Board

Our Trustees are responsible for the overall control and strategic direction of Care for the Carers. They make sure we have a clear strategy, remain true to our vision, and that we comply with all necessary rules and legal obligations. As Care for the Carers is both a Registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee, the Trustees are also the organisation’s Directors. They meet regularly to discuss, decide and review our strategies and policies and receive reports and updates from senior managers and the team.

The majority of the Board have been, or are, carers. We are a membership organisation, and most of our Members are current or former carers. The Board is elected by our Members, and informed by their views. Our Trustees work with us as volunteers and are committed to Care for the Carers doing all we can to ensure no one is left to care alone.

Meet our Trustees

Neil Churchill OBE, Chair

Neil joined Care for the Carers Board in 2020, moving into the role of Chair in May 2021. Neil is Director for Experience, Participation and Equalities at NHS England. He is senior responsible officer and chairs NHS England’s Commitments to Carers Oversight Board. Neil joined NHS England in 2013 after a 25 year career in the voluntary sector at organisations including Barnardo’s, Age Concern, Crisis and Asthma UK where he was CEO. Neil has extensive experience as a charity trustee, including at organisations like Crisis, Alone in London, Cardboard Citizens, Age Concern Scotland, Age Concern Cymru, Age Concern Northern Ireland and Tavistock Relationships. As well as a trustee for Care for the Carers, Neil is a member of the Strategy Board for the Beryl Institute, a trustee for Future Care Capital and a member of Cambridge University’s Remuneration Committee. He was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to carers and the voluntary sector, brings lived experience of caring and lives in Forest Row.

Alan Botterill, Trustee

Alan Botterill, CFTC Trustee Alan Botterill was co-opted to the Care for the Carers Board in September 2015, to support its development and growth, and was voted on to the Board in 2016. Alan has a wealth of experience in management and governance within business and the Third sector. His trustee roles have included for Carers Trust – Epping Forest, Harlow, Havering and Redbridge and Carer Support West Sussex; also, he acted as a volunteer mentor for two Carers Trust Partner CEOs. In addition, Alan was a trustee at the National Centre for Social Research for nine years and has been involved with the YMCA for some time – he is Chair of the YMCA UK Pension Plan and has served on the World Alliance Investment Committee. Alan is an actuary and supported the profession as a volunteer for many years.

Polly Evans, Trustee

Polly joined the Board in 2019. She worked as a BBC News journalist for nearly 20 years and was the anchor of the evening news programme BBC South East Today for the best part of a decade. Prior to that, she worked as a reporter covering stories across Sussex and Kent. Polly has experience of long term caring within her family and towards the end of her time with the BBC she also worked as a Social Affairs Correspondent reflecting her concern about the fair treatment of everyone in society including carers. She is currently the Head of Communications & Digital for a charity called The Access Project which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get into top universities. She is responsible for communications strategy and external relations.

Jane Lawrence, Trustee

Jane Lawrence Trustee Jane joined the Care for the Carers Board in December 2021. Jane’s career within the statutory and voluntary sectors, included managing both mental health day support services and carer support services in the voluntary sector. Towards the end of her career, Jane set up the ‘Improving Carers’ Experience’ Community Interest Company with a colleague. Since retirement, Jane has written a book for mental health carers, and shares her time between Hastings and Bristol.

Richard Pearson, Trustee

Richard Pearson Richard, a carer, joined the Board in December 2021. He has extensive charity governance and business expertise, including Trustee roles at Lewes/Sussex Downs College, Sussex Oakleaf, the Employability Forum, Lewes and District Citizens Advice, and is Chair of the Lewes Community Land Trust , and the Lewes Fund. Richard is an economist who has worked internationally, and was Director of the Institute of Employment Studies for 12 years. He is now retired and living in Lewes.

Mary Barnes, Trustee

Mary joined the Care for the Carers Board in December 2021. Mary is the Councillor for Hurst Green and Ticehurst and was elected to Rother District Council in 2011. She has served on a range of committees, including Planning, Audit and Standards and Anti Poverty. Mary is Rother’s representative on the East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee giving her a detailed insight into NHS services and key health issues.

Natasha Burrows, Trustee

Natasha Burrows, Associate Trustee Tash joined the Care for the Carers Board in December 2021 as an Associate Trustee, and is also one of Care for the Carers’ Ambassadors. She is a Young Adult Carer. Tash’s original background is as a Young Carer, so she has personal experience of the impact that caring has on a young persons’ life. She also has experience volunteering in the charity sector, having previously held an administration role for a debt and counselling service.

Geoffrey Munn, Trustee

Geoff was co-opted to the Board in May 2022. Geoff is an experienced Civil Servant and policy maker, with over twenty years of experience in several departments including the Department of Health, Education, Local Government, and Social Mobility. Geoff also brings a broad range of skills in addition to his policy and analytical expertise, including project and programme management, budget holding, and strategic communication. Geoff’s personal and policy interests are in designing policy and services to tackle disparity and inequality. He is particularly focussed on meeting the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Graham Turner, Trustee

Graham was also co-opted to the Board in May 2022. The main part of his career has been in the military, providing advanced pre-hospital emergency care with an emphasis on trauma. He also brings experience within primary healthcare and as a Paramedic dealing with high priority emergencies. When Graham relocated to his home county of East Sussex, he started a career in Paliative care, going on to work in leadership roles at Hospice in the Weald and later Martlets Hospice in Hove. Graham has also acted as a Lecturer Practitioner at The Royal Marsden School, and is now the Director of Care & Service Transformation at Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice in South East London.