Board of Directors

Joy Burnford - President

Member of the Remuneration and Search Committee

Joy was elected to the Board in May 2021 and became President in December 2024. She has over 20 years’ business and leadership experience serving as an executive director for three companies in the past 16 years and is the founder and CEO of consulting and coaching company Encompass Equality Ltd. She is a published author of the bestselling book ‘Don’t fix women’ and a trailblazer for gender equality in the workplace. She has run a number of local community efforts at her local primary school and church.

Mandy Errington - Vice President

Member of the Membership and Community Engagement Committee

Mandy is an accomplished businesswoman and owner of a thriving fashion boutique in Ipswich. With over 30 years of experience in retail and marketing, she brings a wealth of expertise to these industries. During her 14-year tenure with the Society and the co-operative movement, she gained a series of managerial promotions, ultimately becoming Head of Marketing. In this role, Mandy led numerous successful initiatives, a passion she continues to demonstrate while managing her own business. Recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 female entrepreneurs, her achievements are a testament to her innovation and commitment. In December 2024, she was elected Vice-President.

Belinda Bulsing

Member of the Audit and Risk Committee

Belinda was elected to the Board in May 2014. She is involved in her local community as a member of the Pettaugh Parish Council and trustee of a charitable trust supporting the services of the maternity unit at Eye, Suffolk. Belinda is a qualified solicitor and has worked in both private practice and in-house legal roles. 

Martin Catchpole

Member of the Audit and Risk Committee

My main background is in care work and has involved many roles from team leader at the National Autistic Society, running an allotment project for people with learning disabilities, training home carers, rapid response work covering Suffolk & working for Ipswich Borough Council in the HEARS team until 2022.  After the Stroke Association closed their face to face meet ups in 2020 with no sign of restarting them, I assisted my parents to start an Ipswich-based twice monthly meet up group my mother called 'Share Your Journey' for people who have, or care for someone who has suffered a stroke, heart attack or brain haemorrhage. We now have strong links and support from the Stroke Working Age Group Suffolk (SWAGS) who encouraged us to keep going. I saw much during my time as a carer but I have been humbled by the strength of character and support given of those attending both these groups. I recently started my own small gardening business.

Sally Chicken

Member of the Remuneration and Search Committee

Sally Chicken, MSc was first elected to the Board in May 2009, serving eight years until 2017. She stepped down at the end of her second term of office for a year, and was elected again in 2018 and 2022. She has wide ranging experience in starting and managing credit unions in Wales and the East of England over the last 25 years and is currently serving as a volunteer on the Supervisory Committee at Eastern Saving and Loans Credit Union in Ipswich. Her interests include the restoration of Shotley Pier.

Esme Cole

Member of the Remuneration & Search Committee

Esme was elected to the Board in May 2021. She began her career as an officer in the British Army before moving into significant operations and project management roles over a diverse range of industries. Most recently Esme specialised in leadership and organisation development consultancy both in the UK and internationally. She holds a certificate in environmental management and is a keen advocate of sustainable business. Esme is completing a Masters degree in business administration this year, holds a governor position at a local secondary school and is a trustee of a charitable foundation.

Lesley Dolphin

Member of the Remuneration and Search Committee

Lesley was elected to the Board for the first time in 2023. Her career in BBC local radio spans 40 years working in Leeds, Norfolk and, for the last 20 years, in Suffolk. Lesley retired in 2022 but is still very busy as Patron of Suffolk Libraries and a Lay Canon at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral. She has volunteered with many community projects including playgroups and after-school clubs, was a governor at Copleston High School for many years and is a trustee of the Friends of Felixstowe Library group. She was well known across Suffolk for her `sofa guest interviews’ on her BBC Radio Suffolk afternoon show and for her daily quiz competition ‘Dolphins Dart’ which featured fascinating facts about the county!

