LINGEN DAVIES - Key Persons
Alan from Shifnal started volunteering for us after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer in 2017. As well as organising his own fundraisers and collections for us, Alan is part of the gardening team responsible for keeping our small garden at The Hamar Centre looking their best. He also took part in the inaugural Pedal the Borders cycling challenge - no mean feat!
Andy spent 32 years in the Royal Air Force until his retirement as a Group Captain, having served on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. He now runs his own management consultancy and electrician business in Shropshire, where he lives with his wife Louise and their children.
Andy's interests outside of work include classic cars, equestrian sport, long distance running, and domestic DIY.
Angela has been involved with the charity since undergoing her own cancer diagnosis and treatment. After joining as a volunteer, Angela and her sister Caroline were then asked to head up the Shrewsbury Fundraising Committee - with great success.
Angela has now joined the fundraising team in the admin office to help keep things ticking along.
"I am so proud to be working with the fundraising team, everyone here is like extended family, and Lingen Davies has been a great source of support to me over recent years."
Job Titles:
- Communications and Marketing Lead
Anna joined us in April 2021 to develop our communication channels, and raise our profile online and in the media. Having spent more than five years working as a reporter and news editor in local news, as well as working with her own clients as a PR consultant for five years, Anna brings an in-depth knowledge of effective communications, social media, and story-telling to the team.
Anna - born and bred in Shropshire - has been involved with the charity for more than 15 years since she used to write the Shrewsbury Chronicle's Lingen Davies page, and she has also taken part in a number of our events.
"I am so pleased to join the team and help publicise the work of the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. I used to talk to people going through treatment and fundraising for the charity when I worked on the paper, it feels like a full circle to be back doing that again, and that's great.
"It is such a vital charity to so many local people. I love being able to shout about our work, publicise our events, and most importantly share the stories of our amazing supporters. I am really excited to be part of this dedicated and driven team."
If you have a story to share or would like some publicity for an upcoming fundraising event contact Anna on anna.williams@lingendavies.co.uk or on 01743 492396.
Brian has been volunteering for Lingen Davies for more than a year now and is a very useful, willing, and helpful pair of hands in the office. Brian is a retired Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps and after spending his life helping people he continues to do so now. He said being one of our volunteers is a wonderful way to give something back and is as beneficial to the individual as it is to the charity.
Chris is a geologist and his career has taken him all over the world. He has worked with a range of international development charities and has made numerous visits to Africa, providing technical support to charities on water issues, training and project evaluation audits.
"I was keen to become involved with the charity due to family experience of cancer and the hope that I may be able to add something to the work of the charity. I like the local focus of the charity, which enables it to be responsive to specific needs and also to be a part of the local community."
Doreen is based in Mid Wales and can be found collecting outside the area's supermarkets most weekends. Her first fundraiser for us was a head shave in 2016 after her husband went through treatment at The Cancer Centre. Since then Doreen has gone on to bring in more than £32,000 by giving up her time to organise collections.
Gill has been Principal of the Hadley Learning Community in Telford, since January 2005. HLC is a highly successful all-through school with over 1400 students from 5 -16 years old. Gill trained as a research scientist before moving into teaching, a decision she has never regretted and has worked in schools in Telford and Shropshire. Her previous post was Head of Lacon Childe School in South Shropshire where she spent just over 5 very happy years. Gill became a Trustee, to support the work of the charity, following the fantastic treatment her father received at the hospital, when he was diagnosed with cancer. Gill is a very keen climber and mountaineer in her spare time and is an active member of Telford Centre Rotary Club.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Member of Shrewsbury Darwin Rotary Club
- Palliative Care Physician
Although originally trained in Radiation Oncology, Jeremy has been a Palliative Care Physician for over thirty years; almost twenty five of them as Medical Director of Severn Hospice. More recently he has been Director of Education and Research at Karunashraya, a leading hospice in India. Although now retired, he maintains a mentorship role there.
Dr Johnson is a member of Shrewsbury Darwin Rotary Club and currently Vice Chair on the International Board of the Fellowship of Rotarian Doctors and Allied Health Professionals. His other interests include woodturning, vintage three-wheelers and travel.
Having experienced the impact of cancer on both a personal and professional level for many years, he is keen to support and contribute to the work of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund as one of our trustees, a charity whose objectives he has long admired and respected.
Dr Srihari is a Consultant Oncologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and specialises in Urology. He brings his extensive and current clinical knowledge to the board as one of our trustees, helping us to inform our direction and priorities.
