Canopy’s AGM will be held at 12.00pm on Wednesday 24th June 2026 at Woodhouse Community Centre, 197 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS6 2NY. Live streaming is available for those unable to attend in person.
Some members of Canopy’s staff and volunteers will be walking to the venue from Canopy’s offices at 66 Burley Lodge Road, Leeds LS6 1QF. All are welcome to join them. If you would like to do so, please arrive there before 11.30am.
Supporting documents
2025 Financial Statements [unsigned]
Board Elections
Our Board Members serve three-year terms, after which they are required to either stand for re-election or stand down. The terms are staggered so that around 1/3 of them must do this every year.
Lyn Charters and Louay Taha both left the board earlier this year. We would like to thank them both for their hard work and contributions over the years as Canopy supporters, volunteers and Board Members. Lyn was acting as Company Secretary. That role has now been filled by our new Finance Manager, Olivia Safhill.
Mark Rutherford and Martyn Broadest are both standing down at the AGM. Mark has been involved with Canopy since its early days and has been a staunch supporter of our work from the very beginning. Martyn joined our Board in 2017 and has served with gusto and enthusiasm for nine years. We would like to thank them both for their invaluable contributions to Canopy’s work over the years.
Existing Board Member standing for a new three-year term
Andrea Cowans (Chair): Andrea joined Canopy’s Board as Chair in 2023. She is Group Director of Student Life at Luminate Education Group / Leeds City College with oversight of student safeguarding, wellbeing, enrichment and careers services as well as equality, diversity and inclusion and relational practices. Andrea works across the city partnerships in Leeds reducing NEET (young people not in education, employment or training), with organisations, agencies and networks to create connections and stimulate ideas. She is an accredited leadership coach.
Janet Onslow: Janet first joined Canopy as a site volunteer. She is a Prince2 Project Manager and can think and work both strategically and practically. She has worked on projects including education sector capital builds and a programme to help long-term unemployed young people back into work. She has a business degree and has worked in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Other Board Members (in the middle of their terms)
Keith Gibson (Deputy Chair): Keith has had 40 years of experience working in local government, mostly in area regeneration and private sector housing renewal, but also managing teams dealing with food, health and safety, environmental sustainability and pollution control. At Leeds City Council, he managed a department of almost 100 staff with a budget of £8 million. He has a broad range of skills including building construction, management, human resources and financial skills.
Danielle Joy (Treasurer): Danielle joined Canopy’s Board in 2022 and is Chair of the Finance Subcommittee. Since qualifying in 1999 Danielle has worked in a variety of roles as a Chartered Accountant and currently works part-time for a Leeds-based charity. She has a number of other voluntary roles in the third-sector and is proud to help support Canopy’s fantastic work. Having been re-elected to the Board in 2025, she has agreed to continue in post until such time as we find a suitable replacement.
Jenn Bravo: Jenn joined our Board in 2024. She has more than thirty years’ experience delivering supported accommodation in voluntary and statutory homeless provision in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. She currently works as Services Director for Turning Lives Around.
Naz Parkar: Naz joined Canopy’s Board in 2025. He has worked in the housing sector for more than thirty years, most recently as Director of Homes and Neighbourhoods at Kirklees Metropolitan Council. Prior to that he fulfilled a variety of rules including as Executive Director for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber at the Homes and Communities Agency, and as Chief Operating Officer at Anchor Trust.
Kinga Salisbury: Kinga joined Canopy’s Board in 2022. She is Strategic Positioning Lead and Deputy Centre Lead at Energy Saving Trust, driving growth in retrofit support. Having worked on prevention and regeneration initiatives targeting under-represented groups, she has always focused on supporting those most in need. She currently chairs our Governance Subcommittee.
