Our Governors

The Board of Governors comprises 17 members including:

• The Principal
• Two student members
• One member of the teaching staff
• One member of the non-teaching staff

Our external Governors are drawn from a range of backgrounds and experience. Our Governing body works as a team to set the strategic direction of the College.
Their responsibilities are to:

• Determine and periodically review the educational character and mission of the institution and oversee its activities
• Approve the College’s quality strategy
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the College and the corporation and safeguarding assets
• Approve the annual estimates of income and expenditure
• Appoint senior postholders and determine a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all staff

The Governing body has scheduled meetings. In addition, if there are pressing matters they may call special meetings. The number of issues Governors need to discuss is immense, so to ensure that all of them are given proper consideration a committee system is used.

There are six standing committees as follows:

1. Board
2. Audit
3. Resources
4. Curriculum and Student Matters
5. Search and Governance
6. Remuneration

Board meetings usually take place four times in an academic year and in addition there is a strategic workshop. The other committees will usually meet one or three times per year. All Governors are expected to attend and participate in as many meetings of the Board as possible and to join and attend one of the committees. Meeting are usually held at 5pm. Governors are also involved in College life through link visits and attendance at College events such as award evenings and exhibitions.

In accordance with Department for Education’s statutory guidance, the College commissioned an external governance review through the Association of Colleges. A statement on the outcome of the Review can be found here.

Members of the Governing Board

Principal

Anna Dawe - Wigan & Leigh College

Principal & Chief Executive, Committee Served: Search & Governance; Curriculum & Student Matters; Resources; WFTE

Anna Dawe was appointed CEO & Principal in 2016. She joined the college in 2015 as Vice-Principal. Anna has worked in further education for over 30 years, starting her career as a law lecturer and spending the last 18 years in senior management roles. In addition she is a lay-member of the Board for the University of Manchester and is the current chair of the GM Colleges partnership.

Independent Governors

Andrea Ferguson - Chair of the Governing Board - Term of Office until 6 February 2026

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters (Chair), Remuneration (Vice-Chair), Search and Governance (Vice-Chair)

Andrea is the Head of the Graduate Research School at the University of Central Lancashire, providing academic leadership to the postgraduate research community as well as overseeing the quality assurance of research degree programmes and the research student experience. After joining the University of Central Lancashire in 2007, where she led the postgraduate programmes in the School of Law & Policing, Andrea was seconded to UCLan Overseas Limited for a number of years to shape overseas campus developments and pursue transnational education partnership opportunities. She then became the Interim Director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning, leading the academic development of staff in teaching, learning and assessment. Andrea accordingly possesses significant experience of the higher education sector, particularly focused around curriculum development, quality assurance, with a strong background in staff development and student support. Andrea is also a qualified Solicitor and, prior to joining the University of Central Lancashire, practised for ten years in large commercial law firms in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Katherine Causey - Vice Chair of the Governing Board - Term of Office until July 2025

Committees served: Audit (Chair), Remuneration (Chair), Search and Governance

John Clarke – Chair of Resources - Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Remuneration

John joined the Corporation in 2023 bringing a wealth of experience of the education sector. He began his career in the voluntary and community sector working in outlying estates in Knowsley. He subsequently trained as a teacher and moved to the further education sector working for a number of colleges in the North-West, initially as a lecturer and subsequently in a variety of senior management roles. He was appointed Principal of Southport College in 2011 where he oversaw the progress of the College culminating in the successful merger with KGV Sixth Form College. On leaving in 2020 he took on the role of Executive Officer of the Association of Liverpool City Region College until retiring in 2023. John is a committed advocate for Further Education Colleges and their ability to provide opportunities and transform lives. He has a particular interest in organisational development and the importance of creating/developing a positive, pro-active staff culture.

Steven Tomlinson - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

After a decade in software development, in 2013, Steven started the successful, Leigh-based, software company Nemiah. Five years later, he co-founded Leigh Works, a creative co-working space in the town centre and more recently Leigh Means Business, a CIC with the aim of bringing businesses together to regenerate the town. Steven is passionate about the local community and future of his town. By working with the STEM Ambassadors program and as a governor at Wigan & Leigh College he shares this passion with the next generation of entrepreneurs and digital creatives to get them interested in STEM careers. Outside of work Steven enjoys building and racing cars and spending time with his family.

