The Gold from the Stone Foundation

The Gold from the Stone Foundation is a registered charity that supports a national network of community run Christmas dinners across the UK, which ensure care leavers aged 18-25 are not left alone on Christmas Day.

Our vision is a society which cares equally for all people 
Our mission is to ensure no care leaver feels alone on Christmas Day
Our values are community, creativity, care, collaboration and change

The charity was founded in 2016 by Lemn Sissay OBE whose own story of growing up in care is internationally recognised through his award-winning poetry, performances, documentaries and public art. The Gold from the Stone Foundation is named after a book of his poetry.

The charity is currently undergoing a transformation, having expanded the board and team, and centring lived experience at the heart of the organisation.

We are increasing our reach and impact, and welcome opportunities that can support our mission, feel free to get in touch.

“I am not defined by darkness” Confided the night
”Each dawn I am reminded I am defined by light”
Lemn Sissay

The Trustees

  • Co-Chair of the board of trustees. Kari is an individual with a deep commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families. Having experienced care herself from the age of 13 to 18, she gained invaluable insights into the challenges faced by young people in similar situations.

    Drawing on her personal experience, Kari dedicated over a decade to fostering, providing a loving, secure home for children in need.

    Kari holds a degree in Psychology and as Headteacher currently serves a community that includes children with additional and complex medical needs. Kari is also an active member of the Foundation for Educational Development, advocating for innovative practices and policies that improve educational outcomes for all children.

  • Trustee. Terry is a social entrepreneur, housing provider, and campaigner dedicated to improving the lives of care-experienced people. Having grown up in care himself, he has worked tirelessly to drive systemic change, ensuring that young people leaving care have better opportunities and support.

    He is the co-founder of Norman Galloway Homes, a supported accommodation provider helping care leavers transition to independence, and Care Leaver Offer, a platform designed to improve opportunities for care-experienced young people. Terry is also leading the campaign to make Care Experience a Protected Characteristic, successfully securing the support of over 100 UK councils and working towards legislative change.

    Terry is a trustee for NYAS and plays a key role in Westminster's first-ever Cross-Party Group designed to unite councils that have passed the motion supporting Care Experience as a Protected Characteristic. This groundbreaking group is the first of its kind to have Care Experienced People as its members, ensuring their voices are heard at the highest levels of government.

    Terry has a strong background in research, development, housing, employment, policy reform, and youth advocacy.

  • Trustee. Tajinder has a wealth of experience in strategic communications, partnership building and leadership. She has spent more than than two decades shaping commercial strategy and brand development in a wide range of businesses in diverse industries including retail, property, design and technology. More recently, she has moved into the not-for-profit sector and joined the leadership team at the Charlie Waller Trust,where she amplifies mental health awareness for young people and their support networks. She is passionate about inclusion and making sure marginalised voices are heard. She also serves as a Trustee at Wonderseekers, at STEM charity that believes in making science accessible to as many children as possible. 

  • Trustee and Treasurer. Purnima is an experienced Finance Leader with over 22 years of public sector service. Currently serving as Director of Finance at a Local Authority, and with a passion for inclusive leadership, she has skills in guiding strategic and operational financial decisions ensuring financial resilience and sustainability.  Experienced in working with a wide range of stakeholders, partners and funding bodies to ensure positive and meaningful outcomes for local communities.

  • Trustee

    With over 13 years of experience in Human Resources, Melissa brings a wealth of people-focused expertise and a deep understanding of organisational culture to their role as trustee. A proud Muslim, they are guided by a philosophy of kindness, giving back, and nurturing what feeds the soul.

    Passionate about all things creative, Melissa has a love for theatre and poetry, believing in the power of the arts to inspire, connect, and heal. Their connection to care stems from their grandmother, who fostered children for many years, providing firsthand insight into the challenges faced by young people in care and the transformative impact that dedicated, compassionate support can have on their lives.

  • Trustee.
    Esther is a highly experienced development professional and has served on senior management teams  at several high-profile organisations. She has devised and led strategic capital and revenue fundraising for leading high-profile arts, cultural and educational organisations including Tate, The British Museum, Baltic, Imperial College, the AA School of Architecture and Serpentine Trust. She is experienced at managing relationships at the highest level from wealthy philanthropists and collectors, to government and international business contacts.and has also acted as an ambassador for each organisation she worked for both in the UK and abroad, including across North America and Europe.

  • Trustee. Tina is a creative, commercially savvy brand marketing, events, and partnerships specialist with over 20 years of experience. She set up her own consultancy in 2015 and has been helping brands grow and connect in meaningful ways ever since.

    Sport has always been a huge part of her life—Tina has competed internationally in both athletics and netball and was proud to be an Olympic torchbearer not once, but twice (including London 2012!). In 2022, she got involved behind the scenes as a media volunteer at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

    Tina’s personal journey is a big part of who she is. Raised in the care system from just six weeks old, she’s passionate about giving back. Through her ‘Nurtured Success’ programme, she mentors young people as they step into adulthood and begin their career journeys. She’s also supported the homeless community as a volunteer mentor, offering a listening ear and practical advice.

    She’s the voice behind the podcast My Life Not Yours, where she shares honest stories about life’s ups and downs—with plenty of humour, heart, and hard-earned wisdom.

