Trustees' Profiles

Carers UK is governed by a Board of Trustees, with varied backgrounds and experiences. It is written into our constitution that Carers UK is led by carers, so the majority of Trustees must have caring experience. Carers and former carers who want to become Trustees are voted onto the board by our members in elections held at our Annual General Meeting. Some Trustees are 'co-opted' onto the board. This means they are invited by the Trustees to join the board as they have particular skills and talents that will help the organisation.

List of Trustees 2009-2010

Chair

Don's son Sam was born with Down’s Syndrome and is cared for by Don and his wife. Sam is one of the couple's three grown up children. Over the year's Don and his family have fought many battles to ensure the best support for Sam and know first hand the frustrations facing carers.

Don also brings to Carers UK the benefits of a long and successful career in government with unique experience and insights into how government works.  As a civil servant in the Department for Work and Pensions Don's directorate covered disability rights and policy, and delivery of the key disability and carers benefits – Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. Don has recently retired from his job as Director of Motability.

Raymond Brookfield has been a carer for the last 15 years.  Firstly for his late wife, who suffered Reflex Symathetic Dystrovy and was unable to continue her work as a school dinner lady and a bell ringer at her local church.  Sadly she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and the treatment was not successful.  He is currently caring for her mother who is 98 years old. 

With his knowledge derived over many years of caring Raymond joined his local Pensioners Forum and became secretary. He represents the Pensioners Forum on the West Lancashire Older Peoples Partnership Board. He is concerned about Carers Allowance and the amount of people being missed by the benefit system.

Chair of Carers Northern Ireland.

Having been a carer for sixteen years, Margaret has great empathy with carers issues.  In 2005 she retired as Development Manager of Banbridge & Craigavon area Carers’ Support Group, where she was in contact with over 300 carers, which gave her an overall view of the interests and needs of carers.  During this time Margaret gained valuable experience, leading group discussions, organising and taking part in committee meetings and speaking to different groups on carers’ issues.  Margaret is currently a non-Executive Director of the Southern Health and Social Services Board where she has lead responsibility for carers’ issues.

Sue Dawkins MBE has been a member of Carers UK since 1989, and Chair of her local Branch since 1999.  She has also run a weekly Carers Support Group for 18 years, and was a carer for her husband for several years during various illnesses and surgery. Sue's Carers UK branch hold regular social evenings and fundraising events to support carers in financial need, from respite breaks to new washing machines, or young carers enjoying a Playzone session.

Sue was awarded an MBE for services to carers in 2003. She says, "I want the Government to recognise the dedication of all carers by awarding them all Carer's Allowance and providing more respite breaks suitable for all individuals."

Maryann Finnegan has been a carer for 11 years since her Mum suffered a brain haemorrhage and loss of oxygen after an operation. It left her unable to do anything for herself and needing 24 hour care.

Maryann feels passionately about highlighting the issue of caring.  She says that these are private issues that need to be aired because it can be difficult getting support and that just makes caring more complicated. In February 2006 she appeared in an ITV report ‘Who Cares?’ to highlight what carers do on a daily basis. She also appeared in several national newspaper articles on health issues faced by carers. She is an active member of Carers UK's website forum where she is part of an online community of carers that offer help and support to other carers.

Sharon was a carer for 18 years. From the age of 18 she cared for her severely disabled mother alone and without help. Sharon’s membership of various carers’ associations started over 30 years ago.

Sharon is currently employed by the Stroke Association where she remains closely involved with carers’ issues through her work across the south east of England. In 2001, Sharon walked alone from Brighton to Cape Wrath (1,080 miles) to raise funds and awareness for Carers UK. In 2004 she was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship which took her to Canada and the USA in order to work with people suffering impaired communication after stroke and to meet with carers’ groups.

Caring has been a huge part of Sharon’s life and continues to be so.  Her own experience gives her a clear view of what is really needed and the passion to stand up and speak for those who are too often forgotten - carers.

Kate Griffiths was elected to the board in 2009. She cares for her father and has worked in local government developing services for carers.

Jeff Hayes was co-opted onto the board in 2006 to bring his expertise to the fundraising and finance part of Carers UK. Jeff has 36 years of investment experience in the finance industry.

Michael is a co-opted member of the trustees and brings a wealth of experience as an academic researcher into disability and caring. He works in the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, where much of his work is about evaluating the true costs of disability and caring. His work has highlighted the effects disability and caring has on people's health, employment and financial security.

Michael hopes his work makes a difference to carers by influencing policy and decision makers - informing planning, resource allocation and service agreements, as well as giving guidance on best practice.

