Trustees

Chair | Bernie Yaffe

Bernie was born in Manchester and has been happily married to Cheryl for 41 years. They are proud parents to two daughters: Ilana, who is married to Ben and has two children, Mason and Blake, and Georgina, who is married to Jemaine.

Bernie received his education in Manchester before attending Middlesex University, where he studied Accounting and Finance. After graduating, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and began a distinguished 28-year career with the Kellogg Company, a leader in breakfast cereals.

Throughout his career, Bernie held a variety of roles, ultimately rising to Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, serving on the European Board. Before retiring early in 2009, he played a key role in relocating Kellogg’s European operations to Dublin, where he lived for the final five years of his career. Earlier, he also spent a couple of years in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Since 2009, Bernie has embraced several non-executive positions and consulting assignments while actively engaging in numerous charitable endeavours within the community.

In 2010, he joined the Board of Heathlands Village prior to its merger with The Fed, subsequently becoming the Honorary Treasurer of the newly established Federation of Jewish Services. In November 2018, he was appointed Chair of The Fed, where he also serves on the Jewish Leadership Council. Following a reorganization in 2022, Bernie also became Treasurer and Vice Chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Regions.

In 2014, Bernie co-founded North-West Friends of Israel and currently serves on their Steering Group as Treasurer. He is also the Chairman of the Kellogg’s Great Britain Pension Fund and previously served for ten years as a non-executive director of Regatta Ltd.

In his spare time, Bernie enjoys a longstanding love for Israel and is a passionate advocate. His other interests include running, reading, following Manchester United, collecting 1960s vinyl soul music, and enjoying his sometime- role as DJ with the Tel Aviv Soul Club.

Vice Chair | Julie Besbrode

Julie joined The Fed’s Board of Trustees in 2016 and has been a keen supporter of the organisation for many years. She sits on both the Fundraising and My Voice sub-committees.

Julie has worked in the creative services industry for over 30 years, co-founding a multi award winning live events agency The Fresh Group, and film content company, MillK. She offers a wealth of communications experience gained from working with international organisations and brands across a wide range of industry sectors. Alongside her work with The Fed, Julie is also a trustee for The Growth Project (bringing together leaders from profit and non-profit sectors). Outside of her trustee roles, Julie is also actively involved in activities across the Greater Manchester Jewish community. She has been a producer of Junior Stage 80 amateur dramatic group for 13 years and volunteers as a content producer for the annual Yom Hashoah commemoration in Manchester.

Treasurer | Howard Joseph

After a career helping build businesses in the software sector, Howard is now Non-Exec Chair of Datalaw, a legal technology business. With time to pursue other activities, and having lived almost his entire life in Manchester, he has long known The Fed and Heathlands and the essential services they provide. He could think of no better organisation for putting some of his experience to good use. As a Trustee, Treasurer, and MyVoice committee member, he works with a great team of people as they steer the organisation through the most challenging times in its history. He has also been a long-standing volunteer for CST.

With his wife Deborah, a retired GP who also volunteers for The Fed, and their two dogs, Howard lives in the Lake District and makes the most of this beautiful area by running, walking, cycling, and generally being outdoors and keeping fit. They spend time most weeks in Manchester, at The Fed, visiting family, and helping look after their new grandchild.

Rebecca Weinberg

After qualifying as a teacher Rebecca worked in the statutory sector as an Education Welfare Officer and Youth Worker in inner city areas. Passionate about high quality health and social car, she moved to the voluntary sector and was totally inspired by the work being done by ordinary people making such an extraordinary difference in improving the lives of others.

