What is your motivation to become a trustee of the MND Association?
Having lost my mother to MND, I was a Joint founder, in 1992, of the Association's North West London Branch, of which I am still Treasurer. I am a former Trustee of the Association – a position I held for 15 years, for 6 years of which I was Chairman of Trustees and Chair of the Governance Committee. For 10 years, until 2010, I was the Association’s appointed Director on the Board of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. I was honoured to be awarded an MBE in 2011 “for services to the Voluntary Sector and the MND Association”. In 2018, I was elected as a Trustee for a further three year term. I am also involved with MND-related palliative care and end-of-life issues in my capacity as a Hospice Trustee
Having been connected with the Association, nationally and internationally, for over 30 years in the above capacities, and with my continuing involvement at Branch level and elsewhere in the sector, I continue to believe passionately about the organisation, its mission, objectives, governance and care and research agendas. I wish to contribute further, in any way that I can, to the achievement of the Association's vision of a “World free from MND”.
What experience and skills will you bring to your role as a trustee?
A retired director of a major UK merchant bank, with lifelong experience in financial regulation, compliance, corporate governance and risk management in the private, public and voluntary sectors. I am fully conversant with all aspects of charity governance, accounting and fundraising, and am highly active elsewhere in the sector. A Trustee and Chair of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee of a local Hospice, former Director of The Charity Bank, former Chair of a University Charitable Trust, Current Trustee of other major charities, and have recently completed a 6-year term as a Director and Chair of The Audit Committee of the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman.