Our Trustees

Patrick Wisheu is a solicitor at Mills & Reeve who specialises in construction, energy and engineering disputes. He holds a degree in Law from the University of Birmingham and a degree in Anthropology and Classics from the University of Alberta in Canada. He was a founding member and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ network at Mills & Reeve for over 8 years and previously volunteered for Camp Fyrefly a LGBTQ+ youth summer camp in Edmonton, Alberta and as a peer mentor at Birmingham LGBT.

Sam Lewis is a Civil Servant at HM Government working on Communities and Social Cohesion, he is also the County Commissioner for St John Ambulance in Warwickshire and Coventry. He has worked with young people in various child protection and investigative roles prior to this.

Lesley Eastwood (Vice-Chair) has worked at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust for over 20 years and is currently an Operations Manager. She co-chairs UHBeProud, the Trust’s staff LGBT+ network, and also serves as a panel member for Birmingham Pride Community Fund. Lesley first became involved with Birmingham LGBT as a volunteer in 2016. She later supported Shout events before becoming a Trustee at Birmingham LGBT in 2025.

Trevor Ivory is a real estate planning solicitor and has been a partner at DLA Piper since 2015. He was the firm’s Birmingham Managing Partner from 2019 – 2022. Alongside his professional career, he has held several voluntary roles, including being a district councillor (2011-2015) and a non-exec board member of Victory Housing Trust (2011-2012). More recently he was a board member of the West Midlands Growth Company India Partnership (2020-2023). He is currently a member of the Midlands Steering Group of the UK Apartment Association and also serves on the Fundraising Committee for the Birmingham Rep Theatre.

Dr. Steve Ball (Chair) was the founding Chair of Birmingham Pride Community Trust, now known as Birmingham LGBT. He was Artistic Director of The Play House  (1986-2000); Head of Arts for Birmingham City Council (2001-2003); Associate Director at the Birmingham REP (2003-2021) and Director of Birmingham Arts School (2022-2024).  Steve also chairs the Birmingham Pride Community Foundation and the For/With/By European Youth Theatre network. He is Secretary of the Sir Barry Jackson Trust and a Director of Southside Business Improvement District.

Simon Hale (Treasurer) is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and is currently Head of Finance at Sanctuary Supported Living in Worcester, He was previously Senior Finance Manager there, and, before that, Senior Finance Manager at Sanctuary Care North and Scotland.

Stephen spent 12 years in various operational roles in the hospitality sector, then ran a work-based learning organisation delivering NVQ training and development and apprenticeships in the hospitality sector in Birmingham during a period of rapid expansion. In 2011, he began work as a freelance consultant and worked with many partners old and new. A lot of his time was spent working with Sandwell College of FE to develop programmes for unemployed people. Now he delivers online Level Three management training and carries out educational and training quality activities. Stephen lives in Halesowen and loves travelling and enjoying life with his husband. He sees his work as a trustee as a way of making a contributing and giving back to our colourful and diverse community.

Kavan McDaid graduated from Birmingham Newman University in 2022 with a MSc in Social Psychological Research, following a BSc in Psychology and Counselling in 2019. He was the full-time Student Groups Co-Ordinator at the University of Birmingham (2019-2020) and now works as an Administration Officer at the Office of the Public Guardian.

Mat Lovell is Midlands Marketing Lead at Arup, and was previously Marketing Manager at Millenium Point, Birmingham, and Communications Executive at the Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District. Mat graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a BA in English with Creative Writing and is also Esports Editor at Geeky Brummie and a member of the Advisory Board at TEDx at Aston University.

Dee Wallis is a retired professional engineer who worked in construction and engineering in the power generation industry in the UK and overseas for over 30 years. They have since taken on a range of voluntary roles in the health and social sectors. Dee is non-binary transgender and is actively involved in improving the visibility of trans+ people, growing networking and support, and running social events for trans and non-binary people. Dee is a committee member of the Alliance Network and of Trans Pride Birmingham. They read Engineering at Cambridge University, graduating in 1980.