The board is drawn from Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester and is there to represent the views of the members.
The Board
Andy Bell -Chief Executive
Andy has been Treasurer of the Credit Union since shortly after it first started trading in 1995. Before joining Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service in 1981, Andy worked in the then very young computer industry originally on large mainframe computers before going on to write software for organisations as diverse as the NHS and a plant hire company.
Andy retired in 2010 and now works part-time in the credit union office and may well be a voice on the end of the phone if you call.
Andy recently moved home to North Wales, where he works for the North Wales Wildlife Trust and volunteers for the Llyn Brenig Osprey Project
His other interests are photography, and walking.
Ann Fisher – Office Manager
Ann joined the Credit Union and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service in January 2000 as a Credit Union Assistant and was promoted to Manager three years later.
Prior to working for the Fire Service she spent most of her working life with Staffordshire Police in an administration capacity.
Her interests are Badminton, Table Tennis, Walking, Reading and watching sport in general.
Lisa Downs – Treasurer
Lisa, joined us in January 2016 as a Credit Union Assistant. She was previously employed by the NHS Physiotherapy Department for over 21 years before deciding she needed a new challenge.
Lisa enjoys spending time away in her caravan in Wales with her family and dogs. She also likes to relax by reading and baking cakes when time with a large family and animals allows!
Christina Slater- Credit Union Assistant.
Christina is our newest staff member joining us in July 2024.
A very busy lady who in between working for the credit union and looking after her young son also helps run the family farm and farm shop deep in the Cheshire countryside.
Alan Anderson – Board Member
Alan retired from Greater Manchester Fire Service in 2010 having completed 31 years’ service. He started his fire-fighting career at Lambeth, London and transferred to Manchester after 5 years. Whilst working at Manchester Fire Service he became involved with the Fire Brigade Union and held positions such as Brigade Health and Safety Rep, Membership Secretary and Brigade Chair.
It was during this time that he helped introduce Flamesavers Credit Union to Greater Manchester. He has many other interests such as Politics, Sport, Food and Travel. He enjoys having a debate over a pint of beer. He is also heavily involved with a charity named ‘Community Heart’ that does a lot of work in South Africa.
Gareth Roberts – Board Member
After leaving school Gareth worked as a clerk/cashier for Midland Bank Ltd in several branches in Wales. He joined Cheshire Fire Brigade in 1979, working as a firefighter at Crewe Fire Station for over 30 years. He became a Board member in 2001 when Cheshire joined forces with Staffordshire’s Credit Union.
Gareth works as a cycle instructor these days, delivering Bikeability (cycle proficiency) in schools throughout Cheshire and Staffordshire. His interests include: walking, swimming, football and cycling.
Dave Williams – Board Member
Dave joined Cheshire Fire Brigade in 1979 and worked at Crewe Fire Station for 25 years as a firefighter on white watch, then as a leading firefighter on red watch. He is the serving FBU Brigade Secretary in Cheshire, a position he has held since 2000.
He joined Flamesavers Credit Union Board of Directors in 2001 when Cheshire employees became eligible to join. His main interest is football and he has played for and now manages a team in the Crewe Regional Football League for which he is a Vice-President.
Gordon Allen – Chair
Gordon was a founder member of the Credit Union and took over the Secretary’s role when it appeared that the application to the FSA might not go ahead. After the successful launch Gordon carried on as Secretary and also took on the role of Treasurer for a period, balancing the books on the kitchen table in between shifts. Thankfully software replaced manual bookkeeping shortly afterwards. He also fulfilled the role of Chair for many years and is currently serving as Vice Chair with the additional role of communications officer.
After serving with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Gordon worked in various Government Departments before retiring in 2014. His interests and hobbies include ceramics, music and a well cooled pint of guinness – or two.
