A message from Julia Abrey - Chair of the Board of Trustees
"Joining the board of Mencap Trust Company is an exciting opportunity for me as it combines two of my major interests and skill sets- advising clients on issues of mental capacity
Mental capacity means being able to make a decision when it needs to be made. , principally in a financial context, and the administration of trusts through a trust
A Trust looks after money for a person or a group of people. corporation as trustee. I have significant experience in both areas which I hope I can bring to the board to support the Trust co as it goes through a period of change and development under its new director."
The board’s aim
The board aim to look after the interests of each beneficiary as effectively, professionally and economically as possible. We want to ensure our settlors have peace of mind and make the future more secure for their loved ones, our beneficiaries.
Mencap Trust Company holds legal title to assets for each beneficiary. The assets do not belong to the Trustee - they are held on behalf of the beneficiary. Our
discretionary
Discretionary means it is up to somebody to decide if you get something.
trust
service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
means that the Trustee decides payments to the beneficiaries, how much to pay, and which benefits to make payments to.
Trustee Duties and powers of the Trustee are set out in the Trustee Act 2000 and include:
- to exercise reasonable care and skill (“duty of care”)
- to protect and safeguard trust assets
- to manage the trust assets for the benefit of the beneficiaries
- to comply with the terms of the trust deed
- to act fairly and impartially between the beneficiaries
- not to profit from the trust and avoid conflicts of interest between the Trustee’s own interests and those of the trusts
- to keep clear and accurate accounts
- to carry out specific duties in relation to investment.
Meet the Board
Julia Abrey (Chair)
Julia Abrey is a solicitor and partner in Withers LLP in London heading its multi-jurisdictional capacity and Court of Protection team. She is immediate past chair of STEP’s cross border Mental Capacity Special Interest Group. Julia has a particular interest in cross–border mental capacity matters and advises on estate planning in an international context. Julia is the only UK member of the US National Academy of Elder
Law
Laws are the rules that everyone in the country has to follow. If you don't follow the rules you can get in trouble with the police.
Attorneys Inc and a top rated Court of Protection practitioner in Legal 500 2022 and Chambers 2022. Julia is the chair of the Executive Committee of Withers Trust Corporation Ltd and has many years' experience in the administration of trusts.
Julia writes "joining the board of Mencap Trust Company is an exciting opportunity for me as it combines two of my major interests and skill sets- advising clients on issues of mental capacity, principally in a financial context, and the administration of trusts through a trust corporation as trustee. I have significant experience in both areas which I hope I can bring to the board to support the Trust co as it goes through a period of change and development under its new director."
Yogi Amin (Deputy Chair)
Yogi was appointed as one of Mencap’s trustees in November 2018, and he joined the Mencap Trust Company board in August 2021. He fully supports the aims and objectives of Mencap Trust Company.
He is a senior partner at Irwin Mitchell and a legal specialist in the areas of
human rights
Human
rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school.
are the rights that everyone has. These include the right to go to school and the right to start a family.
law,
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
care law and mental capacity law. He was a Trustee of the Independent Living Fund for over eight years.
Julian Spurling
Julian is managing director for Adult Services with Caretech Community Services Ltd, one of the UKs largest providers of care and support to children and adults with learning disabilities,
Autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different.
and Mental health needs.
Julian is passionate about ensuring that vulnerable people are able to receive person centered support and that they are able to choose how they wish to live. In his capacity as a director of Mencap Trust Company, he seeks to bring nearly 20 years of leadership experience within the health & social care sector to supporting the interests of its clients.
Mark Pearce
Mark works for an international investment management firm and brings over 20 years of financial services experience to the Board. He previously headed up the charity investment team at a leading UK private bank and so aside from a deep knowledge of the current financial environment, he also has a sound understanding of the not-for-profit sector.
Having grown up with a sister who has a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
, Mark is driven to ensure that Trust beneficiaries are diligently supported, and helped to achieve the quality of life and happiness they deserve.
David Smith
David joined the Board in January 2020. He retired in December 2018 after working for over 30 years for the railways.
David is a poet and a member of a local dramatic society and he participates on Mencap Radio. David has Asperger’s syndrome and is passionate about making a difference to the lives of people with a learning disability, having their best interests at heart.
Margaret Ade-Onojobi
Margaret is a qualified
social worker
A social worker is someone who can help you get the support you need. Social workers usually work for your local council.
, trained psychodynamic therapist and background in psychology. She specialises in learning disability, autism, personality disorder, mental health, behaviour that concern, HIV & AIDS.
She is a founder of a non profit making
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
, Barnabas Global Ministries. She is a school governor and she leads a group in the Prison Fellowship, England and Wales. Her passion is to support the underprivileged in various countries. As part of this, she mentors, coaches and develop social enterprise. She is also a public speaker. Margaret is a mother of three and has lived experience with a family member who has special needs.
David Harvey
David has led in nonprofit leadership roles, both as CEO and Chair of charity trustees. Currently, he operates as an interim leader and consultant to shape change and transformation in charities and elsewhere in the third sector. As former CEO at the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), he is particularly focussed on seeing trusts working effectively to support those with disabilities. He became involved with Mencap Trust Company as the interim trust director at 2020-21 during a time of change. He is a chartered accountant and also a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, working on reputation management and communication. As a local councillor he also focuses on work in the community to help those most in need.
Paul Grigg
Paul is the
Customer
A customer is a person who buys something or uses a service.
and Operational Risk Director for a Global Insurance company. He has over 20 years’ experience working in Financial Services in enterprise risk management, operational risk, regulatory compliance, business transformation, programme and change management and operational excellence.
Paul has a son with a severe learning disability and is passionate about using his experience to help other people with learning disabilities, their families and carers lead happy lives.
Companies we work with
Golden Lane Housing
Golden Lane Housing, originally established by Mencap in 1998, is now an independent organisation that works with people with a learning disability to provide supported housing around which they can build their lives. Golden Lane Housing is the preferred landlord for property held in trust. Since their inception Golden Lane Housing have invested £122.8 million transforming the lives of over 2,370 people with a wide range of needs in more than 1,200 properties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They also give advice and
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
to hundreds of families each year.
Investec
Investec manages the investments of each trust fund. Directors review Investec’s performance each year, and to date, this has been consistently above market benchmarks. For an update on Investment performance please click here.
Deloitte
Deloitte completes annual tax returns for each of our trust funds. By using complementary trust account software, the trust company has been able to negotiate lower fees for this service.