Councillor Jenny Bullen - Term of Office until July 2025

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

Jenny is a parent and grandparent who, prior to professional training and as a young parent, had a lead voluntary role as regional co-ordinator in the playgroup movement in and around the local area. Training as a teacher and studying for a degree in later life as an adult learner, Jenny is now retired from a career in education where she worked as a teacher, headteacher, an Ofsted inspector and a local authority education adviser, locally, in an inner city area and in a large county authority. She is currently an elected member on Wigan Council and also holds a Cabinet post with the Portfolio for Children, Young People and Families. The role involves strategic leadership and oversight of Wigan’s children’s services directorate, including social care, fostering and adoption, children and young people in local authority care, youth work and youth offending. It also has a significant education brief including early years, primary and high school provision across Wigan Borough. Jenny is passionate about overcoming inequalities for children and young people, providing opportunities and enabling them to flourish with the right support at the right time. Any leisure time is spent with family, walking and playing tennis with a local U3A group.

Alison McKenzie-Folan -Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Resources

Alison is Chief Executive at Wigan Council having worked in Local Government for the last 15 years and previously in the Civil Service for twenty years. She is also the ‘place’ lead for health and care integration and NHS GM Integrated Care Board and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) lead Chief Executive for Health and Care, Culture and the GM Resilience Forum. Alison is passionate about public services and determined to make a difference for residents and communities. She is dedicated to inspiring the next female generation and committed to collaboration, innovation and technology. She currently chairs the iNetwork and is a Board Member of Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) and spokesperson for Solace on the digital agenda and a Board member for Open Data Manchester, Digital Leaders She became a Governor at the College in March 2022. In June 2024 Alison was awarded an OBE for services to local government and was also named in the Northern Power Women Top 50 Power list as one of the most influential digital leaders in Greater Manchester.

Susan Snape - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee served: Audit (Vice-Chair)

Hayley Mercer - Term Office until 23 March 2026

Committee Served: Audit

Sarah Smith - Term Office until to August 2027

Resources Committee

Sarah joined the College as a Co-Opted Governor on the Audit Committee in 2023, a role which interested her so much that she accepted a role as a full member of the Governing Board 12 months later. As a former student of Wigan & Leigh College, Sarah is committed to supporting the College and was thrilled to join the Board. Sarah’s skills stem from her background in the world of accountancy, which started in 1998 with a local accountancy practice then known as Jackson Stephen (now Jackson Stephen LLP) and where she is still employed. Throughout the years, Sarah has undertaken accounting and bookkeeping for owner managed businesses and not-for-profit entities; auditing of financial statements; self-assessment and Corporation Tax, Business Planning; Valuations and much more. Her most challenging, yet rewarding, experience comes from helping businesses navigate the economic challenges they have faced throughout the years. Sarah’s passion lies in helping businesses navigate their day-to-day challenges. Whether this be helping businesses develop their business strategy, or looking at ways businesses can be more efficient through the use of technology, or by improving internal processes. Away from the office, Sarah has a great interest in travel and is always keen to find new places to visit.

Chris Fletcher – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Curriculum and Student Matters, Audit

Chris is Policy Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and is also the lead on the Greater Manchester Local Skills Improvement Plan. He joined the Chamber in 2003 and has spent most of his career there working on policy, local economic development and ensuring that issues affecting Chamber members and the wider business community are captured and represented to decision makers. Prior to that he worked at education charity Young Enterprise for 2 years after leaving Nat West following a 16 year career primarily in business banking dealing with start-ups. He has lived in and around Wigan borough all his life and is a proud advocate for the borough, its businesses and people.

Caroline Elwood – Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Search and Governance, Audit

A former Council Monitoring Officer and Local Authority Legal Director, Caroline spent over 40 years working in Local Government primarily in the North West of England, but latterly in Interim roles as far apart as Bristol and Northumberland. She retired in April 2023 after completing her final role as Interim Monitoring Officer to the Shadow Authority of Westmorland and Furness in Cumbria. A qualified solicitor, she specialised in Corporate Governance and Ethical Standards, reviewing the written Constitutions of a number of Councils, and was passionate about driving service improvement and championing Legal and Democratic Services. A member of the senior leadership team in seven different roles she has extensive experience of Corporate Management and Strategic Planning working closely with elected members to shape and deliver strategic objectives. Now happily retired she enjoys singing with a local choir, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Paul Park – Lead Governor for Safeguarding - Term Office until to 5 December 2027

Committee served: Resources

Paul has been a governor at the College since December 2023, having been a student at the College in 1985 and having previously served as a Governor at two local primary schools. He has had a varied career from the armed forces to the later part as a chartered health and safety professional with almost 30 years’ experience in this field. He specialises in the systematic reviews of management systems and training. Paul has sat on several trade body committees over his career for both health and safety and training. Having retired in 2023 he is now a full time foster carer for Wigan Council, a role he has done for over six years and as such has a strong commitment and thorough understanding of safeguarding.

