Who's Who at Attend

Get to know the team at Head Office and in the Regions

Lady Aird CVO – Vice President
Baker, Candy – Regional Chair, South West
Cobley, Sean – Volunteer Services Development Manager
Dover, Michael – Non-Executive Director
Elcock, David – Attend Retail Development Manager
Baroness Audrey Emerton DBE DL – Vice President
Foley, Bridget – Job Coach
Lord Fraser of Carmyllie – Attend President
Griffin, Alan – Regional Chair, Yorks and Humber
HRH The Duke of York – Attend Patron
Dame Elisabeth Hoodless DBE – Vice President
Baroness Jay of Paddington – Vice President
James, Phil – Board Member
Jennings, Odran – Fundraising Manager
Lowe, Kieran – Training and Development Administrator
Kevan, Matt – Attend Creative Manager
Martin,Donald – Attend Alba | Scotland Chair
Baroness Miller of Hendon MBE JP – Vice President
Milnes, Janet – Board Member
Moreton, Stephen – Head of Learning and Development
Morton, Pamela – Attend Chair
Needham, Simon – Regional Chair, East Midlands
Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE – Vice President
Perry, Charles - Board Member
Pett, Frances – Assessor/Verifier
Procter, Steve – Board Member
Randall, Claire – Membership Development Team Administrator
Rendle, Rebecca – Board Member
Reid,Rose BEM – Vice President
Rowley, Liberty – Marketing Assistant
Seney, Murat – Senior Finance Officer
Sheldon, Kathy – Regional Chair,London
Simpson, Janet – PA to Chief Executive, Office Services Manager
Smith, Beverley – Head of Membership Development
Sollis, David – Income Generation Manager and Regional Chair, East England
Swan, Matthew – Treasurer, Board Member
Walker, Margaret – Deputy Chair, Board Member
Wells, Sir William – Vice President
Wilkinson, Colin – Regional Chair, West Midlands
Wood, David – Chief Executive

Lady Aird CVO – Vice President

Lady Aird has had a lifetime of service in the charity sector, she first joined the League of Firends of Middlesex Hospital in 1979 and has been Chairman since 1987. For many years she acted as the Consituency Member in the London area and served on the Council and Board of Attend. During this time she chaired the Smith Klein Beecham Training Committee and was involved in the training of League volunteers. Lady Aird was invited to be the National Vice-President of Attend in 2001.

Lady Aird was a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret from 1960-63 and from 1963 an Extra Lady-in-Waiting until the Princess's death in 2002. She was honoured with the LVO and became a CVO in 2001.

Lady Aird served on the Main Council of the Medical School of the Middlesex Hospital from 1984-1987 and is Chairman of the Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust.

Candy Baker – Regional Chair, South West

Candy Baker Candy is a woman that has shown boundless amounts of energy throughout her volunteering years. Her main interest is in palliative care and this is an area she shows great commitment in.
Candy has known what healthcare was like before the NHS as she had a medical background and from the age of 13 was on an appeals committee for her local hospital. At 22 years, Candy in the height of her nursing career got married. As it was forbidden for married women to work in the profession, she chose to channel her energies through volunteering.
Candy has a disabled daughter and her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer. Attend believe her efforts have been extraordinary as she tirelessly puts forward the well being of others before herself. Candy is absolutely committed to the support of patients, staff and visitors connected with the Friends of Stratton Hospital.

Cobley, Sean – Volunteer Services Development Manager

As Volunteer Services Development Manager my role entails supporting the member groups and the Regional Chairs and encouraging their development as well as acting as a focus of knowledge and a key resource on volunteer management.
Before joining Attend I was the Head Office Volunteers Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer. I am also currently Chair of the Association of Volunteer Managers.
Having an eight month old daughter means that I have little time to indulge in outside interests at the moment! Golf is a game I used to play. Cryptic crosswords help to keep my brain cells ticking over, I have a soft spot for Star Trek and if ever I get the time I've an idea for a novel to write.

Michael Dover – Non-Executive Director

Between 1972 and 1990 Michael served in the army. He transferred from the Regulars to the Territorial Army in 1988. After leaving the regular army Michael, joined an advertising agency as business development director where he formed a business group specialising in charity advertising and fundraising for clients like the RSPCA.

