WHAT I’M CALLED: David Cryer.

MY AGE: Not too old to be able to take on one more challenging job before I retire.

What I do: Lots of things. My paid job is as head of retail for Helen & Douglas House. It is a fantastic charity and it has been a privilege to work for an organisation that makes such a difference to the lives of the young people and their families that it supports. I also undertake a number of voluntary roles. One of them is directly related to my day job – I am chair of the Charity Retail Association, which is the trade body that looks after the interests of all charity shops in the UK. My other voluntary roles are more local. I am the chair of governors at Uffington Primary School, which has been quite a stressful job recently, as we have been recruiting for a new headteacher and have just had an Ofsted inspection. I am also a trustee of Cogges Manor Farm in Witney.

Where I live: Faringdon. It has some great things going for it. The Folly tower has just won the award for culture and environment for market towns in the South of England. However, from a retailing perspective, the town centre shopping is poor and it is not going to improve soon, with the forthcoming arrival of an edge-of-town Tesco.

Who I love: My family and particularly my two young children, Daniel and Helen.

l Happiest Year: 1982 – I had just finished my studies at university and was taking a sabbatical year running the students’ union, before entering the real world.

Darkest moment: Also in 1982 – a close family member suffered from depression and ended up taking their own life.

Proudest boast: To have invented the Simply Foods concept for Marks & Spencer and to have opened 35 shops for Helen & Douglas House.

Worst weakness: How long have you got?

Lessons learned: If at first you don’t succeed, then parachuting is probably not the hobby for you.

Dullest job: As a child we lived on the edge of a golf course and every summer I went around repairing the thousands of divot holes.

Greatest shame: That I didn’t start to work in the charity sector earlier.

Lifelong hero: Sister Frances Dominica, the founder of Helen & Douglas House – she is a truly inspirational woman (I really wanted to say my mother-in-law, because I need the brownie points).

Oldest friend: My brother.

Favourite dream: Any that ends with me waking up and looking forward to going into work that day – I realise how lucky I have been to always have had a job that I really enjoy (apart from the golf course one, of course.) Biggest regret: Not really a regret, more a difficult decision. I have recently decided that now is the time to move on from the wonderful organisation that is Helen & Douglas House. I will shortly be performing a similar role for Shelter, an equally worthwhile charity, where I hope I can make a difference.