Step One Charity is led by a team of experienced and dedicated professionals, who are passionate about empowering people with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity to reach their full potential.
Our Senior Leadership Team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity, while our Trustees provide strategic oversight and governance.
CEO
Ben is the visionary leader and CEO of Step One. Under his direction and guidance, the charity continues to make strides in improving mental health and wellbeing services for all.
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Ben brings 20 years of leadership experience from the British Army, where he led a team of 500 people across 6 sites in the UK and 12 countries globally. He has a deep understanding of strategic planning and the importance of wellbeing in the post-pandemic era.
After leaving the Army in 2020, Ben gained commercial experience at J.P. Morgan and charity experience as a trustee of a local mental health charity. This balance of experience gives him a unique blend of visionary leadership and a people-focused approach to mental health advocacy.
Director of Finance and Business Services
Angela leads as the Director of Finance and Business Services, guiding the charity’s financial functions with smart planning, strong leadership and careful oversight.
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Angela trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, spending 13 years working in their external audit practice, leading on the audit of listed companies and international groups. She went on to hold senior financial roles with international retailers, Neals Yard Remedies and Mulberry plc, before more recently spending five years as the Director of Finance and Corporate Services for Bristol Zoological Society. Here she helped to lead the charity through the financial challenges arising from COVID, development of its future strategy, and supporting the operational running of two zoo sites through a considerable period of change.
Having grown up in Devon, she has now relocated back to Exeter and is looking forward to using her charity experience and strategic and operational focus to support Step One on its future strategy.
Head of Operations
Ed oversees the operational aspects of Step One Charity, ensuring the smooth delivery of our services.
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Ed has worked in health and social care for over 10 years in a variety of services. At Step One Charity, he has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work across a number of commissioned services, mostly recently with the Devon Mental Health Alliance, developing and implementing the Recovery Practitioner service across Devon.
Chair of Trustees
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Vice Chair of Trustees
Robert has been our trustee since May 2017. He is currently a director of a business advisory and management consultancy firm. Robert has over 25 years’ management consulting experience focusing on business transformation and organisational change.
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Robert was previously Chair of Governors for a large and complex special needs school (1999-2011) during which time he orchestrated and led the funding and development of a new state-of-the-art school, which opened in September 2010.
Robert has over 25 years’ management consulting experience focusing on business transformation and organisational change, consulting widely across blue chip global and public sector organisations. More recently, he has worked extensively in the health and life sciences sectors both in the UK and internationally. Robert moved with his family to the South West to support his son who has special needs, with his work, interests and friendships being in the area.
Trustee and Chair of Finance & Audit Committee
Dave was appointed as a Trustee for Step One in 2021. He joined the Devon Air Ambulance Trust as the Director of Finance and Infrastructure in 2014 and is currently an integral part of the governance structure as part of the executive leadership team for the charity.
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Dave qualified as an accountant with HW Fisher in London before working as an Audit Manager at BDO Sydney.
Following a return to England and a period of working for Capita as a Manager of the Investment Trust and Venture Capital Trusts team in Exeter, he moved into the charity sector as Director of Finance & Infrastructure at Devon Air Ambulance in 2014. He currently overseas the facilities and finance departments and is an integral part of the governance structure as part of the executive leadership team for the charity and a Director for its trading company. He is also a Director of the Institute of Legacy Management.
Trustee and Chair of Quality, Assurance & Improvement Committee
Kay was appointed as a Trustee for Step One Charity in 2022. In 2002, Kay founded Friends and Families Charity, and over the past 20 years, she has been involved in campaigning, developing and shaping both national and local strategy and provision for families with disabled children and young people.
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Much of Kay’s working life has been spent in social care, training and employment. She has been involved with projects and enterprises that work towards reducing social isolation, improving health and wellbeing, helping to prevent ill-health and striving for a society that’s accessible and allows equal opportunities to everyone.
Her interest in grassroots organisations, charities and community groups lead her to becoming a school governor to two special schools, regional committee chair for SCOPE, Director of Improving Lives Plymouth, Trustee for Plymouth Octopus Project, (POP), regional committee member for Children in Need, and Trustee for The Livewell Foundation. Through this work, she has gained extensive experience and insight of working within the charity sector, and has a wealth of knowledge and skills in charity governance, fundraising, networking and partnership working.
Trustee
Paul was appointed as a Trustee of Step One in July 2019. He is currently working (part-time) as Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Paul has worked in the NHS for the past 40 years.
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Paul has gained experience in a variety of mental health services across the country including London, Oxford and Nottinghamshire. For the past 20 years, he has lived and worked in Devon. Paul’s clinical interest has been in developing services for vulnerable older adolescents, such as children in and leaving Care, supporting their transition into adulthood. As well as the clinical skills and knowledge developed over his career, Paul has significant managerial experience as Clinical Director in one NHS Trust before being appointed Medical Director in another.
Trustee
Mark currently works in communications for UK Research and Innovation, the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK. Mark is passionate about promoting healthcare and advocating for everyone to speak freely about their mental health.
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In his previous role, Mark was Head of Communications for an NHS community services provider. Mark is passionate about promoting healthcare, advocating for everyone to speak freely about their mental health in a stigma-free society.
Trustee
More exciting information coming soon!
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Trustee
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Trustee
A degree qualified Chartered Surveyor, Steve has over 25 years of commercial and management experience working at senior and board level within a number of key sectors. Having worked with several organisations of varying sizes this has given an insight to the challenges faced by the private and public sectors.
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He has over five years’ experience working within the Social Housing Sector for Mi-space (UK) Ltd and has also spent over 10 years providing services to the public sector within Environmental and Highways. From 2016, 3 years was spent in the South West delivering a fusion of contracting, housing and mixed-use regeneration schemes. This has included partnerships works in collaborative long-term arrangements with registered providers, local authorities and other stakeholders to build high quality housing and sustainable communities.
Steve worked on the Board of Westward Housing Group, initially joining the Board of Horizon Homes. He was then invited to join the main Board in 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the sector and assisting the Executive Team in delivering the organisation’s objectives. From 2018, Steve worked on the Audit and Assurance Committee gaining valuable experience in Risk Management.
He understands the challenges in the current political and economic climate and demonstrates working in partnership with public sector organisations though vehicles such as joint ventures.
Steve’s key focus in any organisation relates to governance, effectiveness and efficiency, achievement of set goals and delivery of the bottom line.
Trustee
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Trustee
Rob is Managing Director at Optix Solutions, a B Corp-certified digital agency in Exeter, and founder of wavemind, a leadership consultancy focused on culture change and sustainable growth. With over 30 years’ experience, he’s worked with startups, charities, and FTSE 100 firms, helping leaders unlock performance through clarity, compassion, and culture.
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Rob was named in Campaign’s 40 Over 40 in 2024 as one of the UK’s most effective and influential leaders and led Optix to win Campaign’s Best Agency to Work For in 2023. A qualified mental health first aider, he’s committed to building healthier workplaces where people and purpose thrive.
He joined Step One’s Board in 2025, driven by both professional insight and personal recovery from a mental health crisis. Rob believes lived experience brings empathy, credibility, and a deeper understanding of the barriers people face—essential for shaping services that truly meet people where they are. He’s proud to support an organisation helping others regain stability, dignity, and hope.