Treasurer

Ian Peters was co-opted to the Board in 2004. He brings with him over 20 years experience in a variety of business and financial operations. He is currently Director, Business Development of British Gas and before that he was Managing Director of Goldfish Bank where he led the financial turnaround and eventual sale to Lloyds TSB.  As treasurer Ian brings his considerable business know-how and financial management skills to Carers UK's budgets.

Nick sits on the board as one of the co-opted trustees and he is a commercial barrister. He was born in Blandford Forum, Dorset and read English at Bristol University. After a brief period as a teacher and tutor in English, Nick joined the bar and has specialised in commercial litigation.

His involvement with Carers UK started in 2003 when he answered an advertisement in the Bar in the Community newsletter. Nick lives in Islington, together with his partner and their son, James.

Alex Robinson is a law student and a full time carer for his fiance Sarah who has Cystic Fibrosis. Alex became Sarah's carer in September 2007 when they moved in together. Since moving in Alex has completed medical training on Cystic Fibrosis so that he can provide Sarah with round the clock care without the need for Sarah to be in hospital.

Alex was claiming Carer's Allowance but lost this as soon as he became a student due to the 21 hour study rule. He has since campaigned for a change in the law. As well as being an active campaigner Alex and Sarah have also done media work for Carers UK highlighting that caring is an issue that affects all ages. Alex is a member of Socialist Labour Party and has recently proposed a motion for carers which was approved at the last congress.

Alex believes that the social security system for carers is completely inadequate and there is a lot more that the government need to do for carers. He is the youngest ever Trustee of Carers UK.

Anne-Marie was co-opted to the Board in 2009 and brings a wealth of experience as a senior professional in the communications, personal and organisational development industries. As Head of Experience at Ogilvy Healthworld (OHW) UK - one of Europe's most successful healthcare communications agencies - Anne-Marie initiated OHW’s first charity partnership with Carers UK. An on/off carer herself, Anne-Marie feels passionately about the work of Carers UK and taking its messages to a wider audience.

Vice-Chair

Eric Stead has been his wife’s carer for around 20 years.  For the last few years he has been Chair of his local carers group in North Lancashire.  He was founder Chair of Lancashire Carers Forum, established to build bridges between carers and Lancashire Social Services and the NHS.

Eric believes that we should not rely on our own experiences, but listen carefully to other carers. We can then work in partnership with (and not against) agencies like Social Services and the NHS, passing on the needs and concerns identified by carers, and working with them to seek solutions. He feels that when campaigning for carers’ rights those relationships will make campaigning more effective.

Eric thinks that if Carers UK is to grow and thrive, all levels – nationally, branches, associate groups and individual members, must work together to seek out “hidden carers” who need support, and also make membership more attractive.

Chair of Carers Wales

Mary Trinder represents the Carers Wales Committee on the Board of Trustees. Mary cares for her husband and has represented carers on the Conwy Community Health council for the last six years.

Vice Chair

Rosemary Whitehurst has a keen interest in carers’ issues from both a personal and professional standpoint. For 9 years she has cared for her elderly mother who was severely disabled following a stroke. Her mother’s deteriorating health has meant that she is no longer able to be looked after at home and is now in a nursing home. Rosemary believes that her caring role still continues in this setting as carers strive to ensure that their relatives receive high quality care and drive to improve standards for them.

Rosemary is the vice chair of Exeter branch of Carers UK and the carers representative on the Exeter Patient and Public Involvement Forum. In her professional life Rosemary is co-ordinator of the Devon Carers Link Network.  With over 2700 members this multi-agency project seeks to get Health and Social Care Practitioners to identify and support carers. 

Lynda Wisbach has been caring for her husband for the past 15 years since a massive stroke left him totally dependent.  

Lynda discovered the hard way how difficult it is for carers to get information and the services they are entitled to. She says she wouldn't have been able to cope through this difficult time without the support of Carers UK. More recently Lynda was able to help Carers UK by getting involved with the “Back Me Up” Campaign acting a case study for the press coverage around the campaign.  

Lynda is passionate about making the public understand the plight of carers and strongly believes that carers must stand together as one voice to change policy and influence politicians.

Carers UK's Trustees at the National Carers Summit 2007
back row from left to right : Dave Burgess, Eric Stead, Isobel Anderson, Sue Dawkins, Michael Hirst, Raymond Brookfield.
front row from left to right : Rosemary Whitehurst, Maryann Finnegan, Don Brereton, Frances Wright, Sharon Flower