Our Trustees & Ambassadors

James Timpson OBE is Chief Executive of Timpson Ltd, a retail business with over 2000 shops. James is Chair of The Prison Reform Trust and a Trustee of Tate.

“At Timpson we are proud to be an official Clean Sheet employer. We fully understand the benefit that employing ex-offenders can have on your business and we know that Clean Sheet feel the same way. Being part of their employers directory means that our vacancies are viewed by a significant number of work ready candidates, who have an offending background. The overwhelming majority of these candidates are hardworking, professional individuals who just need that opportunity to put their past behind them and be given a second chance. I would highly recommend becoming a Clean Sheet employer to any business who are serious about recruiting from this group.”

Keith Fraser is a retired senior police officer with 32 years’ experience, divided between London and the West Midlands. He has managed departments, multi-million pound budgets, works in inner city and many other environments. He has extensive experience of working in partnership at a strategic and tactical level. He’s been actively engaged for many years trying to find ways to support offenders and their families out of a life affected by crime. He is currently a trustee for a number of other charities. He is also the Chair for the youth Justice board for England Wales, within the Ministry of Justice. He enjoys walking in his spare time.

“It’s a pleasure to support the work of Clean Sheet as employment is key to desist from crime.”

Iqbal Wahhab has lived in Britain for almost his whole life and in a career spanning 30 years he has built a reputation for delivering world-class excellence through his highly successful restaurant businesses, Roast and The Cinnamon Club. It was Iqbal’s early experience in the media which saw him run his own hospitality PR business and Indian food publication, Tandoori Magazine that launched his career in the restaurant industry.

In 1999, Iqbal sold out of Tandoori Magazine and created the multi-award winning Cinnamon Club in 2001 – a restaurant and bar aimed to change the way we view Indian dining. In 2003 he co-authored The Cinnamon Club Cookbook and in 2005 opened the highly renowned Roast, the British restaurant and bar in Borough Market.

Iqbal has won a number of major awards and accolades during his career. He was voted one of the Top 10 Restaurateurs in Britain in an Independent on Sunday survey and listed in the Caterer Power 100, GQ 100 Most Connected and The Sunday Times Maserati Top 100 business start-up mentors. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of East London and an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of West London.

He chairs two social enterprises – Mum’s The Chef and Bounce Back and is actively engaged in the prison reform agenda. In 2016 he wrote “Charity Sucks”, a polemic published by Biteback.

Iqbal has recently been announced as the New Chair for the National Independent Advisory Group, Action on Race Equality in the Criminal Justice System.

“Clean Sheet is a fantastic project which I’m very pleased to support as an Ambassador. Linking employers with energetic and committed people who wish to get away from their former lives and become assets in a workforce is a crucial process to slash re-offending rates.”

Ian Acheson is a 50 year old Ulsterman with a long involvement in prison security and counter terrorism from operational to command level.

In 1994 Ian joined Her Majesty’s Prison Service as a prison officer rising rapidly to Governor rank. Ian has extensive involvement in operational command of serious prison incidents, hostage negotiation and counter-terrorism policy and practice relating to the threat posed by IRA terrorists and lately the very different challenge posed by Islamist extremists in custody.

On leaving the prison service, Ian was appointed Director of the international prison charity ‘Prisoners Abroad’ supporting British citizens detained overseas. A spell as Head of Region for the Government’s Youth Justice Board in South West England led to a role in the Senior Civil Service with the Home Office as Director of Community safety with responsibility for running the UK Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST in South West England.

Ian left public service in 2016 as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the GB statutory regulator for the Equality and Human Rights Acts.

He currently works as a senior advisor to the prestigious Counter Extremism Project, a US-based international NGO that brings together worldwide expertise to combat ideologically inspired terrorism.

“As a former Governor I saw first hand the potential and desire many people in prison had to give back to society beyond the prison gates. We all knew that being given a second chance and helped into employment could transform the fortunes of offenders and, as important, prevent them from creating further victims. But nothing like Clean Sheet existed then. Now this agile organisation is on the rehabilitation front line, helping more and more offenders off that dismal conveyor belt of offending, reoffending and repeated victimisation. It’s practical, down to earth and fiercely ambitious for its clients. I’m proud to be a supporter.”