As an amateur artist and while still serving in the army, he formed Teaching Art Limited which develops and publishes non-broadcast TV programmes on learning how to paint and draw. This involved creating an association for artists, both amateur and professional, membership of which enables them to buy materials on-line, to submit their work to regional and national exhibitions as well as enabling them to develop a network of like-minded enthusiasts as friends.

A car accident in 1990 resulted in him having to give up work and embark upon a long rehabilitation during which time he was able to provide marketing, communications and advertising consultancy to clients in need of help but without the budgets to match.

Michael believes that "...free consultancy may appear to be a daft thing to offer people but it's a great way to rebuild one's skills after a traumatic head injury. Importantly, people tend to be quite forgiving when one delivers a rather direct appraisal of their strategy and such directness is attributed to a 'bang on the head'!"

David Elcock – Attend Retail Manager

David Elcock David started working for Attend in 2003 as a Development Officer with areas of responsibility including printed publicity, merchandise ("yes I sold tea-towels") and corporate partners.

Six years later he is managing Attend Retail three days a week. This role finds him negotiating discounts and preferential services on behalf of member groups with supplier, offering advice and solutions to member groups and developing publications and consultancy services that provide useful for group with retail that are developing and furthering the tremendous work they do.

Attend Retail has recently been working with member groups to develop a new Friends Shop brand. This is an exciting new development that will give groups visual recognition across the UK for the work they are doing end hopefully encouraging more support and profit from their customers.

There are always new projects being devised within Attend Retail to benefit our members. This keeps the job really exciting - although very busy! He relies heavily on feedback from members to shape this service to meet their needs - so please do get in-touch (be nice).

The rest of his week is taken up as a community worker for Leigh Road Baptist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. He organises community festivals and youth events, adding creative input to church services through Drama, Film and Dance and managing wonderful volunteers.

"It is my privilege to be able to be involved in two causes that make such a difference in local communities across the UK."

Baroness Audrey Emerton DBE DL – Vice President

Baroness Emerton was registered as a State Certified Midwife in 1954, as a State Registered Nurse in 1957, a Registered Nurse Tutor in 1964. She was County Commissioner of St. John Ambulance, Kent 1985-88 and Chief Nursing Officer for St. John Ambulance between 1988 and 1996. She was created Baroness Emerton, of Tunbridge Wells in the County of Kent and of Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington in 1997.

Bridget Foley – Job Coach

Bridget Foley Bridget is working in Attend ABI as a Job Coach supporting clients with acquired brain injury back into the workplace. In particular, her role is to develop useful contacts with employers across all sectors to achieve work placement and/or employment for the clients.

Bridget has over 20 years experience in people management. The last nine years working in training and development at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) working with organisations and individuals across the private, public and voluntary sectors to develop their full potential using a wide range of skills including coaching, mentoring, career transition and change management.

In her spare time she volunteers as a school governor and has a particular interest in special needs education. She is a church liturgist and sings alto for a small community choir.

She is married with two daughters, Sarah 20 and Hannah 12.

Lord Fraser of Carmyllie – Attend President

Peter Fraser Peter was elected as a Conservative MP for Angus in 1979, where he remained in the House of Commons until June 1987. He became Lord Advocate in 1989 as well as a life peer and a member of the Privy Council. As Lord Advocate, he had ultimate responsibility for the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie investigation. He has appeared for the United Kingdom in both the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. From 1992 to 1995 he was Minister of State at the Scottish Office covering Home Affairs and Health.

Alan Griffin – Regional Chair, Yorks and Humber

Alan Griffin Alan was previously Chairman of Bradford 31 Round Table and has taken part in 3 London and 1 New York Marathons raising in total £35.000. The money was donated to the NSPCC and St John's Ambulance.Alan is a Member of Samaritans –where he has been involved in fundraising and has been Chairman of the Branch Committee. He also sits on the Volunteer Forum at the Bradford Royal Infirmary. He is currently Chairman of the Trustees of the Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Fund which was started in 1980. The aim of the Fund is to provide care which will benefit the patients--provide equipment and fund some medical posts. To date they have raised £2,000,000. They are presently helping the Fund reorganise the day care Treatment on Ward 7 at a cost of £150,000.

