Peter Cowley, Cambridge, UK
Past commercial and charitable positions
My introduction to charity management and governance was in 2000, via providing voluntary IT help and then by taking on trustee positions at Stamford YMCA (subsequently vice-chair) and the Stamford Citizens Advice Bureau, which, driven by the district council, merged to form the South Kesteven CAB (SKCAB) of which I was vice-chair, chair and treasurer over a period of 6 years. Website: www.southkestevencab.co.uk
During my chairmanship of SKCAB, I presided over a time of change and challenge – a severe district council funding cut (from £67,000 to £nil) led to a local press/media campaign with over 700 column inches of newspaper coverage and several radio interviews plus parliamentary help, resulting in the funding being restored.
From 2004 to 2008, I was a trustee of Cambridge and District CAB and on several sub-committees – operations, IT and property. Also involved with volunteer recruitment interviews and appraisals. See www.cambridgecab.org.uk. I resigned in order to undertake a paid project management role to select, purchase and refurbish a property for the Cambridge Advicehub. See (www.advicehub.org)
In 2005, I was elected to East Region Citizens Advice committee and in 2006, to chair. This committee covers the six counties of the GO East government region. Became co-chair for the Central Area, after government funding cuts to the central office of Citizens Advice led to the East and Midlands regions being merged. Governance review in 2009 made this role obsolete. See www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Treasure (and director) of Bedford and District Citizens Advice Bureau (www.bedfordcab.org.uk). The central Citizens Advice organisation took over this bureau in mid 2008. Resigned once the bureau was handed back to local Bedfordshire trustee control.
Spent two years marketing and selling the Equivital (www.equivital.co.uk) – an innovative physiology monitoring device (designed by a Cambridge company) – used by the emergency services, the military, paramedics, research institutes, vulnerable lone workers, the elderly and for sports training.
Set up and, for 3 years, ran Starbridge - a home and garden improvement partnership in Cambridge, undertaking work for householders, small businesses and letting agents.
Provided help in negotiating a lease for a dance school in Royston - see www.thedancecollege.meekings.co.uk/index.htm.
Volunteer for British Red Cross, undertaking a strategic project for the UK head Office (www.redcross.org.uk)
Trustee (previously chair from 2006 until 2011) of Focus12 (www.focus12.co.uk) – a Bury St Edmunds based drug and alcohol rehabilitation residential and day centre, taking clients from East Anglia and throughout the UK. Particular emphasis on reducing the charity’s dependence on ever-decreasing government-driven funding and replacing with income from clients (or their sponsors) and celebrities.
Ept Computing (www.eptcomputing.com)
Angel investor and non-executive director of Ept Computing – Cambridge company that provides complex website design (for example see www.bidforwine.co.uk/) and an automated testing suite (www.go-test.it). Sold in late 2009 to a large Cambridge software product company at a multiple of 15 times investment, after 27 months trading.
Verieda (www.verieda.com)
Angel investor and non-executive director of Verieda – a new Cambridge company that provided a register set designer for the Electronic Design Automation sector. Shut down in late 2009 as the majority shareholder wanted to alter his career direction.