Job Titles:
- Events Marketing Coordinator
Emilie has recently joined Lingen Davies after spending the past four years working in marketing and the property industry. In her role, Emilie will be working alongside the fundraising team to market our exciting events programme and help us deliver well planned and fun events for everyone.
Emilie is a keen baker and enjoys playing netball in her spare time.
"I am really pleased to be joining the wonderful team at Lingen Davies to help promote their events in order to raise money and awareness for people living with cancer in Shropshire and Mid Wales. In previous years, I have volunteered to help organise and photograph charity events so to be able to work for a local charity as the Events Marketing Coordinator is very exciting."
Job Titles:
- Interim CEO ( Maternity Cover )
- New Member
Emma is a new member of the office-based volunteering crew and so far has proved an excellent addition. As well as helping gather auction prize donations, Emma also gave her time to supporting the Shrewsbury Half Marathon runners - she joined Helen, Tarrah and Sunny to give water out to the runners.
Great to have you with us Emma!
Emma joined Lingen Davies as a volunteer in 2022 helping out at various events, supporting administrative tasks in the office, and helping to secure fabulous raffle prizes. With a strong background working within in the NHS, Emma has now taken on the role of Interim CEO and brings a wealth of skills, experience and knowledge to the team having lead on national NHS improvement programmes and worked on performance within emergency care.
Shrewsbury-based Emma also has first hand experience of the wonderful care and treatment given to patients at the LD Cancer Centre having lost her Mum to cancer in 2006.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and being part of this community matters greatly to me. My Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 48 and passed away when she was just 52. This had a massive impact on me and my family, but above all we were so grateful for all the care and kindness that she received during her illness and treatment.
"Based on a desire to contribute and ‘give back', I started volunteering after being inspired by staff and volunteers I met at a Shrewsbury event. I'm looking forward to being in post during what will be a very busy year, starting with me taking part in the 5km Colour Run. I'm not sure you'll get me jumping out of a plane for Sunny's Skydive though!"
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Trustee
Francesca is a Chartered Accountant and tax advisor with over 17 years' experience advising owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs and the not-for-profit sector. Having qualified with a Big Four firm in Manchester, she relocated to her home town of Shrewsbury in 2011.
She has seven years' experience as a Primary School Governor and is currently a Trustee and Treasurer for a local P.T.A. For the last two years she has been actively fundraising for Lingen Davies, and has raised over £6,000 from her ‘Four By Forty' challenge to complete four major world marathons in 2016 before her 40 th birthday.
Heather joined us as a volunteer after undergoing her own cancer treatment at The Centre. As well as working alongside Miranda and being an active part of our LiveLife Cancer Awareness Service, Heather gave her time to AbbeyFest, Colour Run and also helped give out free suncream at Shropshire Festival's Party in the Park. Heather is also a member of the Shrewsbury Fundraising Committee
Job Titles:
- Powys Cancer Champions Coordinator
Helen joins the team as the Powys Cancer Champions Coordinator in the LiveLife team. Helen is a registered nurse and prior to joining Lingen Davies worked in a variety of cancer support roles in the statutory and voluntary sector in Powys and Shropshire.
In her spare time she enjoys spending time in the countryside and socialising with family and friends.
"I am pleased to be able to join the Lingen Davies team and raise awareness of cancer signs and symptoms throughout our region. I have a particular interest in cancer and rural health and hope to contribute to making cancer awareness information accessible to as many people as possible in this area."
Helen has worked within the charity sector for 8 years, having spent most of that time at Macmillan Cancer Support, gaining valuable experience within fundraising and working closely with volunteers.
Helen's motivation to join Lingen Davies Cancer Fund is to enable us to help and support more people affected by cancer in our region, and she is passionate about supporting local charities.
"I am absolutely delighted to join Lingen Davies and I'm excited to be developing their ongoing fundraising. I'm fortunate enough to be have been born and bred in Shropshire and feel privileged to now be bringing my family up in this beautiful county.
Helen is a chartered accountant and tax advisor and holds a diploma in charity accounting. She has spent most of her career at Dyke Yaxley in Shrewsbury, where she was Managing Director 2005-2012. She now works as a consultant for the firm.
She has performed various voluntary roles in recent years including School Governor, Gift Aid Secretary for her village church and Parish Councillor.
Jo is a Chartered Accountant having first studied Law in Scotland. She moved to Shropshire in 2002 and qualified with a large accountancy firm in Birmingham in 2006 followed by 10 years in firms based in Telford and Shrewsbury. In 2016, she moved to work alongside her husband at his bridge building firm in Shrewsbury and heads up the finance and HR departments across their three companies.
