BEF Dig in
BEF help social enterprise
Team BEA
Our team are dedicated professionals who have a vast array of experience and skills. That experience and those skills have been employed time and time again in the support and development of our customers.
Joe Cahill Business Mentor
Joe joins us from a career in sales and more recently as a business advisor for Bradford Kickstart
Chris Luty ERDF Project Manager
With years of experience running a number of projects within the public sector. Chris has been recently promoted to manage all of our ERDF programmes.
Angela Hellawell Business Finance Advisor
Angela is our Business finance Advisor , she provides support for clients in respect of any finance issues. She will provide advice on setting up financial systems, how to source finance and many other aspects of business finance. She has lots of experience of dealing with businesses and brings to the team a wealth of experience.
She has been with the Fund for a number of years and has steadily been promoted through the ranks into this current position.
“Our book keeping service aims to alleviate financial fears by giving friendly one-to-one guidance. Primarily on how to issue and organise documentation, secondly to choose, install and successfully operate a suitable system, and finally to report and make decisions based on the information” Angela Hellawell
Steve Waud Fund Director
Steve, along with Malcolm Swallow, launched the fund back in November 2004 with £360k to lend in the Bradford district. Since then the fund has grown to around £3million and now covers West and North Yorkshire.
Steve’s background is in corporate recovery and has worked in sectors as diverse as Brand Marketing and the Automotive sectors.
He is a non exec director of the CDFA and is a keen
advocate for the Community Development Finance Sector.
“Without the Business Enterprise Fund 180 businesses would not have started and over 300 jobs would not have been created. That is the real benefit of community finance, that is, finance with a social conscience” Stephen Waud
Brian Hatcher Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)
Brian worked in banking for 34 years as a lending manager, as well as regional manager for the bank’s International Division, and latterly the Factoring and Invoice Discounting Division. Joined West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency in May 2000 to start up and run one of the first Government backed loan schemes, for businesses which couldn’t get funding from the main stream. Joined the Business Enterprise Fund in February 2006, as mentor for the businesses which had obtained funding from this source. Currently director of two Social Enterprises in West Yorkshire
Richard Wharton Business Mentor (Legi Leeds)
Richard comes from a business banking background of over 30 years and has since been involved in assisting smaller businesses through Business Link, Leeds Chamber and EastBank Regeneration Project. He also works closely with businesses based at the Leeds Metropolitan University Business Incubator. Is a director of and works with several companies from engineering to debt management.
Meg Heath Deputy Fund Director
Meg has been a consultant for a number of years, which has taken her all over the world. Her speciality is marketing and she has worked with a number of major brands on the development of new products and brought these successfully to the market.
“We take a bespoke approach to ensure the support that we do provide is of the greatest value to the individual business” Meg Heath
Ray Walker Business Mentor
Ray has a vast amount of experience working at senior levels within some of the UK’s leading PLCs. Most recently, Ray was a special business advisor for BLWY. Prior to joining the fund, Ray had been a consultant working with a number of SMEs at a strategic level. He has an MBA from Durham University.
“I see my role as not just bringing business management expertise to my clients in areas they are weak in or helping them with a difficult situation, but in encouraging them to move out of their comfort zone. Through this they become confident, more rounded and accomplished business people” Ray Walker
