Meet The Team

Trustees

Sara Davey

Sara is Chair of the Board of Trustees and has been working in education for nearly forty years. Sara started teaching in the Midlands and moved to Cornwall twenty years ago to become a Headteacher of a Secondary school in Penzance. She has continued working in education in a voluntary capacity and is a Trustee of two different secondary schools and a Member of the Board for a West Cornwall Multi Academy Trust. Sara is strongly committed to social justice and equality issues and believes that the work undertaken by Treyla over the years has been a beacon of excellence in Cornwall.

Marc Farmer

Marc is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience in various roles, both in industry and practice and is currently a partner in a Top 10 Accountancy Practice. Having spent 7 years as a Trustee of a children’s charity during his time in Kent, he is delighted to be able to bring his knowledge, experience and passion to Trelya.

Marc lives with his partner Jackie and their two border collies, who all love exploring the beautiful countryside and beaches of Cornwall.

Gilly Gallagher

Gilly is a former estate agent who currently divides her time between London and Penzance. Gilly brings event management skills to the board, as she is highly experienced at coordinating fundraising events for the Worshipful Company of Pewterers and other organisations she supports. Gilly joined the Trustees as she thinks Trelya was such a brilliant, well run, small charity, with committed people doing such a great job.

Cornelius Olivier

Cornelius Olivier is Trelyas company secretary and was a Labour Cornwall Councillor for Penzance Central May 2013 – May 2021. He also stood as Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for St. Ives in the 2015 General Election. He now works for the Humans Project at Disability Cornwall enabling hospital discharges and supporting vulnerable people to thrive in the community.

Graham Smith

Graham Smith is a retired solicitor having spent over 35 years in private practice in the City. He now splits his time between London and his house in Rosudgeon. Graham has been a charity trustee for over 20 years and brings business, legal and governance skills to the Board.

He likes golf and cycling and is a passionate rugby fan.

Dr Barbara Vann

Barbara joined the Trelya Board in March 2025. Over a 23 year period she was a Headteacher of two Secondary Schools (one in Cornwall) and has Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. For almost 10 years she was a member of the Board and Chair of the National Council of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society and an Executive of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Management (CCEAM).

In 2018, Barbara was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Exeter for services to children’s mental health.