Simon Day - Chair of Trustees
Simon grew up in Kent and studied Maths at the University of Cambridge. After university he stayed on in Cambridge, training as an accountant with KPMG and then pursued a career in finance, most recently as Finance Director and Company Secretary at CMR Surgical.
Lesley Cheesman
Raised in the beautiful county of Sussex, Lesley came to a personal faith in Jesus at the age of 14. That decision has shaped her life’s mission since; to help others discover and deepen their relationship with Him. After a brief career in banking, Lesley has served in front-line missions, both in the UK and overseas, for over 30 years. She is currently the National Director of Agapé UK, part of Campus Crusade for Christ International, and, as part of the regional leadership for Agape Europe, she also provides oversight to two other national ministries in Europe.
Her mission experience includes working with youth, university students, and senior leaders in business and politics, and she has developed extensive skills in both operational and people leadership. As a member of various Trust Boards and Councils, she brings this missional and strategic leadership to the table with a strong people-centred approach.
Lesley is passionate about helping people to discover Jesus and has a highly collaborative ‘Kingdom-first’ orientation to mission. Having had the privilege of seeing the work of UCCF up close, particularly when her daughter was on the exec at Durham University, she is delighted to join the Trust Board to support its vital mission to University Students.
She is married to Paul, has two adult children, and lives in the Midlands.
Mark Childs
Mark was founder and Chief Executive of a professional services company providing HR advice to clients across public, private and third sectors, including many of the UK’s largest charities.
Prior to this he held senior HR roles in major UK and US parented companies and is a former Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
He studied at the University of Kent, where he was a CU leader and has an academic background in employee relations. A Director of the Christian video business Go Chatter Media, he is also Chair of Trustees of Kinetic Network, which is a family of Spirit and Word leaders and churches.
Mel Lacy
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Melanie read Classics and Theology at Trinity College Dublin before completing postgraduate studies at Dublin City University and the Church of Ireland Theological College. Having been in full-time ministry for many years, she has served in a range of ministry contexts - on the staff teams of local churches, as Ireland Team Leader for Crosslinks, and on the faculty of Oak Hill Theological College as Dean of Women and Director of the Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Course. She is now Executive Director of Growing Young Disciples, a ministry dedicated to training, resourcing and advising those committed to Christ-centred, biblical children’s, youth and family ministry across the UK and Ireland.
Melanie has been prayerfully committed to the work of UCCF for many years and has had the privilege of partnering with UCCF staff teams through regular involvement in Word Alive and other ministries. Most recently she has enjoyed visiting a number of the UCCF teams to think about discipling Gen Z.
Gareth Burns
Gareth, a qualified actuary, leads bp ventures, bp’s corporate venture capital activities. Prior to joining bp, he held a variety of senior leadership roles in the Norwegian energy company, Equinor. Based in London, he has experience from all aspects of the global energy value having had responsibilities across all continents.
Gareth, an Irish citizen, first encountered UCCF when at Heriot-Watt University and is pleased to see his two sons benefiting from its work now that they are also at university. He is also a trustee of Stewardship and his local church in Hampstead. Married to Siobhán, he is a keen cyclist and enjoys trying to keep up with his sons.
Felicia Wong
Felicia Wong is a medical doctor with over 25 years of experience in General Practice and serves as Head of Conferences and Equipping at Christian Medical Fellowship, where she unites and equips Christian doctors and nurses to live and speak for Jesus Christ.
Passionate about integrating faith and work, she is committed to helping others make a meaningful impact for Christ in every area of life. She encourages Christians to engage with culture, equipping them to have thoughtful conversations and be effective witnesses - demonstrating the wisdom and relevance of God’s Word today.
Her own experience of coming to faith through the Christian Union at medical school has given her a heart for the next generation. She wholeheartedly supports UCCF's ministry, which shares the transformative power of the gospel with students.
James MacKenzie
Born in Inverness and raised in Scotland, James studied Law at Edinburgh University and, after a few years working for a law firm doing corporate finance work, he joined Aegon UK where he was General Counsel and Company Secretary for 12 years. He is now Head of Investor Relations for Target Fund Managers. He is an elder of Edinburgh North Church.
James sees the work of UCCF as strategically important for God’s kingdom in the UK and since attending university himself has been a passionate supporter of UCCF’s vision - to give every student in Great Britain an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
James and his wife, Beccie, live in Edinburgh with their three children. Their fourth is at university in Aberdeen and a member of the CU there.
James is the lead trustee for safeguarding and also chairman of UCCF’s Scottish Advisory Council.
Begho Obale - Chair of Student Council
Begho is from Middlesbrough and is currently studying Pharmacy at Newcastle University. She is Chair of the UCCF Student Council.