Board and Executive Team
Action’s Board are responsible for the governance and strategy of the Charity. They have a number of key responsibilities, particularly safeguarding our long term future, and ensuring that our resources are put to the best possible use.
From time to time, Action will seek to add to its Board. If this might be of interest to you, please e-mail us for further information at info@actionorg.uk
Meet our executive team
Neil Fish
CEO
Experienced in organisations ranging from Global Logistics and the voluntary sector to FMCG industry. After leaving the Army I started a career with British Coal, progressing to Contracts Manager. After privatisation I transferred to Iron Mountain Logistics and was appointed as a national Contracts Manager dealing directly with the DTI and responsible for a multi-million-pound contract.
Since that time my career has been varied but the common theme has been that of restructuring, redefining and making organisations both successful and profitable.
The organisations have included a regional not for profit Training Company where I was the General Manager and Head of Training, an international FMCG company where I was again the General Manager, and for my last role I joined a regional fresh produce organisation in a temporary position, however this became permanent when I was asked to manage the Sheffield operation.
In my spare time I like to watch motorcycle racing, Rugby League and the occasional football match.
Paul Baylis
Chairman
After 30 years of working within the Further Education sector, I now run my own educational consultancy company and am currently working as an Education Advisor for the Department For Education as well as continuing to undertake moderation and examination work for Edexcel.
I have always been a keen sports player and am happy, in my advanced years, that I am still able to play football every week and recently competed in a football tournament at the European Masters Games in Finland.
I am an active grandparent to three young grandchildren and enjoy music and, as a season ticket holder, supporting my local football team the mighty Nottingham Forest.
Shaun Watson
Vice-Chairman
I have over 40 years of experience working within the Local Authorities, mainly within Children’s Services.
My first experience was helping in a local Leeds youth club which gave me the insight to continue at a later stage of my career in a full-time capacity.
My first employer was the CEGB where I served my apprenticeship as an electrician. When I completed that programme I moved to America where I was an engineering technician for the City of Los Angeles at the LA Coliseum for a number years.
On returning to the UK in 1994, I began my career with the Youth Service where I held a number of roles including responsibility for the provision of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme to all schools in the Leeds area. My employer sent me to university, where I completed a degree in Youth & Community Work (BA Hons).
I have always been a passionate trade unionist and held many local and national roles, my last before retirement in 2025 was as full time convenor at Leeds City Council representing UNITE members.
Since retiring, I have lectured on Youth Work at Leeds Becket University.
Stuart Otten
Trustee
Stuart has almost three Decades of experience as a senior leader in social work, pastoral care, and charitable sector settings.
An accomplished author, Stuart is passionate about sharing his own lived experience of criminality as a young man. He combines this with his experiences of how focusing on supporting others, and how this has led to finding sustained life change for himself and thousands of others.
Stuart’s experience and expertise in designing and managing multiple projects and contracted services using Public health, trauma-informed and Restorative Justice approaches have gained national recognition and on August 24, Stuart launched his own training and consultancy organisation to further expand and collaborate on this work.
Philip Antony Taylor
Trustee
Phil Taylor has over 20 years’ experience running local authority housing and homelessness services. His projects in ending rough sleeping and improving youth housing services received national recognition as areas of best practice and he has led a number of strategic partnerships across the country in tackling homelessness. Phil believes strong partnerships and good communication are the key to ending homelessness.
Hilary Claire Frazer
Trustee
An international Organisation Development Director with extensive experience in transformation programmes and complex change projects. Providing the platform for c 20 years’ experience in Board positions and senior-level roles for international companies and non-profit organisations focusing on Life Sciences.
Bringing qualifications from top-tier and standard-setting institutions with a depth of expertise in Human Resources, Internal Auditing and Business Finance Adept at identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting individual, team, and organisational performance. Practised in partnership with executives and high-profile stakeholders to deliver economies, increase efficiency, and improve effectiveness.