Jo has always been involved with fundraising and community projects having been Head of Community at her school in the north of Scotland when she was younger and more recently with fundraising to help raise funds to support a young family member who was undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of childhood cancer.
Karen will be working as our Finance Assistant with the busy operations team, helping to man reception and greet patients and supporters in the office. Karen has recently been working as a clerical and admin officer for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Team where she helped patients from the start of their screening journey, providing all admin assistance for their treatment.
"I found my work with Bowel Cancer patients extremely rewarding, and when the vacancy of Finance Assistant came about for Lingen Davies, I knew I wanted to be involved with the charity and be a part of the wonderful work going on. I will be able to build on my skills and continue supporting cancer patients and families directly - along with promoting the initiatives underway to promote cancer awareness.
"Over the years I have donated and been involved in many sponsorship challenges, taking part in fundraisers, I've found that very rewarding and enjoy giving back. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, socialising with good friends, walking my dogs, reading and playing netball. I am excited to learn all about the charity and look forward to meeting with the trustees, patients, volunteers, supporters and of course the challenge of a new role, working with new colleagues."
Job Titles:
- Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator ( Maternity Cover )
Karen is no stranger to Lingen Davies having taken part in a number of fundraising initiatives for us. After retiring from her own driving instructor business teaching people around Oswestry for more than 30 years, taking on maternity cover for Tarrah's role tempted Karen back into work.
By her own admission Karen says she is ‘slightly mad, very active, and finds it very difficult to do nothing'!
"I've been fundraising for Lingen Davies for many years, and I have definitely caught the Lingen bug! I have always been very impressed by the ethics of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and how many people the charity supports.
"I am really passionate about helping others and will always go the extra mile; I look forward to meeting everyone soon!"
Karen will be working Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays.
Lady Heber-Percy, is proud to have been Patron of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund for many years. Throughout this period she has been really happy to play a part in helping to raise funds for the charity.
She has lived in Shropshire for 50 years, and has been delighted to be able to meet many people throughout the county.
"All who live in the county must have family or friends whose illness has been assisted by the work of Lingen Davies. Nothing is more important than good health, and I will continue to encourage and support the essential work of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund."
Job Titles:
- Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator ( Maternity Cover )
Laura joins us to cover Tarrah's maternity leave in a jobshare with Karen, and is also familiar with the work of the charity and fundraising in general.
Laura has held previous roles in the property and haulage sectors, as well as experience volunteering for various charitable causes over the years.
"I am thrilled to join Lingen Davies and work alongside Karen to cover Tarrah's maternity leave. I'm deeply committed to supporting the charity to make a meaningful difference for our region's cancer patients and their families.
Lizzy joined the charity in November 2017 to develop the charity's events programme; allowing us to more accurately plan our fundraising income. We now have an exciting range of events year on year that Lizzy has put together - with the help of her colleagues.
Recently married, Lizzy is looking forward to extending her passion for travelling - with plans to see the world in the coming years!
Lou has lived in Dorrington for the past 26 years and enjoys walking in the beautiful Shropshire countryside.
She has had various roles in the past from hairdresser to store supervisor, repair technician for Epson and then working at her children's primary school in Longnor as their senior administrator for the past eight years.
Lou decided that she would like a new challenge and when she saw the position advertised at Lingen Davies, Lou knew it was a charity she wanted to be a part of.
Louise joined the charity in September 2004 as Fundraising Officer, and became the Fundraising Manager in 2012. She is now Operations Manager for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.
She was previously Custodian of Shrewsbury Castle and trained as a secondary school teacher but her career took her in a different direction!
"I love the local feel to the charity, that local people can see where the money is being spent in their area."
Mandy was Chair of Trustees for Lingen Davies until December 2022 and was instrumental in steering the charity through the Covid pandemic and subsequent years of rapid growth.
Mandy is a former MD of a Shrewsbury care company and is heavily involved in the business community, currently being Chair of Shropshire Business Board and Joint Vice Chair of Marches Local Enterprise Partnership. She is a member of Shrewsbury Darwin Rotary Club, a trustee of Shrewsbury Town in the Community, and a season ticket holder at the club.
"Cancer has affected my family and friends and I have seen first-hand the amazing difference the charity makes. I am proud to support a local charity that makes such a fundamental difference to the people in comes in to contact with."
Mark took over from Mandy Thorn MBE DL as the Chair of Trustees in December 2022. As a former cancer patient himself, Mark began supporting the charity during his treatment and went on to inspire and create our annual ‘Pedal the Borders' cycling challenge.
Mark said: "I'm honoured and delighted to be Chair. We are here literally to save lives and support people on their cancer journeys.
