Meet our Trustees

Appointed 2025

Sarah has a long-standing background in healthcare. After completing a physiology degree at King’s College London, she trained as a Clinical Embryologist and went on to work in IVF clinics across the UK, Australia, South Africa and Egypt.

In 2013, Sarah and her husband, also an Embryologist, co‑founded a fertility service in Chelmsford. Together they built a successful stand‑alone IVF centre, employing more than 40 staff and supporting hundreds of people to become parents. Before joining the Farleigh Hospice Board, Sarah also served as a governor at an Essex primary school.

Sarah brings experience in finance, clinical governance, marketing, people management, regulation and patient care. She is keen to use her skills to support the senior leadership team and the Board, ensuring the hospice continues to deliver high‑quality care for the local community while generating the income needed to sustain its services.

Sarah has also experienced the hospice’s support first-hand. For the past four years, she has been an active fundraiser, helping to organise two Farleigh Hospice Spring Balls at Braxted Park.

Outside of work, Sarah is busy with her three children and enjoys travelling, keeping fit and playing golf.

John retired from Financial Services in 2022 after a 38‑year career spanning Commercial Banking, Investment Banking and Asset Management. Over the course of his career, he held roles in financial analysis, operations management, risk management and regulatory controls, giving him a broad and well‑rounded understanding of the financial sector.

Following his retirement, John chose to apply his skills to charitable work. Motivated by personal experiences of the value of palliative care within his own family, he began volunteering at Farleigh’s Inpatient Unit in August 2022. His introduction to the hospice came through his wife, who volunteers in the bereavement counselling service. John joined the Board of Trustees in November 2023.

His first‑hand experience of the support provided to his sisters and parents has shaped his commitment to Farleigh’s mission. It has given him a deep appreciation of the importance of dignified, compassionate care for people living with life‑limiting illnesses, and continues to drive his involvement with the charity.

John and his wife have three children, a grandson, and a large extended family in both the UK and the US. They have lived in Essex since 1999.

Appointed 2019

Donald has worked in the NHS for more than 45 years. After training at Glasgow Medical School, he practised as a GP both in the UK and overseas, including roles in Tonga in the South Pacific and in New Zealand. He also spent time working in local hospices, strengthening his interest in palliative and end‑of‑life care.

Over the past 15 years, Donald has become increasingly involved in the commissioning and management of healthcare services in Essex. For the last decade, he has held Board‑level positions across PCGs, PCTs and CCGs. He currently serves as Medical Director within the Acute Commissioning team of the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.

Donald was motivated to become a Farleigh Hospice Trustee through his long‑standing interest in palliative care and his experience supporting people with life‑limiting illnesses in Primary Care. His commitment is also shaped by personal experience, having lost his first wife 33 years ago.

As a trustee, Donald is passionate about ensuring the Board creates the conditions for staff and volunteers to excel in their roles, enabling the delivery of expert, compassionate care to every patient.

Outside of work, Donald enjoys reading, birdwatching, walking and cycling. He is also a keen fisherman and loves spending time out on the water in his small boat.

Appointed 2020

Caroline is the Chief Executive of Parkinson’s UK. Prior to this, she spent many years working at board level within the NHS, both nationally and locally in Essex. She is also President of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and serves as a Senior Independent Board Member for Active Essex.

Caroline was motivated to become a Farleigh Hospice Trustee through her long‑standing familiarity with the charity and its work supporting local people affected by life‑limiting illnesses and their carers. Her experience leading a national charity gives her a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the voluntary sector, and she is committed to using her skills to support Farleigh in achieving its purpose. Caroline is proud to be part of a Board focused on shaping the future of end‑of‑life care for the people of mid Essex.

Outside of work, Caroline is a keen parkrunner and can often be found taking part on Saturday mornings at Central Park in Chelmsford.

Appointed 2022

Mark has extensive membership and marketing experience gained through senior roles across a range of membership and charitable organisations. Since 2012, he has worked for the Royal Society of Biology, where he is a Director responsible for membership, regional activity, events and facilities. He also leads a dedicated team that provides member administration services to several external organisations.

Mark was inspired to become a Farleigh Hospice Trustee through his desire to give back to a charity from which he has personally benefited. He wanted to play a role in ensuring that an important organisation like Farleigh is well governed so that it can continue delivering its vital services for the greatest possible benefit to the community.

Mark has lived in Chelmsford since 1995, following his graduation from Anglia Polytechnic University (as it was then known). He is a keen rugby fan, particularly of the Welsh national team, and enjoys watching a wide range of sports. He is also a regular visitor to the Algarve in Portugal and is currently learning Portuguese.

Appointed 2023

Chris is an experienced finance professional with almost 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. After graduating from Loughborough University, he qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst and Young in 2009. He is currently an Executive Director at Coutts and Co, focusing on corporate finance and private equity investments. Before joining the Farleigh Hospice Board, he served as a governor at a leading Essex primary school.

Having directly experienced the care and support provided by Farleigh Hospice, Chris was passionate about becoming a trustee to support the charity and help make a difference to families across the mid Essex community.

As a chartered accountant, Chris brings a broad range of skills and experience to the Board, including financial scrutiny, governance and risk management. His previous experience as a school governor has also given him valuable insight into effective governance and the support required by senior leadership teams within charitable organisations.

For Chris, the most important aspect of being a trustee is ensuring that Farleigh continues to provide patients and their families with excellent palliative, end of life and bereavement care when they need it.

Chris is married with two children. He is a keen sportsman and, when not watching his children play sport, he enjoys playing football, running and skiing. He also loves travelling and spending time with friends and family.

Nina is a Sales Manager at a SaaS company specialising in Augmented Reality. She studied Medical Science at the University of Exeter and has a strong interest in the care and quality of life that Farleigh Hospice provides.

Born in Chelmsford, Nina has lived in the city for most of her life and has been involved with a number of local organisations. In her spare time, she enjoys walking and travelling, and she is currently learning to speak Arabic.

Appointed 2023

Julie has been Group Reward Director within the People and Performance team at Associated British Foods plc for the past ten years, having previously held a similar role at Britvic plc.

She began her career in both tax and HR consultancy, before spending six years teaching English as a foreign language in Malaysia, where her children were born.

Julie lives in Chelmsford and, in her spare time, enjoys walking her four dogs, travelling and spending time with friends and family.

Appointed December 2025

Simon is a strategic leader with extensive experience across the healthcare, construction and public sectors. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University and an MBA from the Open University Business School.

He is currently Regional Director for Community Health Partnerships, where he specialises in property development, investment and estates management within the NHS.

Simon is based in Chelmsford and, in his spare time, is a keen long‑distance runner, cyclist and snowboarder. He also values spending time with his family and friends.

Charlotte has built her career at John Lewis over the past 11 years, progressing from an apprentice to becoming part of the leadership team at the Peter Jones branch in London’s Sloane Square.

Throughout her time with the organisation, she has gained experience in marketing, people development, compliance and end‑to‑end retail performance.

Following significant life events, Charlotte was keen to learn more about Farleigh Hospice and explore how she could support the work the charity provides. This motivated her to become a trustee and contribute to the organisation’s future.

Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys spending time with her family and walking her dog. She also loves travelling and trying new restaurants with her husband and friends.