Meet Our Trustees

Craig Guthrie - Chair of the Board of Trustees

Craig Guthrie is a retired senior police officer, having served over 30 years at various ranks, in a variety of uniform and detective roles. His last two years’ service was spent on secondment to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC (Now HMICFRS)) with specific responsibility for each of the police forces in Wales. 

Following retirement from policing Craig wanted to continue supporting his local communities, and decided to volunteer as a Trustee. Craig joined the Board of Trustees in May 2022. He was drawn to Age UK Herefordshire and Worcestershire, as he enjoys collaborating and working with others who share his values, work ethic and commitment to supporting others.  

As an accredited Chartered Manager, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and Member of the Institute for Leadership and Management, Craig has always had a passion for leadership and developing others. He has a specific interest in understanding individual and team behaviours and the associated impact on wellbeing. 

Craig is a company director and also a mentor for the Prince’s Trust. He likes to spend much of his leisure time playing bowls or enjoying the Cotswold countryside with his family and dogs.  

Charli Granby - Vice Chair

Charli Granby is a Civil Servant, Age UK Herefordshire and Worcestershire Companion Line Volunteer and Vice Chair. She has been a Trustee since 2018, working with colleagues and fellow Trustees to promote the charity and its work with older people across the two counties. 

Charli's first job out of school was working for what was then Age Concern Leominster and District where she saw all of the amazing work done by the charity to support older people. Despite moving away from Herefordshire she wanted to give something back to the community where she grew up and I decided to join the Board at Age UK Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

'Being able to play a small part in making people’s lives better in their later years is a huge privilege. My favourite part of being a Trustee is hearing testimonies from our clients about how services we have provided them have made a real difference.'

Caroline Smith - Chair of the People and Culture Committee

John Bateman - Biog

John spent the majority of his career employed in the Third Sector with the last 17 years, before retiring in 2010, as CEO of UK Youth; the largest voluntary youth work organisation in the UK.

Whilst CEO of UK Youth he established a wide variety of non-formal education programmes for young people with themes including sport and recreation, the arts, health, finance and independent living with funding secured from a mix of organisations including Governmental sources, the EU, trusts and foundations, Lottery and the corporate sector.

John was instrumental in establishing a wide range of initiatives for young people, including the O2 Think Big programme, Starbucks Youth Action and Ask Accenture, Youth FM, numerous Alternative Provision Free Schools (including the Aspire Academy in Worcester). He also also organized The Official Saturday Night Fever Disco Dance Competition (which he claims was a forerunner of Strictly) and the only youth football final held at Wembley Stadium to be televised nationwide!!

Over the years John has served on numerous Government advisory committees relating to young people and was awarded the OBE for services to young people in the 2004 New Years Honours.

John joined the Board of Age UK H&W because he believes the organisation plays a critical role giving senior members of the community a voice to advocate for their needs as well as the much needed provision of support and services that enable seniors to continue to play an active role contributing to society in whatever way they choose.