Retiring chair Jim Dick OBE (left), with trustee David Bishop, also taking retirement.
IT IS with gratitude that CatZero says farewell to founder member and Chair of CatZero Jim Dick OBE, as he retires following 14 years of service with the organisation.
A businessman, former chair of Yorkshire Forward’s Clipper Committee, and the current HM Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, Jim founded Humber charity CatZero as a place for young, disadvantaged people of Hull to learn new skills that would help them into employment or training. This unique project he began with ‘Round the World’ Clipper skipper Danny Watson and youth development specialist Dave Bertholini.
CatZero’s unique way of working for the past decade, through confidence-building activities, tailored plans and by using the organisation’s 72-foot Challenge yacht, has helped hundreds of people back into education, training, or simply on the path towards their goals. Jim has helped to steer CatZero to its current position as a respected organisation that has received national recognition, and although stepping down as chair, he will take up a role as life president and remains fully committed to the charity.
He said: “CatZero is one of the best things I have ever done. It has been a privilege seeing people develop and how the changes to those we work with motivate the team to continue doing the excellent job they do.
New CatZero trustees, with existing trustee and new chair, Deb Oxley. From left, Henrietta Boyd, Sacha Redman, Carl Andrew, Deb Oxley, Mark Sharpley, and Simon Smith.
“Nearly 15 years on, CatZero is in a very sustainable position, with a wide range of programmes and consistently good results. It is now a leading charity in the region, and I feel it is ready for the next step, and I am therefore delighted to be handing over to Deb Oxley (OBE), who I have known and worked with for 25 years. She has a wealth of experience with organisations of all sizes and knows CatZero very well from her years as a trustee.
“These are exciting times for CatZero and I am looking forward to watching it continue to develop in the years ahead.”
As we arrive at the other side of Covid-19, other board members who had delayed their retirement from the board and continued to help steer CatZero through the pandemic’s murky waters, are David Bishop and Charles Lewis. David, who was the strategic lead for nine years, has relocated to the south of the country while Charles, a member who has been with CatZero since its formation, will be retiring once he has supported the new board members as they take on their roles as trustees.
CatZero CEO Dave Bertholini said: “I personally would like to thank Jim, Charles and David, for their amazing commitment and great support, enabling CatZero to be developed into the organisation it is today – it is undoubtedly down to our founding trustees that we have an organisation that is nationally recognised for best practise, for its work with children, young people and families.”
“We have recently been through a comprehensive new recruitment process for trustees, and we are so pleased to welcome former CEO of Young’s Food, Simon Smith, Halocycle founder and co-director Dr Henrietta Boyd, finance specialist Carl Andrew, retired chartered accountant Mark Sharpley, and Arco commercial operations lead, Sacha Redman. Together, they bring a wealth of experience and skills in shipping, marine biology, charity support, finance, and commercial business.”
“We welcome them on board and wish our outgoing board members the very best for the future.”
For more about CatZero and its work, visit www.catzero.org or telephone 01482 333303.