Grants Advisory Panel

To support the work of the charity a group called the Grants Advisory Panel (GAP for short) assesses, makes recommendations and decisions 
on all grant applications, and supports the work of the Board of Trustees. This Panel is recruited from Trustees and users of
MoneySavingExpert.com. We are always on the look out for new members, so if you would like to volunteer, please contact us.


Geoff Hill

Geoff lives in the Yorkshire Dales, and has been a member of the GAP since 2014. Geoff has a post-graduate qualification in community development, and has spent all his working life in the voluntary sector; both of these have been in pursuit of his belief in empowering people. He has managed projects in student community action and for unemployed people. Through his work in Councils of Voluntary Service he has worked in areas as diverse as recycling, health promotion and skills exchanges. Geoff provided the secretariat to a small and innovative Leeds-based grant-making trust for over 40 years. As well as walking in the Dales, Geoff’s hobbies include film and theatre.  Diagnosed with aggressive cancer in 2017, Geoff is coming to terms with living with cancer and undergoing experimental immunotherapy, at the same time as learning anew the many blessings of friendships. 


Maxine Norris

Max lives in Hertfordshire and has been a member of the GAP since 2014.  Following a City career in corporate finance, Max took a sabbatical to raise her family returning to the financial services industry to specialise in corporate and social responsibility.  She is experienced in devising and developing community support programmes as well as being a pioneer and promoter of life long personal money management; Max is currently Chair of the NE London Young Enterprise Board.  Max also enjoys meeting friends at the gym, watching Chelsea FC and all types of travel and adventure.





Pat Kattri

Pat lives in Birmingham and has been a member of the GAP since 2014. Her experience was gained through working for Birmingham City Council as a Principal Regeneration Officer. During her time with the Council she managed a range of different grant programmes and provided support to many different voluntary and community organisations and businesses.  Pat is married and has two grown up children and is kept busy helping with her three grandsons. In her spare time she enjoys walking, travelling and playing golf.


Sheila Brazil

Sheila has joined as a new GAP member in February 2018. Sheila lives in London. Her experience lies in writing funding applications for a wide range of projects, including higher education, women’s issues, criminal justice and more recently, Veterans. She believes that there is a need for a lot more work to be done around increasing our understanding of budgeting, managing money  and over-indebtedness , which can have such a detrimental impact on our  lives. In her free time, Sheila enjoys being with family and friends, cooking, films and reading.


Rhian Hughes

Rhian has joined as a new GAP member in February 2018.  She lives in North Wales and has a background of 17 years working in financial inclusion and tackling poverty. She was the Financial Inclusion Champion for North Wales from 2008 – 2017 working for the Wales Co-operative Centre.  She has a wealth of experience in this field and is passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to appropriate financial services.  Rhian currently works for a mental health charity and is a strong advocate of the effects money can have on people’s mental health.  She is very much looking forward to supporting the work of the MSE Charity.