  • Trustee. Alison is Director of Campus Services at The University of Manchester, leading the Hospitality, Events and Campus Services teams.  Passionate about the hospitality industry, she is a proud winner of The Public Sector Catey in 2022. Alison joined the Manchester Christmas Dinner Steering Group in 2015 and continues to do so. She can be found on Christmas Day at the Manchester venue ensuring the magic happens. 

  • Trustee

    David is dedicated to improving the rights of child abuse survivors and advocating for better child protection laws.

    David has successfully assisted thousands of abuse survivors in pursuing compensation claims, guiding them through every stage of the process. 

    His national reputation as a top child abuse lawyer is built on his outstanding work, especially in child sexual exploitation and group cases.

  • Founder & Trustee.
    Lemn is a BAFTA nominated International prize winning writer. He was awarded an OBE for services to literature by The Queen of England, The Pen Pinter Prize, and in 2018 he was awarded a Points of Light Award from The Prime Minister for his work in establishing The Christmas Dinner project.

    He is an extraordinarily prolific writer of plays, poetry, and articles, and performs and speaks publicly all over the world. His memoir, My Name Is Why, was published by Canongate in 2019. To read more about his work, head over to his website and blog here.

  • Trustee. Matt Taylor is an award-winning music producer and writer, executive director of the Music Producers Guild, board member of UK Music, an Assistant Executive Councillor for High Borough Council, and a member of the Midlands Area Council for Arts Council England.

    Matt grew up in children’s homes, living the typical life of a boy in care until he found refuge in music and literature and turned his life around. He left the care system at 18 to pursue a career in recording studios. 

    In 2022, Matt’s work on Frank Turner’s number 1 album, FTHC, saw him named Breakthrough Engineer of The Year later that year, the first careleaver to win an MPG Award. His credits include KT Tunstall, Amy Wadge, Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Julia Donaldson, and countless artists you will never have heard of.

    Matt is also a writer, represented by Curtis Brown. His writing accolades include: Highly commended in the 2021 Life Writing Prize, Winner of the Spread The Word’s Scribe UK 2021, Longlisted for Fish Publishing’s Short Memoir Prize 2024 and winner of New Writing North’s A Writing Chance 24/25. He is studying for a master’s in creative writing at the University of Oxford. Matt also writes a Substack Newsletter about his time in the care system and his work in the creative industries called Underclass Hero.

    Matt is a passionate advocate for those from the care system and uses his various positions and platforms to open up the creative industries. He is actively collaborating with the broader music industry to reduce barriers and open schemes so more people from the care system can seek viable careers. 

  • Trustee.

    Anne-Marie Connelly is a care-experienced individual with a strong background in participation policy and advocacy. She is an active member of the National Implementation Board, where she has successfully driven significant changes.

    Anne-Marie also founded a group within the Department for Education dedicated to ensuring that care-experienced young people have a voice in the decisions and policies that impact their lives.

The Team

  • Managing Director

    Sarah is an executive leader, executive coach and facilitator, consultant and strategic producer with over 25 years experience facilitating systemic and social change, in the arts, culture and charitable sectors.

    Previous roles include Executive Director of LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), Senior Producer at Punchdrunk, Head of Creative Development at Contact Theatre, Participation Producer at Southbank Centre, and CEO/Artistic Director of Time Won’t Wait. She has led the strategic development and delivery of ambitious, complex and diverse programmes of work that transform people’s everyday lives, connect communities and make a positive social impact. 

    She has worked with artists, young people and communities, in the criminal justice system, education, business and health settings, in the UK, Colombia, Brazil, the US and Germany. 

    She has an ILM Level 7 in Executive Coaching, is an ORSC Systems Coach, NLP Master Trainer, MBIT and Relational Dynamics Coach.

  • Interim Foundation Director

    Liza Vallance is a creative consultant, evaluator, facilitator and cultural leader working across arts, heritage, social justice and community-led change. 

    She is the founder of Vallance Creative Consulting, a creative practice rooted in care, connection and belonging, helping organisations create the conditions for people to feel welcome, valued and properly part of things.

    Liza has held senior leadership roles across the cultural sector, including as Deputy Director of Learning at the National Theatre and Artistic Director/CEO of Studio 3 Arts, where she led major participation, learning, co-creation and capital development programmes. Her current consultancy work includes evaluation, producing and strategic development for organisations including the Georgian Group, Acland Burghley School, Donmar Warehouse, Unicorn Theatre, Creative Newham, It’s Not Your Birthday But.. and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. 

    Her practice is rooted in creative democracy, care, access and rigour. She specialises in helping organisations understand their impact, tell sharper stories about their work, and build strategy and impact frameworks that are useful, honest and alive.

    Liza is also a proud trustee of Camden People’s Theatre and CoDa Dance Company, and co-leads VOOT, a radically inclusive arts collective.  Liza lives in east London and is a West Ham fan.

“The Gold from the Stone Foundation is incredible! It gives support, guidance and grants to communities, who come together to change the lives of care leavers, every Christmas. The goal is to bring joy, and that’s exactly what they are doing!”

Thank you to our Funders & Supporters