Trustees
Our Board of Trustees guides the direction and management of
Parkinson's UK.
Melinda Letts (Chair)
Melinda Letts was co-opted to the Board of Trustees in 2007
and elected to the Board in 2008. She became Chair of the Board at
the 2009 AGM.
Melinda is a strategic consultant and executive coach working
with voluntary, public and private sector clients. She was chief
executive of the National Asthma Campaign (now Asthma UK) from
1992 to 1998, chaired the Long-term Conditions Alliance from
1998 to 2004, and was commissioner with CHI and its successor body,
the Healthcare Commission, from 1999 to 2004.
A member of the NHS Modernisation Board from 2000 to
2003, Melinda was a signatory to the Core Principles of the
NHS Plan in 2000 and a founding director of Ask about Medicines
from 2003 to 2009. Melinda chairs the Department of Health's
NSPF Learning Events and is a patron of the Men's Health Forum. She
was appointed OBE in 2003 for her services to the NHS Modernisation
Board.
Melinda is married with two teenage children. Her husband was
given a diagnosis of Parkinson's in 2007.
Liz Wolstenholme CBE (Vice Chair)
Liz Wolstenholme was first elected to the Board of Trustees
in 2005 and is now in her second term of office. She became hon.
secretary in September 2006 and vice chair in 2007.
Liz's professional experience spanned social services and health
at local, regional and national level including 6 years in the
Department of Health leading on policy for older people and
disability (including neurological conditions). She spent 5 years
after leaving full-time work as non-executive chair of a Primary
Care Trust. She was awarded a CBE in 1999.
Liz was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1994.
Colin Cheesman (Hon. Secretary)
Colin Cheesman was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006
and became hon. secretary in 2007.
Colin is a solicitor, and spent his working life in local
government. For 5 years prior to his retirement in 2002, he was
chief executive of Cheshire County Council, having previously
worked in Nottinghamshire and Portsmouth.
Colin was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2001. He has been the
secretary of our Chester Branch
since 2004.
Ralph Tingle (Hon. Treasurer)
Ralph Tingle was appointed to the Board of Trustees in
2007.
Ralph is a qualified accountant and has worked within the NHS
for over 20 years, initially with the Shropshire Health Authority,
then with the main acute hospital in Norwich, before taking up the
post of executive director of finance at the former Southern
Derbyshire Community Trust in 1994.
He then continued to work in Derbyshire, becoming finance
director to successor organisations following the reorganisations
that have taken place in the NHS, until he retired in Spring
2007.
Ralph comes to us with a wealth of experience in the health
sector.
Jackie Campbell (Trustee from Northern Ireland)
Jackie Campbell was elected to the Board of Trustees in
2006.
Jackie retired as an inspector of taxes after 42 years in the
Inland Revenue. For the last 14 years he has been a member of the
Inland Revenue Branch Committee of the Benenden Healthcare Society.
He was previously a member of the Committee of Management of the
Civil Service Benevolent Fund for 10 years, a National Lottery
assessor examining claims and recommending grants for worthy causes
and for 6 years chair of the Youth Council for Northern
Ireland.
He was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 'for
services to the young people of Northern Ireland', and is the
holder of the Order of the Silver Wolfhound for services to
Scouting.
Jackie's late wife, Teresa, had Parkinson's for 20 years. Jackie
was chair of our Belfast Branch for 3
years and has been membership secretary for 6 years. In his spare
time he is a stand-up comedian.
Jeremy Playfer
Jeremy Player was appointed to the Board of Trustees
in September 2007.
Jeremy trained in general medicine in Liverpool, qualifying in
1970. He then specialised in geriatric medicine and initiated many
service innovations designed to improve the care given to older
people.
He pioneered specialist Parkinson's clinics involving a
multi-disciplinary team and has researched and published widely on
Parkinson's.
Jeremy became president of the British Geriatrics Society in
2004, and though now retired from full-time consultancy, he remains
active in the field. He is married with 3 children.
Iain Young (Trustee from Scotland)
Iain
Young was elected as Trustee from Scotland in 2004, and also serves
on the Scottish Council of Parkinson's UK and the Audit
Committee.
Iain developed Parkinson's shortly after his retirement in 1998,
and was introduced to Parkinson's UK by the specialist Parkinson's
nurse in Aberdeen. He became an active member of our Aberdeen Branch shortly afterwards and is now in
his third year as branch chair. Iain is also a member of SPRING
Paul Boothman
Paul Boothman was
appointed to the Board of Trustees in September 2008.
Paul has enjoyed a successful business career, running a highly
successful branded food business. Since leaving full time
employment, Paul has acted as a 'business angel', helping develop
and market a local food company.
He is an active member of our Huntingdonshire Branch and has been its
treasurer. He now fundraises for the branch and also volunteers for
various other clubs, societies and groups in his local area.
Paul's father-in-law had Parkinson's.
Alun Morgan (Trustee from Wales)
Alun Morgan was appointed to the Board of Trustees as
Trustee from Wales in September 2008.
Alun was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1999 and has been
actively involved with Parkinson's UK since becoming a member in
2001. He is a former chair of our Younger
Parkinson's Network and chair of our Bridgend Branch
Alun was an active member of his trade union during his career
in teaching, and has been treasurer, secretary and chair for
numerous organisations. He is also a member of SPRING
Terrence Kavanagh
Terrence
Kavanagh was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2009.
He has a successful business background, spending most of his
working life in the London Stock Exchange.
Terrence has had Parkinson's for 22 years and has received
honorary life membership of Parkinson's UK.
Most of the time his symptoms are well managed, which has
enabled him to raise £55,000 for us by running 18 marathons since
diagnosis.
Mark Goodridge
Mark Goodridge was appointed to the Board of Trustees at the
2009 AGM.
- email
-
Share