Mark is MD of The Business Company, a business consultancy which has supported businesses and organisations for the last 16+ years. He is looking to utilise his experience and commercial contacts to support the next chapter for Lingen Davies, delivering the strategic plan, new initiatives and expansion of the charity throughout Shropshire and Mid Wales.
Job Titles:
- Cancer Champions Coordinator
Michelle has joined the LiveLife Cancer Awareness team and will primarily be focussing on the Telford and Wrekin area. Her role is part of a larger national project to raise cancer awareness and increase early screening uptakes in areas that have high health inequalities.
Michelle is excited to be part of this vital project to recruit and work alongside fellow cancer champions throughout our region.
"It's great to be a part of the Lingen Davies team which is full of passion and there is such a clear vision for what everyone wants to achieve. When I'm not working I love to walk, read and enjoy weekends in Wales with my family whenever I get the chance!"
Miranda Ashwell joined the team in 2020 having had a wide-ranging career as a teacher in the UK and Botswana, then as a community development worker and most recently 16 years as a Public Health practitioner in Shropshire, working for both the NHS and the local authority.
Miranda's public health role focused on prevention: helping people to reduce their risk of developing long term illness or to effectively manage their existing health conditions. This included setting up the ‘Get Active Feel Good' physical activity project for people living with and beyond cancer in Shropshire, Telford and Mid Wales, which is currently funded by Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, and is how she first became involved with the charity.
As Lingen Davies' LiveLife Project Lead, Miranda's role focuses on raising awareness of cancer prevention and early diagnosis.
Job Titles:
- CEO ( on Maternity Leave )
Naomi joined the charity in 2016, after a number of years working in Students' Unions in Manchester and Birmingham. Having grown up in Shrewsbury, she is enjoying life working back in her home community after 12 years away.
"I am so pleased to have been able to join Lingen Davies at such a time of change and development. The charity has come a long way in the past six years, and it is a privilege to lead the team to launch new projects, develop new ideas and raise ever more funds, knowing this makes such an impact on the lives of people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales."
Job Titles:
- Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator ( on Maternity Leave )
Tarrah joined the team in November 2021 as Volunteer Coordinator and after proving a natural-born fundraiser has now become our Fundraising and Volunteering Coordinator.
As a qualified counsellor, and with many years experience working in hospitality and care under her belt, Tarrah is a people person and enjoys the fulfilment she gains from working for Lingen Davies, and the positive difference made to others.
"I have personally seen how important the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre is for family and friends in recent years and feel that Lingen Davies' reputation and standards have remained consistently high even through the last couple of years when it has been very difficult for other charities."
Tarrah has recently taken on a more ‘out and about' approach to fundraising and can be found manning market stalls all over the region selling merchandise, raising awareness and generally promoting us throughout our community, as well as meeting our dedicated supporters for cheque presentations and visiting our loyal volunteers.
When she is not at work, Tarrah can usually be found running in the Shropshire hills with her dog Bella whilst training for the London Marathon. She is also in the process of building her own house with her partner Ben which will no doubt keep her out of mischief whilst not at work!
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Chairman of the West Midlands Imaging Network and Works With NHS Providers
Tim is currently Chair of the West Midlands Imaging Network and works with NHS Providers on their non-executive director development programme.
He has held a number of senior leadership roles in healthcare including Head of Hospital Inspection with CQC and National Lead for Radiotherapy.
Tim trained as a Therapeutic Radiographer, and was Head of Cancer Services at SaTH. He is a Fellow of the College of Radiographers and an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Radiologists. He graduated from the University of York with a Masters Degree in Leading Innovation and Change.
Tim has worked with the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund since 1989.
Val is a local girl - born and bred in Trefonen near Oswestry where her family have lived for many generations. She still lives there, as does one of her sons, and she feels a very strong connection to the local community. She attended the local village school and then Bellan House Preparatory School. From age 11 she attended Oswestry Girls High School and after O levels and A levels she took a law degree at the University College of Wales Aberystwyth.
She completed her legal studies at College of Law, Chester, and then trained at Hatchers Solicitors. Over 40 years later she is still a partner there!! She specialises in commercial and agricultural property law and has wide experience of both. She is also involved in the management of Hatchers and runs the firm's marketing and property needs. She is President of the Shrewsbury Business Chamber and a member of the local Bank of England panel.
The loss of Val's husband from bowel cancer was what stemmed her support for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. She has organised fundraising events for them, especially when money was being raised to build the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre.
Val loves going to the cinema and tries to see all of the Oscar nominated films each year. Any time left is spent in her garden and kitchen.