WILLOW BURN - Key Persons
Andrew qualified as a solicitor in 2011 and joined Swinburne Maddison as a solicitor in the residential property team in 2019. He was promoted to Managing Associate in May 2022.
Andrew specialises in residential conveyancing and manages an extensive portfolio of cases. He deals with registered and unregistered land, leasehold properties, residential sales, purchases, remortgages, matrimonial conveyancing and transfers of equity.
Outside of work Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, has an interest in Jiu Jitsu and enjoys watching baseball.
After 20 years of experience in the private sector providing auditing and accounting services to organisations varying in size from sole traders to limited companies, Angela was keen to make a move to the charitable sector and has now been with Willow Burn for over 3 years. Recently moving up from Finance Manager to the role of Head of Finance she takes great satisfaction knowing the work that everyone does at the hospice has such a beneficial impact on the local community.
Angela is responsible for the overall management of the finance function at Willow Burn. Her role is to support the Board of Trustees, the Director and the Senior Management team by supplying them with timely and appropriate financial information and financial risk management.
Job Titles:
- Head of Clinical Services and Registered Manager
Carol is the Head of Clinical Services and registered manager for the in-patient, day care and counselling services at Willow Burn. Her role is to provide leadership and management to all clinical staff, take overall clinical responsibility of the Hospice and ensure the highest standard of palliative care is delivered to patients, families and carers.
With over 35 years of experience in nursing Carol has worked in a wide-range of clinical settings, from care homes, to community midwifery.
Born and bred in Derwentside, Willow Burn is very close to Carol's heart and she is well known in the community from her days as a community midwife.
As Director of Willow Burn Hospice, David's role is to give leadership to the teams of staff and volunteers, drive financial sustainability and be responsible for the effective operational management of the hospice and best practice throughout.
David's previous roles include senior leadership of Springboard, United Response, Disability North and Percy Hedley Foundation. He is a former Vice Chair of Voluntary Organisation Network North East (VONNE) and a current Trustee and cofounder of Difference, a north east disability rights charity.
He is a graduate of The Open University with a BSc in Social Sciences and Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA). In 2000 David was awarded an MBE for services to the employment of disabled people.
Dr Kelly is a GP working in North Durham. Originally from East London she moved to the North East to complete her GP training 2012.She works both patient facing and in medical leadership. Cindy is passionate about end of life care and the difference that good quality care can make to a patient and their families. Her medical leadership roles have developed her interest in team working, organisational development and coaching and mentoring in the workplace.
Job Titles:
- Head of People & Culture at EMG
- Trustee & Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
Ian is the Head of People & Culture at EMG and uses his extensive experience in HR to give steer Willow Burn's focus on people and what good people practices are about. His role at EMG role is about setting a clear people strategy and direction, helping people unite to share and achieve the organisation's mission and objectives whilst championing EMG Solicitors' culture and values.
Ian began his career in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management and after managing several catering contracts, took up the position of Training Manager with the Hotel and Catering Training Board delivering industry based management training programmes. He later moved to Booker Wholesale as Regional Training Manager and was soon promoted to Regional Personnel and Training Manager. Having achieved a post graduate diploma in Human Resources he moved to The Co-operative Group as Regional HR Business Partner and was promoted into a national role as HR Manager for Development and Change taking on specific projects including a major programme focussing on staff engagement. After leaving The Co-operative Group he established his own learning and development business, Turning Tides, delivering amongst other things a 16-module leadership development programme. He moved to The Percy Hedley Foundation as Head of HR and OD during which time he successfully achieved an MSc in Leadership and Change Management. After two and a half years as Head of HR for Sage Gateshead he took up his current position at EMG.
As well as being a Trustee for Willow Burn Hospice he is also the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Job Titles:
- Head of Facilities and Administration
Julie joined Willow Burn in December 2019 and is a vital part of the hospice operations. As well as managing all of the administration at the hospice, she also oversees the management of the facilities at the hospice. Julie has worked in the health and social care private sector for over 20 years in various roles and is pleased she can put her skills to use and help those that need it during a hard time in their lives.
Lesley was born in Hexham and raised in Ryton where she attended Ryton Comprehensive School. She left the school with A Levels and joined NatWest, based at Gateshead branch. She was accepted on to the management development programme and quickly progressed through the roles. She later joined the corporate team in NatWest, followed by a move to the corporate banking team Barclays and Handelsbanken, providing lending and investment advice to North East businesses and those further afield for over 25 years. Lesley is currently and Investment Executive at FW Capital.
She also sits on the Board at Changing Lives and holds the position of Treasurer at the Charity.
