As he steps down as our Chair of Trustees and into retirement, Alive’s CEO reflects on the leadership and contributions Phil May has generously given to the charity over the last 15 years.
Trustees are the lifeblood to any charity; helping them to see them through the good and the bad times. At Alive, we’ve been lucky to have Phil May leading us for the last 15 years. We’d like to say a huge thank you as he steps forward into a well-earned retirement and we will miss him enormously. We want to thank him for his dedication, professionalism, advice, love and support that he has poured into the charity and wish him well as he enjoys his time on the golf course and with his beloved family.
Phil was instrumental in setting Alive up with Tim Lloyd Yeates, our founder, in 2009. He has been the constant for Alive over the turbulent 15 years we’ve been in existence. As a solicitor and being well-connected in Bristol, he was able to help Alive launch successfully and has continued to be at its helm. When Tim tragically passed away five years later, Phil stepped in as acting CEO. He supported the staff both emotionally and practically, enabling Alive to carry on and continue to grow in Tim’s memory. He was the anchor that held everyone together.
As Alive grew, he was the one who supported Simon Bernstein in his role as CEO. He was the one who steered the merger with Growing Support. He was the one who helped navigate the choppy financial and funding waters we found ourselves in. He was the steady hand when Isobel Jones stepped up as CEO and helped to mentor her in her new role. He guided us through COVID and continued to be the steady hand, ensuring we were tethered to our values and mission whilst we changed direction and evolved.
“I’d like to pay a huge tribute to Phil. He has been incredible and has been with Alive for so long, seeing us through some good and bad times. His direction, vision, and leadership have been inspirational. Alive would honestly not be here if it wasn’t for Phil. When Tim died, he kept us altogether and, when I stepped up as CEO, he was the one who believed in me when I didn’t really believe in myself. He has been such a support and a great advocate for Alive, and myself, and I know Alive holds a special place in his heart. He really has been the captain of our ship for so long, and I can’t thank him enough for his service. He has been so fun to work with and I miss him already.”
– Isobel Jones, CEO
But as ever, his final duty was to find someone who he could trust to hand his role to, which he has. Kevin Woodrow has taken over as Chair of Trustees and brings an enviable skill set and sense of humour to the role, already looking forward to taking Alive forward for the next 15 years!
Good luck, Phil. Thank you for your service to us, it will never be forgotten.