HRH The Duke of York – Attend Parton

The Duke of York was born at Buckingham Palace, the second son and the third child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. He was known as Prince Andrew until his marriage, when he was created The Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. After serving for 22 years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, The Duke of York became the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. He became Patron of Attend in 2003.

Dame Elisabeth Hoodless DBE – Vice President

Dame Elisabeth Hoodless is a former Islington Councillor and currently a volunteer youth court magistrate, chairing Islington Youth Court. She is President of Volonteurope (European network of volunteer agencies), Vice Chair of Innovations in Civic Participation (USA), and Chairman of the International Association for National Youth Service. She is married to Donald Hoodless, Chairman of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. She is a proud grandmother of two.

Baroness Jay of Paddington – Vice President

Working for the BBC between 1965 and 1977 on current affairs and further education television programmes. She then became a journalist on the BBC's prestigious Panorama programme, and Thames Television's This Week. She went on to present the BBC 2 series Social History of Medicine. She was appointed a life peer in 1992 with the title of Baroness Jay of Paddington, of Paddington in the City of Westminster, and acted as an opposition Whip in the House of Lords. In association with the shop workers' union, she led opposition to the liberalisation of Sunday trading hours. After her party's election victory in 1997, she became Health Spokesman and Minister for Women in the House of Lords. From 1998 she was Leader of the House of Lords, playing a pivotal role in the major reform that led to the removal of most of its hereditary members. She retired from active politics in 2001.
Her father was former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan,

Phil James – Board Member

Phil James After leaving Grove Park Grammar School, Phil attended the Liverpool University School of Hygiene from where he graduated as an Environmental Health Officer in 1971. He was appointed to the post of Chief Environmental Health Officer in 1985 and subsequently Chief Public Protection Officer to the Wrexham County Borough Council, taking responsibility for the Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Markets functions of that Authority until a period of prolonged ill-health forced his early retirement in 1998.

Phil started volunteering in the mid-70s when he chaired a fundraising committee which collected donations from council staff. They donated considerable sums of money to local charities and needy individuals.He was recruited to Wrexham Hospital League of Friends before he left to form and become Secretary of a new Friends Group. He have been the elected “constituency Member” for the North East Wales area and Regional Chairman for Wales. He was re-elected to the Board in 2008.

Phil is a self-employed training consultant providing Food Safety training to the Food Service Industry throughout North Wales and in particular to employees in the childcare environment within which sphere his wife also works as a full-time training Officer for a Wales Assembly funded organisation. Phil's other interests include being a member of the North Wales Valuation Tribunal and being an active participant in Freemasonry within the Wrexham and North Wales areas.

Odran Jennings – Fundraising Manager

Odran Jennings Odran's job involves identifying opportunities, building relationships and working closely with David Wood and colleagues to present funding proposals to statutory schemes, lottery, trusts and companies. Since March 2009, he has raised over £300k towards hospital-based youth volunteering and workshops while large applications are pending for core, programmatic and project work.

Away from work, Odran is a guitarist who loves most popular music. Bands He's played with include Out of My Hair (Phoenix Festival/ British tour). On the sport side, he has held a Fulham season ticket since 1997 and naturally, being a Dubliner, supports Ireland. He also follows international rugby union and attends England’s summer cricket tests. Finally, he started running the London marathon in 2000 for ChildLine with whom he worked for seven years, and will run a fifth in 2009("…if my knees will take it!

Kieran Lowe – Training and Development Admisistrator

Kieran Lowe Kieran assists Stephen Moreton in Attend Academy, which covers a wide range of duties from NVQ candidate logistics to the administrative workings of ensure candidates complete their course. Together they review and process the OFV funding scheme for each of our member groups and write and implement tailored training courses/workshops for a variety of organisations.

"These jobs require a lot of multi-tasking, which has developed significantly in the last 4 months that I have been with Attend. I am enjoying the challenge that the academy presents and I feel I have brought a little more of a modern day feel to the department in regards to IT and electronic organisation."

Kieran enjoys exercise and in between chasing a football around he finds the time to play some golf. Music has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember, whether it be listening or playing guitar.

Matt Kevan – Attend Creative Manager

Matt Kevan Matt started working for Attend in 2003 as a freelance designer to design issue four of Friends Connect magazine. Thirteen issues and six years later, he's now heading up the Attend Creative department.