Lesley's involvement at Willow Burn is a very personal one as her father passed away with cancer. As such she fully understands and appreciates the end of life support provided at the hospice. She has full admiration for the team at Willow Burn who she sees as being at the top of their profession for providing a caring and compassionate approach to those who have illnesses which are no longer curable.
Mark was born and raised in Stanley and attended St. Bede's Comprehensive School in Lanchester. Upon leaving school, Mark completed a Mechanical Engineering Degree at Newcastle University and then joined Nissan at its newly formed European Technology Centre. Mark left Nissan in 2000 to join the family business which was then building and operating care homes for the elderly under the name of his mother, Helen McArdle Care. As well as running the care homes Mark also helped establish a successful children's nursery business, Kids 1st. Both businesses were sold in 2016 and 2017, and since then Mark has helped Helen fulfil her charitable ambitions, one of which was to rebuild the IPU at Willow Burn Hospice which was completed in 2018.
Paul is a retired local businessman with a strong connection to the area. He joined the Willow Burn board of trustees in 2006 to bring a business focus to the organisation, and get more involved in income generation ideas and activities. In 2017 Paul was appointed chairman of the board and continues to lead the trustees into Willow Burn's new, sustainable future.
Paul is a passionate supporter of Willow Burn and is determined to make it the best hospice the UK.
Philip was born and raised in Consett and attended school just a stone's throw away from Willow Burn at St. Bede's in Lanchester. He has a degree in Recreation Management from De Montfort University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Housing Policy and Management from Northumbria University and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Philip has worked in social housing for almost 20 years and currently works for Karbon Homes where he is responsible for Customers and Community Engagement. He has previously held senior positions within the field of social housing with other northeast based providers and local authorities.
Philip has previous board experience with the Chartered Institute of Housing NE, North Tyneside Youth Offending Management Board and both the North Tyneside Children's and Adult's Safeguarding Boards. He is also currently a board member of the Derwent Valley Area Action Partnership.
Philip first became involved with Willow Burn through his involvement with the Consett Sunderland Supporters' Association who have raised tens of thousands of pounds on our behalf since they were formed in 1995.
Job Titles:
- Head of Fundraising and Marketing
Rachel has worked in health and social care for over 14 years and is passionate about helping people to find the services they need at a time when they need them the most. After eight years of marketing management in the private care sector, she joined the charitable sector to head up the income generation and marketing teams at Age UK Northumberland and now Willow Burn Hospice.
As Head of Fundraising and Marketing Rachel oversees and develops all of the marketing and income streams at Willow Burn and helps individuals, communities and businesses to make a difference in County Durham.
Richard was born and educated in Newcastle Upon Tyne, completing his degree in Analytical Chemistry whilst working for Northumbrian Water in the chemistry department. After seven years with Northumbrian Water, Richard was approached by a site investigation company to run their chemistry laboratory. Two years later, following the planned sale of the company Richard, set up his own Environmental Chemistry Laboratory: Derwentside Environmental Testing Services based in Consett. The company was established in 1999 and grew to be one of the UK's leading environmental laboratories employing 130 staff and generating revenues in excess of £6m.
The company was sold to the French Group Suez in 2016 allowing Richard to pursue new interests, including Gateshead Football Club and now National Print Solution Group.
Richard brings a wealth of business experience and knowledge to the board of trustees at Willow Burn, where he is a member of the Income Generation n Sub-Committee.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Registered Nurse
- Head of the School of Nursing
- Nursing Member of the Royal College of Nursing
- Trustee & Caldicott Guardian
Sue Brent is a Registered Nurse, Registered Nurse Teacher and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with 34 years of experience as a nurse, 21 years in clinical practice in the NHS and 13 years' experience of working in Higher Education.
Sue began her career as a nurse in 1984, and practiced as an Oncology Nurse within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, then moved into an education role in the Trust in 2002. Sue moved into higher education in 2005 as a Senior Lecturer in Health. Sue was appointed into the role of Principal Lecturer and Team Leader Health in 2008 and led the Health Team in the development of extensive CPD provision for nurses and allied health professionals.
Sue is currently the Head of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, providing strategic academic leadership and operational management in line with Faculty plans and objectives. The Sunderland School of Nursing, which is Sue's greatest professional achievement to date, was launched in 2016.
Sue is a Nursing Member of the Royal College of Nursing, Deputy Chair of the Royal College of Nursing Research Committee (North East), Council of Deans of Health UK -University representative and the Million Plus Health and Social Care Group -University representative.
Sue is the Caldicott Guardian for Willow Burn Hospice.