Richard Purchase
Trustee and Chair of the LED Board and also a Director of the LEDE Board
After a few years on the Boards of LED and LEDE I took over as Chair just over 12 months ago. With extensive commercial experience across several sectors and having chaired an NHS Trust, a number of charities and as the current Chair of Age UK (Wiltshire), I was and am well placed to help shape and steer the expansion and diversification of the LED businesses and opportunities.
I believe passionately in high quality service delivery and the customer always being at the heart of what we do. I see the link between health, housing and social care being fundamental to what LED can deliver in enhancing the wellbeing of our customers and those in the communities where we work. I am semi-retired, having recently been farming and having sold a number of businesses. I am married with 5 grandchildren.
Jessica Dawkins
Trustee of the LED Board
Jessica is a solicitor and was a partner in an Exeter law firm for many years before moving to work for an International Law Firm in Bristol. Jessica is a charity law specialist. She sits on the Executive Committee of the Charity Law Association, following her election as Director in 2022. As a qualified Solicitor Advocate (Civil), she has the same Rights of Audience as a barrister.
Her experience includes working in-house as legal Counsel for a number of international charities, including several UK top 50 by income charities. She has also worked in-house for a start-up charity, so she has a broad range of experience of the issues that charities face, large or small.
She has advised in relation to governance and constitutional issues to commercial, trading arrangements and fundraising. She has a particular interest in Intellectual property and has devised strategies to protect brands to include enforcement, managing contentious IP disputes. She has also advised teams on a wide range of issues acting as business partner in Germany, US, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, India and Switzerland. Property related matters are an area of interest, to include lease renewals and agricultural law, having had responsibility for an asset portfolio of 30 million for one charity.
Jessica has lectured for Central Law Training and the Law Society at venues across the country and was legal editor for a publishing company for 16 years. She has also worked in marketing for a London company.
Jessica lives in East Devon and hopes her skills can add value to LED Community Leisure for the benefit of the local community.
Mark Stubbs
Trustee of the LED Board
Mark is a qualified finance professional (CIMA fellow) with over 30 years’ experience in senior business roles in finance, I.T., purchasing and manufacturing. He has also been a board member of various Asian operational sites and sales offices.
He started his career as a site accountant in Leek, Staffordshire with subsequent experience gained in roles in the UK, Germany, Austria and China. In addition to his finance roles Mark was also an experienced General Manager having run a site in Nanjing, China for 12 years with 1,000 employees and a turnover of $250mn.
His last role was as the North Asia regional finance director for an Austrian company based in mainland China.
Now retired and living in the Exeter area, Mark is an active LED member of the Exmouth leisure centre. He is looking forward to being part of the LED team, adding value through his experience and enthusiasm for the business and supporting its community goals.
Noele Redstone
Director of the LEDE Board
Noele Redstone is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (FCCA) with many years of experience in leading and managing the finance function in a variety of sectors, including implementing robust and efficient financial systems and controls, team development and change management programmes.
During a recent Interim Role as Finance Director at LED, she learnt more about the huge scope and essential work of the organisation and is now looking forward to using her expertise in this new role as a Trustee.
She has more recently specialised in charity and not for profit finance positions but also has experience as a working partner in a successful restaurant business, managing the finances for 6 College Campuses in Sandwell and mentoring the Café Catering Manager whilst Finance Director at Exeter Cathedral.
Nick Fish
Director and the Chair of the LEDE Board
Nick has joined the LED board as an Independent Director with a view to also oversee the business interests of LEDE Enterprises.
Nick has over 20 years’ experience in management roles within the Hospitality and Catering sector previously working in senior positions for Compass Group, Baxterstorey and Harrison Catering.
Since 2018 Nick has transferred his skills to the Apprenticeship and Training sector and now holds a senior role providing client support to businesses in the training and development of their people. Nick is passionate about building and growing high performance teams and organisations, creating real business advantage and opportunities for all.
Nick has relocated to East Devon within the last 2 years with his family and is excited to join the LED business as this next stage of their ongoing development.
Jade Arnold
Director of the LEDE Board
Most of my working life has dedicated to the Hospitality Industry in one form or another, starting out as a waiter at The Watergate Bay Hotel to managing 4 Star hotels, running my own award-winning outside catering company, ‘Dartmoor Kitchen’, or helping train the stars of the future by delivering apprenticeships across the West Country.
More latterly I was the Training Manager for the hotel stock across the Hinkley Nuclear Power project and have recently dipped my toe back onto the coal face by buying a popular Café on the Tarka Trail, in North Devon, ably assisted by my partner Claire.
I joined the board of LEDE at an exciting time of growth and hope to help our growing portfolio become standard bearers for great service, fabulous food, and financially successful businesses, delivered by a team of empowered, enthusiastic and ambitious team, that strive to deliver a great experience, regardless of their role.