The Play House Board Members are:

Felicity Arblaster is a television news producer for BBC Midlands Today, now at the Mailbox. She joined the board in 1998 having previously worked as a Language Alive! teacher/actor for several years.

Harshad Bharakhada is married, has a young son, and lives in Sutton Coldfield. He is a Senior Manager at RSM Robson Rhodes LLP, a national firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors (a member firm of RSM International. He specialises in Forensic Services and is based in Birmingham. Harshad joined the board in October 2005 through Arts and Business Board Bank.

Steve Dunne (Chair) is the Manager of the Birmingham Hotel and Catering Academy. He has wide experience of hotel management, training and development and strategic planning. He is a member of the Institute of Personnel Development. He joined the board in 1997

Jonathan Fortnam is married with three year old children and a dog and lives in Solihull.  He is a solicitor and a partner in the local office of Pinsents, the international law firm.  Jonathan witnessed The Play House in action whilst participating in the Birmingham Common Purpose programme in 2000 and jumped at the chance of joining its Board in 2004.  His other interests include jazz music and cooking.

Joanna Morrison graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2003 and began her career in PR and communications at Marketing Birmingham. She recently moved to Experience Nottinghamshire to take up the role of Communications Manager where she is responsible for the company’s press and PR, publications, research and e-marketing functions. She specialises in destination branding and maximising major events. Joanna joined the board in 2004.

Liz Norman is a Barrister practicing from chambers in Birmingham. She was an advisor to the company through Business in the Arts and was a founder Board Member
in 1993

Jon Needham trained as a nurse in 1986 and worked as a children’s nurse specialising in teenage healthcare. In 2003 he moved into strategic delivery and commissioned several TIE projects to support staff development and enhance patient care, worked as a consultant for the WHO and as a national representative of the adolescent health forum. He now works within the Local Authority coordinating the delivery of packages of care to children with additional needs. He is married with three children and plays an active part in his local community. He joined the board in September 2008.

Celia Reeves is Community Education teacher at Anderton Park Primary School and has worked in Balsall Heath for over twenty years. She has been associated with Language Alive! since 1986 as a member of the advisory panel and was a founder board member in 1993.

Sian Roberts is Director of the Connecting Histories Project, Birmingham City Archives.