Attend Creative designs and produces all of Attend’s publications and leaflets from Friends Connect and Friends Update magazines to the Benefits of Belonging Handbook, from the Annual Review to the Attend website and much more besides. As Attend launches new membership benefits, so our work expands. For example we’re currently designing hospital shops for Attend Retail, textbooks for Attend Academy and producing design work for our member groups.

Before joining Attend, he worked at Timothy Guy Design, a design agency based in Cornwall after completing a degree in graphic design at Falmouth College of Art.
"Design is a great passion of mine, and I’m amazed and grateful at the fact that I can earn a living doing something I love for a cause I that believe in."

Donald Martin – Chair Attend Alba|Scotland, Board Member

Donald Martin Donald is Chairman of Attend Alba/Scotland and was appointed Director of Attend in August 2007. He spent his working career in public administration serving in government departments in Edinburgh and the local authority in the Western Isles, before becoming Chief Executive of the national Gaelic Development Agency, Comunn na Gàidhlig. Since his retirement in May 2007 Donald has continued his voluntary activities through the Stornoway League of Friends of which he is Chairman; as Chairman of the Harris Tweed Authority, the statutory body which protects and promotes the famous Harris Tweed cloth and as a member of MG Alba the statutory body responsible for jointly running the new Gaelic television channel ALBA, which was launched in September 2008.

A fluent Gaelic speaker, Donald was born and brought up on the island of Harris and has lived in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis since 1978. He is married with a grown up family of two boys and a girl, and is also a Depute Lieutenant and Clerk to the Lord-Lieutenancy in the Western Isles.

Baroness Miller of Hendon MBE JP – Vice President

The Baroness Miller was National Chairman and Executive Director of The 300 Group (an all-party group working to get more women into Parliament) from 1985 to 1988 and was Chairman from 1985 to 1988 of "The Women into Public Life" Campaign and Human Rights Advisor to Soroptimist International from 1987 to 1990. In 1989 she was awarded the MBE for her service in promoting the advancement of woman in public and political life.
Lady Miller's public service has included being a JP from 1971 to 1990, Chairman of Barnet Family Health Service Authority from 1990 to 1994, non-Executive Director of the Crown Agents from 1990 to 1994.
She was Chairman of Attend from 1997 to 2003.

Janet Milnes – Board Member

Jnaet Milnes Janet is currently a Management Development Consultant and Executive Coach/Mentor with over 30 years experience working with blue-chip multinationals, SMEs and not-for-profit organisations companies in the UK, Western and Eastern Europe and farther afield. In the course of her business career she has set up and successfully managed three companies, one of which achieved worldwide market leader position. Her expertise covers general management, internal consulting, strategy consulting, business development, executive development and training, leadership consulting and coaching, change management, career management, executive recruitment, performance evaluation, design and implementation of quality and productivity initiatives.

What Janet enjoys most about her current work is helping organisations and individuals through a facilitated process of change and discovery about what works for them, seeing them develop their true potential in line with their own and/or the organisation’s goals, values and aspirations. Her voluntary activities include the roles of Co-chair of the Fordhall Community Land Inititave, Market Drayton, Shropshire, voluntary mentor for UnLtd Ventures, a charitable organisation set up to promote social enterprises, member of Shrewsbury OMH film committee, and Chair of the local village hall committee and active in the local community. Her interests include abstract painting to exhibition standard, music, history, interior decoration, reading, gymnastics and travel.

Pamela Morton – Attend Chair

Pamela Morton Pam has spent her entire career in Education in the North of England, culminating in a role as a head teacher. Volunteering has always run through her life, and she first learned to knit making squares for blankets for refugees at the age of five. The refugees she knitted for were Jewish children coming out of Europe on the Kinder Transports, for whom her father was concerned in finding foster parents in UK.

When she left School she started volunteer work with Oxfam, through which she became connected with a good deal of work locally and nationally with World Refugee Year, and later helped arrange sponsorships for displaced people still in Europe after the close of that Year. Pam first started volunteering for Friends 14 years ago in York and is well known for the fundraising and social events that she organises.