Nicola Fox

Member of the Audit and Risk Committee

Nicola was first elected to the Board in 2011.  During her service, she has been Chair of the Remuneration & Search Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.

She has worked in marketing and communications management across the public, private and charity sectors for over 25 years, and also ran her own business. This has given her extensive experience of growing and promoting businesses, developing and managing local and national projects, and increasing member engagement.

Suzanne Hawkes

Member of the Audit and Risk Committee

Suzanne has worked as a freelance bookkeeper for a number of charities and business organisations over the years. She is an award winning playwright with her own touring theatre company Black & White Productions, a published author, and is Artistic Director of Two Sisters Arts Centre in Trimley St Mary. 

Julie Mansfield

Member of the Remuneration and Search Committee

Julie was elected to the Board in 2023. Having worked as a solicitor in Scotland before moving to Suffolk, Julie now works for Network Suffolk which encourages faith groups to dialogue and work together. She is also a volunteer Director of Eastern Savings and Loans Credit Union, a role that she has held for the past 10 years (the last six as volunteer Company Secretary).

Frank Moxon

Member of the Membership & Community Engagement Committee

Frank was elected to the Board in 2018 and has served as President between 2020 and 2024. He also represents the Society as Chair of the Co-op Loan Fund. An economics graduate, he is an experienced board-level financial adviser and corporate financier and is or has been a director, trustee or governor of private and quoted companies, several charities, a professional body and a comprehensive school.

Ashley Munson

Member of the Membership and Community Engagement Committee

Ashley has an extensive background in data analytics having worked in the B2B Energy sector before joining the East of England Co-op Society in 2018. Since joining the Society Ashley has held various positions focussing on commercial and financial insights and currently works in the Business Transformation Team as Reporting and Analytics Manager. He joined the Board of Directors in December 2023.

Ann Osborn

Member of the Membership and Community Engagement Committee

Ann Osborn is CEO of The Rural Coffee Caravan, a charity that addresses loneliness in rural Suffolk, and which has gained the attention of Government policy makers, the NHS, The Campaign to End Loneliness, national media and academics, for its good practice and measurable impact on connecting rurally isolated communities.  Ann is a member of the Eden Project Communities Network and the Founder of a community fundraising initiative called 500 Suffolk Reasons, which helps local people who are facing a financial crisis.

Beverley Perkins

Member of the Audit and Risk Committee

Since joining our Board in May 2013, Bev has also served on the Boards of Coop Press and Co-ops UK. She represents the East of England Co-op on the Co-op National Members Council and Senate.

She has postgraduate qualifications in both Strategic Management and Sustainability and worked for 30 years in management and leadership roles while also representing local interests and building community resilience in her ‘free’ time!

As Chief Officer of Colchester Citizens Advice, she works to support and empower people in dealing with life’s challenges.

Maria Veronese

Member of the Membership & Community Engagement Committee

Maria was first elected to the Board in May 2016. She is a qualified journalist who has worked in newspapers, radio and television in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Most of her career has been working for the BBC as a television producer and news reporter. She also runs her own training and property businesses. Maria’s a keen supporter of the East Anglian Air Ambulance and has twice run the London Marathon to raise money for the charity. 

Remembering Emma Howard

Sunrise 19/6/89 - Sunset 30/11/24

“The East of England Co-op Board has lost a remarkable colleague and dear friend. I fondly remember Emma's enthusiasm for cars; during one journey together to the Co-op Retail Conference, we experienced a breakdown, and she was out there under the car, determinedly fixing it! Her passion for travel and exploration was also truly contagious. 

On the eve of her final operation, she spoke about all the places she still dreamed of visiting and how she intended to make the most of her time. She was my go-to expert for everything related to AI, introducing me to ChatGPT along the way. Her absence will be deeply felt by the Board, and we will honour her memory by keeping a chair at the table for her, ensuring that her spirit and cooperative values continue to thrive”.

Joy Burnford, President, 
East of England Co-op.