Chris was born in York and has lived in North Yorkshire all his life. His early career included roofing and taxi driving, but it was while running a specialist transport company that his journey into social care truly began. His firm became the largest provider of special needs transport in York, supporting children, older adults and people with disabilities to access day services safely.

After six years building and running that company, Chris passed it on to trusted colleagues and made a life-changing decision with his partner Ruth. They moved their young family to Malton, looking for a quieter pace — but ended up starting a charity that would grow to change many lives. Ruth, who had been a service manager supporting older adults with learning disabilities, left her role to help build what would become Acorn Community Care.

What started with fundraising soon grew into something much bigger. Today, Chris leads a service supporting adults across Ryedale with learning and physical disabilities — offering day opportunities, supported living, and real community connection through life on the farm.

What does Chris love most about Acorn?
“Everything,” he says — without hesitation. Seeing people happy, safe, confident and doing things they once thought impossible never gets old. He’s proud of the people they support, who show daily strength and resilience, and of the staff team — a group he describes as loyal, welcoming and completely committed.

Chris believes that the success of Acorn lies not just in its frontline delivery, but in the quiet, steady strength of its management team. They’ve built a culture where recruitment is personal and thorough — where people are chosen for their values, not just their CVs — and where everyone is held to the highest standards, because that’s what people deserve.

Chris leads with clarity, purpose and heart. And he still gets emotional when he sees just how far Acorn has come — and how bright the future looks