Pam has been Chair of Yorkshire the Humber region for three years and provided temporary cover in the North East for almost a year. She is a keen supporter of the national body and has sat on a number of committees.

Stephen Moreton – Head of Education and Development

Stephen Moreton Steve is an independent consultant who has been associated with the organisation for many years. Steve's initial career was in education but moved to the voluntary sector ten years ago. Here he worked both in managing volunteers and in the HR department. For seven years he has also worked as a tutor with BPP, which is the largest professional training organisation in Europe. He led the development of the Certificate Programme for Volunteer Services Managers, which is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In parallel, he has always maintained a portfolio of clients in the voluntary and community sector. He carries out a variety of roles from HR advice, strategic analysis, workshop and conference facilitation and study days. Recently, he has also sat on the steering group reviewing the National Occupational Standards for volunteer management.

Steve's work with Attend has also included OFV grants administration, putting together fundraising applications for consideration by Trust funds and statutory funding rounds. He is currently actively involved in ‘Attend Academy’, which puts together and delivers a range of professional training and accredited programmes tailored to the voluntary sector.

Simon Needham – Regional Chair, East Midlands

Simon Needham Simon began volunteering as a teenager and has continued his devotion to volunteerism in health and social care throughout his life. In 1974 Simon was appointed Social Therapist for the continuing care unit at Nottingham City, eventually developing volunteering opportunities across most areas of the hospital. The 1997 report ‘Strengthening Volunteering Within the NHS’ resulted in his appointment as corporate lead for volunteering and community involvement.

During an NHS career of over 30 years, Simon was also a member of the National Association of Voluntary Service Manager (NAVSM) of which he was Chairman until May 2006 and his active networking brought him to Friends regional meetings. Although retired from the NHS he is still passionate about volunteering in heath and social care and the difference it can make to local communities. Simoon undertook a consultancy on behalf of Attend during the Spring of 2006 and was appointed by Attend as Regional Development Manager for the Midlands with lead responsibility for Volunteering in Hospitals, in September 2006.

Simon enjoys cooking and lives in the Vale of Belvoir with his wife, Anita, a retired District Nurse who shares his interest in steam railways and classic cars – we own a 1960s’ Triumph Vitesse convertible. Personal interest in local developments led him to join the League of Friends of the Grantham Hospital and he was elected Chairman of this charity in July 2007. Internal re-organisation within Attend led Simon to become NHS Development Manager in October 2008. He was appointed Chairman, East Midlands Region in December 2008.

Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE – Vice President

Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE is a rabbi, social reformer and member of the House of Lords, where she takes the Liberal Democrat whip. In June 2004 she was created a life peer as Baroness Neuberger, of Primrose Hill in the London Borough of Camden.
On 29 June 2007, Baroness Neuberger was appointed by the in-coming Prime Minister Gordon Brown as the government's champion of volunteering.

Charles Perry – Board Member

Charles Perry Charles is currently working as part of the Nutrition Policy Team at the Department of Health working on the 5 A DAY (just eat more fruit and vegetables) programme and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme. He is also involved in cross Government delivery work on the Cabinet Office’s Food Matters – Towards a Strategy for the 21^st Century.

From March 2004 until October 2008 Charles was one of the national associate directors within the Partnership Development Team of the Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP), a part of the Department of Health’s Health and Care Partnerships Directorate. Charles has worked in a variety of areas within the Department of Health (DH) and the NHS Executive. This has included: partnership working between the NHS and VCS organisations. He was the NHS Executive London Region’s Regional Manager supporting Community Health Councils.

Charles has also worked for the Employer’s Forum on Disability, Business in the Community (Education Business Partnerships), School Curriculum Industry Partnership (University of Warwick), the National Curriculum Council, Secondary Examinations Council, Our Price/Virgin Records, McDonalds and prior to coming to England 23 years ago, a music company in Australia.

Charles has also undertaken a range of voluntary activity in his spare time and was a volunteer with a learning disabilities charity in Toowoomba, Australia, a mentor for Chestnut Grove School (Balham, London), an appeals committee member for Graveney School (Tooting, London), Vice Chair and trustee of Assisted Living (Islington, London). Currently he is a board member/trustee for Flipside (Lambeth Crime Prevention, London) as well as Attend.

Charles’ passion is to develop and support work within systems that enable people to achieve their full potential.

