People at I CAN

Patron:  HM The Queen
CEO:  Virginia Beardshaw

Since joining I CAN as Chief Executive in 2005, Virginia has worked to ensure that children’s speech, language and communication is on the policy agenda as the foundation skill for children’s learning.  The organisation has pressed ahead with innovative programmes for early years, pre-school and further education provision, forging partnerships with influential corporate supporters such as BT, Openreach and HBOS to promote children’s communication skills.

Virginia came to I CAN with a background in NHS management.  She became the first Director of Commissioning at Barnet Health Authority in 1993 and in 1999 was appointed Director of Modernisation for the NHS in London, where she led implementation of the NHS plan in the capital.  As Director of UK Services at the British Red Cross (2002-2005) Virginia developed the organisation’s three year UK Service Strategy and spearheaded the UK side of the Red Cross’ response to the Asian Tsunami; a career defining moment.

At present, Virginia is a Trustee of StartHere, an online service that provides information on health, housing, education, employment and social issues.  She chaired Kith & Kids, the London network of families’ with disabled children, for three years until September 2002 and served as a Trustee of Childline UK until its merger with the NSPCC in 2006.  She was elected to the Governing Body of UCL Hospital’s Foundation Trust in 2004.

Virginia has served on a number of government policy groups, most recently Ivan Lewis’ working group on Third Sector Involvement in health and social care provision (2006) and the Department of Health’s Advisory Group on Commissioning (2006/7).

Virginia lives in North London with her husband and three children, one of whom has speech, language and communication needs. 

Trustees

Chair: Lady Elizabeth Vallance
Sean Nesbitt (Vice Chair)
Frances Jacob (Treasurer)
Julia Budd
Jim Burke
Andrea Dinnick
Joe Eagle (Chair of Meath Governors)
Adrian Hosford
Victoria Joffe
Nick Peacey
Steven Perez (Chair of Dawn House Governors)
Mark Richardson
Katharine Weston

Please click here for a brief biography of each I CAN Trustee.

Ambassadors

Governors at I CAN’s Meath School

Chair: Joe Eagle
Community Governors: Tony Shore, David Swainston and Peter Cox
LA Governor: Sylvia Brown
Co-opted Governor:Jackie Harrison
Parent Governor: Denise Murrin
Parent Governor: Muhunda Satchithananda
Staff Governors: Janet Dunn (Head Teacher), Lorraine Vaughan (Child Care Officer), Jean Wilson (Head of Therapy), Melanie Banner (Class Teacher)

Governors at I CAN’s Dawn House School

Executive Management

Chief Executive: Virginia Beardshaw
Director of Resources and Company Secretary: Patrick Stewart 
Director of Fundraising: Charles Simpson
Director of Operations: Clare Geldard
Director of Communications: Lisa Knowles 
Head of Secondary/FE Services: Anne Jordan
Head of Primary Services: Janet Dunn

Vice Presidents:

His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury
His Grace the Lord Archbishop of York
The Rt Rev The Lord Bishop of London
Mrs S Blackwood
Mr R Buse 
Mr H Bowman
Mr D Chilvers
Sir John Craven
Mr H Jacobs
Mr O Thompson  

Bankers

Cooperative Bank Plc 
1 Islington High Street
London
N1 9TR

Auditors

Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP
80 Strand
London
WC2R 0AF

Investment Advisors

Capita Financial Group
2 The Boulevard
Geldard Road
Leeds
LS12 6NT

Solicitors

Slaughter & May
One Bunhill Row
London
EC1Y 8YY

Registered Office

I CAN
8 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7QE