Trustees
AJ White
Chairperson
AJ White joined the Board of Riverside CHP in 2018, the same year they took over as Chief Executive of Involve North East. AJ has many years’ experience of charity leadership along with range of skills from the education, enterprise and skills sharing sectors, having worked in teaching and publishing before moving to the charitable sector. As well as developing and leading cross-sector partnerships, AJ co-chaired the Newcastle Voluntary Sector Liaison Group for two years giving them an insight into the work of charities across the city and the communities they serve.
Chris Smith
Treasurer
Chris Smith joined the Riverside Board of Trustees in March 2024. Chris is the Programme Manager for Men’s Pie Club which runs a weekly session in Carnegie Building. This Food Nation Project provides men with a space to meet regularly, prevent or reduce isolation, improve their wellbeing and yes, make pie! Chris’ interest in becoming a Riverside trustee was sparked by regularly visiting Carnegie Building and getting to know different range of work Riverside does. Chris is from the West End of Newcastle and is passionate about working in collaboration with community members and organisations to improve the lives of people in the area.
Kuveri Katjangua
Trustee
Kuveri Katjangua: Kuveri joined as trustee because he shares in the vision of improving community health in Newcastle. He excelled professionally in the ICT, postal and aviation sectors for over 16 years. In these sectors Kuveri had responsibilities in the areas of strategy and performance management, talent and organisational development amongst others. Being in the helping profession of commercial enterprises, a pastor and a client of Riverside services, Kuveri is eager to use his experiences to add value to the organisation.
Craig Lilford
Trustee
Craig Lilford joined the Board of Trustees in September 2025.
Craig brings over 15 years of experience in financial management, and strategic leadership across early-stage start-ups and regulated sectors. He has a strong background in financial governance, transformation, and commercial strategy, and is passionate about using these skills to support Riverside’s growth and sustainability.
Originally from South Africa, Craig has a deep personal commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice—values that strongly align with Riverside’s mission to support marginalised communities and improve access to health and wellbeing services.
Suzanne Devlin
Trustee
Suzanne Devlin lives in Gateshead. She works at the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She is committed to addressing inequalities in society and supports us in this area. Since becoming a Trustee at Riverside Suzanne has worked closely with our Finance/Operations Manager and Chief Executive on our organisations finances.
Vicki Turnbull
Trustee
Vicki Turnbull lives in Hebburn and works in Newcastle. Vicki is a Portfolio Asset Manager for Grainger plc, where she has worked since 2008. When Vicki saw that Riverside was keen to recruit trustees with an expertise on building related matters, it sparked her interest in being part of Riverside. Vicki joined as a trustee in March 2024 as she is committed to improving community health. She is keen to use her property related background to benefit Riverside and support the important contribution Carnegie Building makes to community life in the West End of Newcastle.