Fran Pett – Assessor/Verifier

Fran Pett Fran is working in Attend Academy as an assessor and internal verifier across the range of courses and qualifications we provide. In previous roles with other organisations she was involved in assessment of NVQs at levels 3, 4 and 5 in management and training and development within a college setting; working with the Learning and Skills Council to encourage uptake of NVQs in the workplace; working with the voluntary branch networks both for The Outward Bound Trust and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Prior to her current role with Attend she was working as a Regional Development Manager for the North.

"My joy is seeing our learners meet with success. My enthusiasm is in helping them get to that place. If I have a ‘claim to fame’ it is that I was the first person in the country to achieve the NVQ that our candidates are doing. It is so good to be able to make a helpful contribution."

Fran lives in Cumbria and covers all points north of Birmingham, takes in Wales and Scotland for her role. She has two twenty-something daughters who love to come round for Sunday lunch when they can. She also volunteers – with our CIPD branch as a treasurer, and with a local Attend group as the secretary. "Just wish there were more hours in the day!"

Steve Procter – Board Member

Steve Procter Steve has been involved in volunteering in his local area of the Ribble Valley, Lancashire since the age of 16. Initially fundraising for and building an award winning skatepark in the grounds of Clitheroe castle with a group of friends, he quickly moved into providing drug and alcohol education in local schools and have over 250 hours teaching experience.

After completing a degree in youth and community studies Steve continued to work on numerous projects in the local area whilst balancing this with his role as youth development officer for the Philip Lawrence Awards overseeing the involvement of around 50 young people in the judging of the awards since 2000. Steve is now working on his new development ‘the Juice Bar’, a seven day a week venue for young people developed and built by local young people. If successful this will be the UK’s first fully financially sustainable youth venue.

Claire Randall – Membership Development Team Administrator

Claire Randall Claire works as an administrator within Attend’s membership department. She enjoys liaising with the member groups and carrying out the varied array of tasks of her working day. Previously she worked within the charity sector for the King’s Fund. Claire enjoys speaking French, music and travelling as much as possible.

Rebecca Rendle – Board Member

She moved to national charity CSV in 1990 where she embarked on her fundraising career. Rebecca managed the successful 1991-1992 Lord Mayor's Appeal, which raised £1.25 million in five large corporate gifts, unusual at that time in the charity sector. She subsequently established CSV's ongoing fundraising capacity, generating some £2 million a year from trusts, companies and individuals, as well as negotiating and managing a £1m annual corporate sponsorship package with Yellow Pages. During her last role at CSV from 1998 to 2000, she focused on operational management of a UK-wide programme of 120 staff, 3000 volunteers and a £6 million turnover. From 1996 to 1998 Rebecca worked as a Senior Development Consultant with Dr Henry Drucker at Oxford Philanthropic where her clients included the Tate Gallery, the Royal Institution, University of Nottingham, Leeds Metropolitan University, Coventry Cathedral and the Labour Party. She worked as a development consultant for Iain More Associates from December 2000 to June 2003. This included: feasibility studies and ongoing consultancy for Cardiff and Sheffield Universities; establishing development functions and interim management of the development offices at Lancaster University, Brunel University, Birkbeck College and Oxford Brookes University; and strategic advice for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres Rebecca was Fundraising Director for Maggie's Centres from 2004 until 2006 where she was responsible for raising £6m a year to run the charity and for establishing and completing the £3.5 m capital campaign for Maggie’s London centre, designed by Richard Rogers at Charing Cross Hospital.

She became a fundraising consultant again two years ago. Since then her clients have included the Oxford Transplant Campaign, the Beacon Fellowship, Pegasus Youth Theatre, the Higher Education Policy Institute, Kent University, Kingston Grammar School, the new Saatchi Gallery, Open House and Attend (formerly the National Association of Leagues of Hospital Friends). At the University of Westminster Rebecca provided interim management of the Development Office until the arrival of the new Development Director in March 2008. This included managing a small team as well as raising funds (including corporate sponsorship) for P3, a new venue for the creative industries in central London. She was also interim Head of Corporate Partnerships at the V&A for six months during 2008. Current clients include Somerville College and Keble College, Oxford, the School of Oriental and African Studies and the Soil Association.

