Two new trustees join the Greggs Foundation

The Greggs Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Trustee Directors, Samia Akram and Kelly Thomas, to our Board of Trustees.

Joanna Dyson OBE, Chair of Trustees at The Greggs Foundation said, "We are thrilled to have Samia and Kelly join the Greggs Foundation. Their extensive experience and dedication to improving the lives of young people and communities will be invaluable as we continue to expand our efforts across our grant-making programmes.”

About Samia Akram

Samia Akram has over 20 years of leadership experience working within the education sector, from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5, and has worked with young people and their families in some of the UK’s most challenging communities. Samia is currently working with an education trust to lead the development of its Youth Social Action Programme, which enables young people to learn valuable key skills and knowledge that can be applied to their local area.

In her new role as a trustee, Samia will also join the grants and breakfast club sub-committees to provide advice and guidance across both programmes. 

About Kelly Thomas

Kelly Thomas is currently the Social Value and Fundraising Manager for MTVH, a housing provider offering affordable housing in London, the South East, the East Midlands, and the East of England. She works to alleviate the barriers faced by communities with a particular focus on promoting social mobility, giving all people the chance to reach their potential. 

Kelly is the Lead for the Social Value Leadership Group’s The Big Six – The Pledges, an initiative to create minimum quality standards for employment acquired through Social Value to improve opportunities for women, young people, and individuals whose careers were impacted by the Covid pandemic. Kelly is also a Trustee for the Partnership for Young London and the Event Director at UNIFY, a cross-organisational network group working to increase equality, diversity, and inclusion across the housing sector to reflect the communities they serve at all levels. Kelly will also be joining the Greggs Foundation grants and monitoring and evaluation sub-committees.

A very warm welcome to both Kelly and Samia - we look forward to leveraging their expertise to further our mission of supporting communities and improving the lives of those in need.