Trustees

Gary is the Senior Independent Director of GIB (UK) Ltd, Chairman of GAM London and an NED at Whitehelm UK. He was previously CEO of Whitehelm Capital, European Managing Director for First State Investments and CEO of Norwich Union Life. His early career was with McKinsey and Mercury Asset Management after studying at Cambridge University and INSEAD. He has lived in the Weald since 1991, with periods away in Yorkshire and Sydney.

Jackie Churchward-Cardiff brings a rich blend of nursing, business, and board expertise. Beginning her career as a nurse and advancing to Director of Operations at Barts and The London, she later excelled as a CEO, leading hospital projects in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Now an NHS Non-Executive Director, Jackie is dedicated to compassionate care and celebrates life while dignifying death. She enjoys social tennis, netball, and collecting rescue dogs, and maintains strong community ties in East Sussex and beyond.

Sue is a scientist and a lawyer and has spent her career in the healthcare sector working for both large pharmaceutical and small biotechnology companies. She has for the last six years been a trustee and chairman of Horder Healthcare and its hospitals in Crowborough and East Grinstead. She is a trustee of the Meningitis Research Foundation and a member of the London Central Research Ethics Committee. Sue and her family have lived for many years in the Tunbridge Wells area, where her husband was a GP.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Linda moved into merchant banking with County Bank in London. She joined Barclays Investment Bank (then BZW) in 1985 and worked in Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Private Equity, Workout and Credit Risk. Linda became Head of Credit Risk for the Investment Bank in 2002 with a team of over 500 staff around the world. She chaired various Risk Committees for Barclays and was appointed a Vice Chairman of the Investment Bank in 2012. She retired in 2014 to spend more time with her 3 sons, her dogs and her golf club.

Andrew was a consultant in general paediatrics for over 30 years. He commenced his consultant career in Bromley, South London in 1991; where he was also Director of Medical Education and Associate Medical Director; before moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2011 to support the development of the new team of general paediatricians. He became Associate Medical Director for GOSH in 2016 with responsibility for professional affairs. He has also been Vice President for Education at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to which he now represents senior members and fellows. Andrew is married to Carys, and, during his leisure time, Andrew enjoys singing, cycling, baking (not all at the same time!) and spending time with his four children and seven grandchildren.

Tim has recently retired from General Practice having been a GP in Tonbridge for 35 years. He was also a Forensic Medical Examiner for many of those years. He has served on several committees of the now evolved Primary Care Trust including chairing the Medicine Management Team meetings. His professional contact with Hospice in the Weald has been nearly career-long.
He is married with three daughters, two stepdaughters and a stepson and also has three grandchildren. Sailing holidays have been a feature of his life for several years and he has taken up golf in retirement, which he is struggling to improve. He is also interested in photography which can be time consuming but rewarding.

Helen is currently Chief Product Officer at AA-X, the innovation arm of The Automobile Association, where she is responsible for building next generation automotive products using digital and AI technology. She has over 20 years experience leading product development, digital transformation and customer experience teams across Insurance, Financial Services and consumer services markets. Originally from Norfolk, Helen studied at Nottingham and Newcastle universities before starting her career. She moved to Kings Hill in 2019 where she now lives with her husband Dan and their four children. She loves exercising and is looking forward to joining the Hospice charity runs!

Sara Nelson is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in acute care across Kent, Essex, and London, now serving as Programme Director at The Health Innovation Network South London. With a BSc in Specialist Nursing Practice and an MSc in Digital Healthcare Leadership, she leads digital transformation in care. A self-builder who designed her home in Pembury, Sara’s strong West Kent ties fuel her commitment as a trustee to support the future of hospice care in the Weald.

Iain Newman brings a wealth of legal and corporate expertise to our board. A former corporate lawyer in London, he led the team at Nabarro and was instrumental in the 2017 merger of Nabarro, Olswang, and CMS before retiring in 2021. Now running his own consultancy, Iain combines legal, finance, and communication skills with a strong community focus as a long-time Sevenoaks resident and hospice donor. In his free time, he enjoys family moments, long walks, running with Oaks Blokes, and fine wine.

Paul joined the Hospice Board in July 2023 as Chair of the Finance and Commercial Committee. After gaining an Economics degree from Cambridge University and becoming a qualified accountant, he enjoyed a long international career in the corporate world, primarily with Unilever where he held senior financial positions in the UK, South East Asia and Latin America. Latterly he moved into the not-for-profit sector and was Chief Financial Officer at the Royal Mencap Society for three years before retiring, gaining invaluable experience with this leading national charity. He is now Treasurer and Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, chairing their own Finance, Audit & Risk Committee, and is also a pension fund trustee. A resident of Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough since 1991, Paul has a range of sporting interests including local clubs.