Rose Reid BEM – Vice President

Rose Reid Rose is Chairman of The League of Friends for Peterhead Ugie & Community Hospital. She began volunteering in 1986 after retiring from a 26-year career as a nurse. She was also holding this position when she received her BEM in 1988. Rose, determined that she wanted to give something back to the community, decided to start up the League of Friends in Peterhead and try to raise much needed funds for the hospital she'd previously worked for. As a result of achievements made through her fundraising initiatives, Rose was awarded her BEM in 1988 from the Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. She recalls this as an event that sits amongst her proudest moments. Her work with the League also saw her become the Scottish Regional Chairman of the National Association of Hospital League of Friends and also onto the Board of Trustees in London. For her tireless efforts and determination to raise funds, Rose was also made Vice President which gives her life membership to Attend.

Rose is an unassuming individual who continues to see her priority remain at raising as much funds as possible to ensure the continued comfort of patients in hospital, without reward.

Rose also received the Sapphire Award in 1995 in recognition for her outstanding help to patients.

Liberty Rowley – Marketing Assistant

Liberty Rowley Liberty assists Matt Kevan in Attend Creative, together they produce all the magazines, leaflets, banners, invitations and paperwork that Attend sends out. It is always extremely busy in the office with many different projects on the go at once. "It is never boring here, but it can be stressful! I do get outside sometimes though, as we are often called on to help out with many of the events that Attend organises."

The Creative department are responsible for displays and presentations at these events. She has also been commissioning Volunteer Photographers to visit groups and attend events to help improve and update the Attend Photo Library. This has been great fun and Liberty has enjoyed meeting so many talented young photographers who want to use their skills for good causes and are willing to give their time for free.

My job covers such a wide range of activities that she can never quite tell what will happen when she arrives at the office in the morning.
"I guess I like it most when we get out the glue and scissors to see if our ambitious plans for an annual review will work out."

Murat Seney – Senior Finance Officer

Murat Senay Murat's home country is Turkey where he is actually an industrial engineer. He came to London to do an MBA in finance and graduated. In Attend Murat is responsible mainly for the budgets and management accounts. Apart from finance stuff, Murat is working on a ‘Good Governance’ document for Attend which is almost finalised, and also assisting office services.

Kathy Sheldon – Regional Chair, London

For the last eighteen months, Kathy Sheldon has been a part of the Attend London Region Committee, chaired by Dame Sarah Mullally. She currently sits as a trustee for the Friends of Barnes Hospital and as Chairman for the Barnes Hospital itself. Her work there lead her to become involved in several other health and social care related activities, including the Richmond & Twickenham Community Health Council, as well as their replacement body, the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for Richmond and Twickenham PCT area. Kathy is also serving as a trustee for Age concern Richmond upon Thames. In the past, she has worked as the Patient Affairs Officer at the Barnes Hospital before she became involved as Chairman and trustee to their League of Friends.

Through her activities working in the voluntary health and social care sector, Kathy has developed some understanding of the national framework of health and social care, health trends and the effect of legislation on national and local services. She has played an active role in listening to patients’ and the public’s concerns and communicating these to relevant statutory bodies while encouraging members of the public to participate in health debates.

Janet Simpson – PA to Chief Executive, Office Services Manager

Janet Simpson Janet joined the organisation three years ago as PA to the Chairman and Chief Executive of Attend. Having previously worked for a software retail distribution company and within education, the Charity and volunteering sector has proved to be enjoyable but challenging. Janet has worked in administration for over 15 years and it is an area of work she thoroughly enjoys. Not only that,she's found over the years it has given her the opportunity to learn many new things.

"During what leisure time I have, I divide between my family abroad and socialising with friends that I have kept in touch with since leaving full-time education. I do like art, and when I can, I love to help my elderly neighbours with gardening."

Beverley Smith – Head of Membership Development

Beverley Smith Beverley’s career began in HR and Development and she has nearly 25 years project and line management experience gained across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

Successful projects range from small budget community based work such as developing networks and business planning for charities to large scale complex projects and contract management to deliver services such as occupational health.

This experience has equipped her with high level planning, communication and problem solving skills which enable her to deliver on time and within budget.