Staff Governors

Jennifer Connor

Committee Served: Curriculum & Student Matters

Jennifer has been a dedicated professional in the field of education for the past ten years, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to her role as a qualified Careers Advisor. Since joining Wigan & Leigh College, she has been instrumental in developing and embedding a robust system designed to support student progression within the College. In addition to her core responsibilities, Jennifer plays a vital role in outreach activities aimed at raising aspirations for higher education. Prior to working for the College, Jennifer worked for many years in the local authority as a professional marketer. Her extensive experience in this area provided her with a deep understanding of the local community and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Rebecca Turley

Committee served: Curriculum and Student Matters (Vice-Chair)

Rebecca has over 20 years experience working in the education sector and joined the college in 2010 as a Lecturer in Sport. As a member of the Sports Department at the college, Rebecca was part of the successful team that achieved the Silver Award for Further Education Team of the Year at the 2021 Pearson National Teaching Awards. Rebecca is experienced in Further Education quality assurance processes through the Quality Nominee role that she undertook at the college between 2017 and 2022. In 2022, Rebecca moved to a Deputy Head of Higher Education role where she now specialises in HE quality assurance and higher and degree apprenticeships. Rebecca was awarded the Advance HE Fellowship in 2020 in recognition of her commitment to teaching, learning and the student experience, through engagement in a practical process that encourages research, reflection and development.

Student Governors

Aston Aldred - Term of Office until July 2024

Student Governor, L3 Electrical Apprenticeship

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters Committee

Freya Robinson

Student Governor, A Level Student

Committees served: Curriculum and Student Matters

CO-OPTED GOVERNORS

Jo Toner

Co-Opted Governor on the Audit Committee

Julie Barnes

Co-Opted Governor on the Resources Committee

Julie joined The City of Liverpool College as the Deputy Chief Executive in 2016 having previously been the Director of Finance at Salford City College. She has specific responsibility for overseeing the areas of Finance, HR, MIS, Facilities, IT and Student Services functions of The City of Liverpool College Group. Julie qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001 and had 10 years’ experience in auditing various different sectors including education, charities and commercial entities. During her time within the accountancy profession, she also completed various secondments which included 2 years working as an Audit Supervisor in Philadelphia co-ordinating and overseeing audits across the US and also a period of time in the Forensic accounting department of the accounting firm investigating allegations of fraud and other financial regularities. Julie’s skills, knowledge and experience complement the skills of other members of the Resources Committee, of which Julie is a co-opted member.

Director of Governance

Joanne Platt

Joanne has been the Director of Governance at the College since August 2021, having previously undertaken this role at four other colleges as well as the role of Company Secretary at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She is an experienced governance professional, having also undertaken a number of permanent and interim senior governance and corporate policy roles in local government, before joining the FE sector.

To find out more about the Governing Board or to contact any of the College’s Governors, please email the Director of Governance (j.platt@wigan-leigh.ac.uk)

Becoming a Governor

Do you have an interest in education and training? Would you like to play an important role in becoming part of a progressive, innovative and expanding educational establishment committed to meeting the needs of the community it serves? Being a Governor is a highly rewarding voluntary role working with others to ensure that the College meets the needs of the community it serves.

The essential requirements for joining us are a commitment and interest in contributing to the leadership of first class educational and training opportunities for young people and adults in Wigan and Leigh. Corporation members are comparable with the non-executive directors of a public company but instead of being accountable to shareholders, they are accountable for public funds. This governance role is separate from the operational management of the College. Corporation members define the College’s mission, values and strategy and whilst they monitor performance, they do not become involved in the day to day activity of the College, which is the responsibility of the Principal supported by the management team.

We are keen to involve people of all ages and cultural backgrounds, who can bring a variety of skills and experience to the role and have the qualities to support the College in its goal to become ‘outstanding’.

Your commitment as a Governor:

• Attending meetings of the Board
• Reading papers in advance of meetings
• Participation in discussions and debates
• Gaining experience through membership of Board Committees
• Participation in training events and attending various social events

We also appoint Co-opted Governors with specific skills to serve on just one committee, usually Audit or Resources Committee, which requires less commitment in terms of time. Co-opted Governors just attend three meetings each year, of the Committee to which they are appointed and are not members of the Governing Board (or Corporation).

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Governor or a Co-opted Governor, please contact Joanne Platt – Director of Governance (j.platt@wigan-leigh.ac.uk)