Having worked at Director level with Health and Social Care charities in her home city of Manchester, Rebecca was appointed CEO of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board; a post in which she remained until her retirement. In her 41 years in the not-for-profit world she has developed expertise in mental health, further education for people with special needs, learning disabilities, children and families, older peoples’ services, management and leadership and community development. Rebecca is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

In a voluntary capacity, Rebecca has been a Trustee, and Chair, of several organisations in both Manchester and West Yorkshire. Most recently she was Chair of St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds. She still mentors new CEOs and Chairs of other voluntary organisations and has been a Magistrate for 35 years. She became a Fed volunteer on her return to Manchester from Leeds, working on The Fed’s My Voice project and sitting on the My Voice and Quality Assurance sub committees. Hugely impressed by the organisation, she feels delighted to be able to use her experience to contribute to the work of The Fed as a member of the Board.

Dr Saul Becker

Professor Saul Becker is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Education and Professor of Children and Families at Manchester Metropolitan University. Formerly, he was Professor of Social Care Research and Education Practice at Cambridge University; Provost of the University of Sussex; and Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences at Birmingham University. He has held professorial posts at Cambridge, Sussex, Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough universities in the UK before coming to Manchester in May 2022 to establish a new Institute for Children’s Futures.

Saul is regarded as the world leader for young carers’ research, policy and practice having pioneered this field and worked with children and young adults with caring responsibilities for 30 years. He has been awarded 56 research awards as Principal Investigator from multiple sources. He has 570 publications and invited keynote conference papers, including 18 books, and advises governments, policy makers and practitioners around the world on family carers issues, especially young carers. Alongside his MMU role, he is Ambassador for Carers Trust; a Registered Social Worker, and Community Organiser. He and his work have featured in 10 television documentaries. Saul was a young carer in his childhood.

Saul was named by Universities UK as one of the ‘Nation’s Lifesavers’ – “100 individuals or groups based in universities whose work is making a life-changing difference”.

Racquelle Vallance

Racquelle is a retired solicitor who worked in private law practice for thirty years, specialising in insurance, healthcare, and social care. She was an equity partner and represented the practice’s Manchester office on its management board. She led a large team of lawyers advising healthcare organisations, professionals, and social care organisations. She first became involved with the Fed whilst practising law and volunteered on the Quality Audit committee.

Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Laws, Law Society Final Examination, and Master of Laws (Distinction).

Her interests are trying to keep fit, yoga, walking in the Lake District, travel, reading, and culture.

Rachel Davies

Debbie Hamburger

Debbie was born in Birmingham and came to Manchester as a student. She loved the city, and married a local boy!

Debbie started as a generic social worker, then specialised with children in Child Guidance clinics.

She has worked in Broadcasting support, following distressing programmes, run a Medical Accident Counselling service, sat on a GP performance panel, and worked on Ethics committees for both assisted conception, and research in the NHS.

Debbie also worked for the NHS as a mediator in Primary Care.

David Eventhall

David is married to Julia, and they have one daughter, Emily.

David is the Chairman of Tellar Holdings Employee Ownership Trust Trustees Ltd. The company, based in Burnley, employs 85 people and is known for inventing and manufacturing the Bar Be Quick Instant BBQ, a beloved and inexpensive staple of the British summer for 38 years. The product uses sustainably sourced, fairly traded charcoal from Southern Africa and is made with fully recyclable components.

David has previously served as Vice Chairman Trustee at The Fed, the largest Jewish social care charity in Manchester, which includes a residential village for older people. He is also a Trustee of the Eventhall Family Charitable Trust, established in 1992, which donates to both Jewish and non-Jewish charities, primarily in the UK.

In his leisure time, David enjoys motor cars, motor boats, and music. He plays the drums, ukulele, and piano, albeit to a low standard.

Michael Sciama

Michael Ernest Sciama holds a 2:1 degree in Management Sciences from UMIST and is an ACA-qualified accountant. He worked as an accountant from 1979 to 1987 before joining the family textile business in 1988, where he continues to work to this day.

Michael has also been actively involved in the Dunham Forest Golf Club, serving as Captain, President, and Treasurer. Additionally, he has been a Trustee of the Fed since 1990, including roles as Chairman and Treasurer.