Currently she is Head of Membership Development at Attend. Most recently she managed the £265k Volunteering for Health project for the Time for Health partnership which met all its targets and where she is also managing a £300k project funded by vdelivered in partnership with CSV which is designed to encourage more young people aged 16-25 into volunteering in Health and Social Care.

David Sollis – Income Generation Manager and Regional Chair, East England

David Sollis After having been the NAHCF membership services manager for two years David moved onto develop a career in the charity world working on a three year project with Whizz-Kidz and then to a post as Regional manager of Rehab UK London and South.

"The role of East Region chairman is a huge challenge but one that is enjoyable, positive and exciting…at times! However Attend offers me the opportunity to have a National vision but with a local delivery! Attend has a great deal more to teach me and I am always surprised by the innovation and exploration of ways to improve the quality of health care through volunteering across the UK.'

Swan, Matthew – Treasurer, Board Member

Matthew Swan Matthew has been in banking for 25 years, the last 10 years dealing with commercial Business. He was the banking Relationship Manager for Attend between 2002-2007 and within that time became treasurer of a newly established local league. He is on the Board of Essex Chambers of Commerce and a keen Rotarian in Colchester.
'Whilst working with Attend on a professional level it drove me to get involved as a volunteer and become treasurer to a local league. It was great to see at first hand all the fantastic work that the leagues do and I feel honoured to come back to this marvellous Charity as its Treasurer'

Margaret Walker – Deputy Chair, Board Member

Margaret Walker Margaret is the Chairman of The Friends of Whitstable Hospital & Healthcare, one of the first friends groups in the country to extend their role of support to all primary care services, including GP practices, in the community. She has been involved in organising a number of very successful health information events bringing together the expertise of more than thirty nursing, specialist and voluntary groups to give advice and information to patients and members of the public.

In addition to her interest in health-related matters, Margaret has also held positions of responsibility in a number of other fields including sports organisations at local, national and international levels. Having been involved for many years with Friends and other voluntary activities she has gained experience in a variety of roles including recruiting, training and supporting volunteers and also initiating and developing several projects.

Sir William Wells – Vice President

Sir William Wells was formerly a member of the Board of Governors of the Royal Free Hospital from 1968 to 1974; a member of the Camden and Islington Area Health Authority (Teaching) from 1974 to 1982; Chair of the Hampstead Health Authority from its inception in 1982 and became Chair of the Board of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust when it was established in 1990. He was a member of the Royal Free Medical School Council from 1974 to 1994. In 1994 he was appointed Chair of the South Thames Regional Health Authority and, upon its abolition in 1996, he became chair of the South Thames Region. In January 1999 he was appointed Chair of the NHS South East Region

Colin Wilkinson – Regional Chair, West Midlands

Colin Wilkinson Colin began his nursing career in 1959 as a Cadet Nurse at St Matthews’s Hospital in Stafford. He became a Registered Mental Health in 1965. After taking early retirement he became Chair of Stafford Hospital’s League of Friends. He is also a Trustee of Katharine House Hospice, a Local Authority appointed Governor of Oakridge Primary School, a Member of The Rotary Club of Stafford and was recently appointed Governor to South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust from September 2009.

He has been married to Cynthia for over 40 years with whom he has one son, Christopher who has given them two beautiful grand-daughters, Kiera and Courtney. He also has a pet Labrador called Samson.

Colin is a member of Warwickshire Cricket Club and of his local Clay Pigeon Shooting club. He enjoys going to the Theatre, and dining out with friends. In his spare time, he also enjoys woodturning and listening to music, particularly Queen and Cliff Richard!

David Wood – Chief Executive

David Wood I have been the Chief Executive of Attend for six years. Prior to this I was a Director of an Adult and Children’s hospice in Essex. I was elected chair of Health Month during the Year of the Volunteer and at the DH, I am a member of the National Strategic Partnership Forum and the National Leadership Network. I am a member of the England Volunteering Development Council (VE) and the Network of National Volunteering Agencies (CSV).

Additionally, I was recently elected to the Membership and Education Committee, and the Quality Taskforce at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. I am passionately committed to Volunteering and have held a variety of roles including a member of the Independent Monitoring Board at the HMP and YOI Chelmsford, a trustee of a Child Contact centre and of a local community group.