartered Accountant from Nigeria with a robust background in tax inspection and forensic accounting. Ruqayyah acquired her Master’s degree in Forensic Accounting from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom. With a deep commitment to public service, Ruqayyah spent six years working for the Nigerian public service as an Inspector of Taxes. During this time, she held key positions, including Deputy Tax Manager, and rose to the role of Zonal Tax Inspector. In these capacities, she played an instrumental role in overseeing tax compliance, conducting audits, and ensuring transparency in tax administration. Currently, Ruqayyah brings her extensive financial expertise and passion for humanity to Staying Put Organisation, where she serves as a Trustee on the Board. Her professional background and dedication to integrity continue to strengthen the organization’s governance and financial management.

Ruth Houghton
Trustee
Ruth works as a Senior Operational Manager for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and has worked for Bradford for 32 years, apart from 2006-2010 when she was employed as a Practice Manager for a large GP Practice in Bramley Leeds, a position she took up to gain community and commissioning experience and in 2008 won the Regional and National Awards for Practice Manager of the year for services to the community.
She is passionate about providing a positive experience for patients/families/carers. She is also a staff governor and has represented Admin & Clerical, Estates & Ancillary and Additional Clinical Services for the last 9 years.
Ruth has a MA in Health Care Law from Huddersfield University.
Ruth has also had a book published which tells the story of her living and surviving 32 years of domestic abuse.

Molly Beck
Trustee
Molly is an experienced legal counsel and strategic advisor, currently working for a team at Google DeepMind that aims to catalyse the impact of the company’s AI breakthroughs for global challenges spanning education, societal awareness of AI, life sciences, climate and sustainability.
She has broad international experience in the charity and technology sectors, having previously supported Guy’s & St Thomas Foundation’s work to invest, partner, engage and influence big health challenges from all angles, including fundraising and targeted initiatives to build trust in local communities and support urban health.
Having navigated significant adversity in her own life, Molly is deeply passionate about Staying Put’s work and the opportunity to contribute her skills and experience to advancing it’s important mission.

Ellen Huison
Trustee
Ellen is a solicitor specialising in competition and anti-trust, based in Leeds. She has a wealth of experience advising businesses on compliance risk and is recognised for her pragmatic and strategic approach. Alongside her commercial practice, Ellen is passionate about promoting the rights of women and girls, having attended conferences hosted by Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Red Cross focussing on the protection of women and girls and the interaction of human rights with healthcare. Ellen wrote her undergraduate dissertation on the protection of women and girls in public policy, and the importance of understanding cultural considerations when promoting human rights.

Sarah Balint
Trustee
Sarah is a HR professional, with over 18 years industry experience in various sectors and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management and Development. Sarah’s most recent work experience includes working as a freelance HR Consultant for herself as well as an Associate Lecturer and Dissertation Supervisor for a University. Her passion is to help others as well as sharing Staying Put’s vision of living in a world that is free from violence where everyone can feel safe.

Louise Dawtry
Trustee
Louise works as a People & Culture Lead for Leeds Mind and has 20 years HR experience within various sectors including housing, non-profit, distribution and retail.
Louise is passionate about creating impactful people strategies to help support organisational success. Working as a critical friend and utilising a coaching style she endeavours to support people to be the best versions of themselves and create high performing teams.
Louise has a BA (Hons) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.
Louise is also passionate to help build a better future of work and volunteers for the King’s Trust as an Education Mentor to support young people to develop their skills and confidence ahead of leaving education. She also support Smart Works Leeds as a Career Coach to help women get back into employment.

Malcolm Hardy
Trustee
Malcolm is a retired accountant who worked in industry for most of his career, in various roles. Malcolm worked at the Emerald Group Publishing Ltd – an international academic publisher, for 20 years. He was their finance director/company secretary before his retirement in 2015.
Malcolm brings many years of charity experience having been the treasurer and trustee on the board of the Brain Tumour Research and Support Charity, based in Leeds from 2005 to 2018.

Jamil Ismail
Trustee
Jamil Ismail is a director at Petherbridge Bassra Solicitors in Bradford, and specialises in children’s and family law. He also bring a wealth of expertise as a NED working in the charity sector.

Adrian Gaughan
Trustee and member of Finance Audit and Fundraising
Adrian is Director Strategy & Propositions at Experian, operating in a variety of roles for 20+ years.
Client focused, he collaborates with clients and internal teams to identify market needs and problems, designing the resultant solutions to ultimately help improve consumer experiences. A proven leader of transformational change, managing risk in a highly regulated and governance environment. Experienced in managing multifunctional matrix teams across clients, internal divisions, business units and countries; continually considerate of cultural, personal and historical sensitivities.
He is a strategic planner, reviewing immediate and longer term goals, assessing progress, re-evaluating as required. Establishing new functions and teams within the UK and offshore centres of excellence, including development centres in Malaysia and Bulgaria.
Latest news, blogs and jobs
Accommodation Housekeeper
Are you an experienced cleaner or housekeeper, looking for a new challenge where you can make a difference to the lives of those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence? We are looking for a Housekeeper to work across our refuges and portfolio of dispersed...
How to stay safe from domestic abuse online
Taking control of your online safety can be overwhelming and a scary prospect. Here, we give you some helpful information on what you can do to ensure you’re safer online- from making sure you’re not broadcasting your location to more subtle ways people can access...
Staying Put leads groundbreaking Family Court IDVA pilot
We are delighted to announce that we will lead on the new Family Court Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) delivery model of the West Yorkshire Pathfinder Partnership (WYPP). We will be working in collaboration with our exceptional West Yorkshire partners...
Call for help now
0808 2800 999
Open Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 4:30pm (closed for half an hour lunch at 1pm)
Our One Front Door helpline is completely free and confidential, and the call will not show up on itemised bills.