Our Leadership Team
Meet our team who are responsible for running Martlets, St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House.
Our Leadership Team
Meet our team who are responsible for running Martlets, St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House.
We’re committed to ensuring that our expertise can reach everyone who needs it, which is why we’re excited that in 2024, Martlets will be merging with St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our people and patients.
We’re committed to ensuring that our expertise can reach everyone who needs it, which is why we’re excited that in 2024, Martlets will be merging with St Barnabas House and Chestnut Tree House. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our people and patients.
Amanda has a wealth of experience both in the NHS and charity sector, with a track record of delivering improvements in care, performance and finances. Joining the team in October 2021, she brings with her a strong clinical and business development background – with an MBA from Brighton University.
“I am passionate about safe and compassionate care that is accessible to all and particularly for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Becki’s worked in the charity sector for over 25 years for a number of well-known brands including Sightsavers, WWF, the Prince’s Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society. She joined St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House in March 2020 and now oversees the income generation and people services teams, alongside the adult services delivery at both St Barnabas and Martlets. Outside of work Becki spends her time ferrying her teenage son around and supporting her husband’s record label. She lives in Hassocks with her husband, son, dog and cat.
"Having spent many years working in overseas development, this role at the hospices is the first time in my career that I have had the honour and privilege to support the community that myself and my family live in.”
John is a qualified management accountant and has served as Finance Director or CFO for many years in NHS hospital trusts and universities. John has two grown-up children and lives in Brighton, where he produces cider from apples grown in the garden.
"Having supported local food bank and homelessness charities as a volunteer, I’m enjoying the opportunity to bring my professional skills and experience to the running of this important local charity.”
Michael joined Martlets in June 2022. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with a background covering commercial, public and non-profit sectors.
Michael worked in manufacturing companies while studying in the early part of his career and qualified while working in the NHS in senior financial management roles. He moved to the commercial sector with BT where he held various positions before specialising in communications regulation, which led to him joining a national internet and comms provider as Regulatory Director. Subsequently, Michael has held senior management positions in further education and charities as well as continuing consulting activities in the communications sector. He joins Martlets from Independent Lives, a disability and care charity based in Worthing, where he was Director of Business Planning & Finance.
Simone has been a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Martlets since March 2004. She graduated from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, University of London (now part of Imperial School of Medicine) in 1993. Simone did her post-graduate general medical training in and around London. Her interest in palliative medicine began in 1998 as a junior doctor, and this led to her specialist training from 1999-2003.
Since being at Martlets, Simone was Clinical Director of the community palliative care team from 2010-2016 and has been Medical Director since June 2013. As well as her clinical commitments, she has an active teaching role with links to Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the Institute of Cancer Research and with GPs and primary care teams in the local area. She has a large strategic role in the locality working with other providers and commissioning bodies to ensure that palliative and end of life care is of the highest quality and safety.
Simone has a particular interest in medical ethics and obtained her MA in Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care in 2005 from Keele University. She is also passionate about clinical leadership, completing the NHS Staff College Senior Leadership Programme in 2012 and going on to be invited to be part of their faculty in 2013.
When she is not working, Simone enjoys being a busy mum, wife, daughter and friend, indulging in foreign travel and singing, rustling up a good home cooked meal and building on her very basic knowledge of the arts.
Jane is a consultant in palliative medicine and has worked in palliative care for 18 years in community, hospice inpatient and hospital posts in the UK and overseas both as a GP and as a palliative care specialist. She works closely with the Head of Service to provide clinical and strategic leadership for the hospice, clinical insight into discussions at the executive team level and is the organisation’s Caldicott Guardian. Jane continues to be involved in direct patient care, training, education, research and governance alongside this role. She lives in Hove and is a very keen Charleston dancer and sea dipper.
“I am passionate about working within multi-professional teams to deliver effective holistic and equitable care in a sustainable way for both patients, their loved ones and our own staff. I believe palliative care is everyone’s business.”
Gill joined Martlets in February 2022, and has a range of experiences in healthcare across Sussex spanning over 20 years. This includes health commissioning and acute hospital deputy director roles, working closely with social care, community services and education. Her responsibilities have encompassed operational management as well as transformational strategic change.
Gill lives with her husband in Brighton and enjoys travel, cycling and has more recently started outdoor swimming.
Kathleen’s role covers the executive lead of our Estates and Facilities and Health and Safety portfolio, with an overview on our capital works programmes, and the lead on all business planning for the charities. Kathleen has a wealth of knowledge in the health sector, having a career spanning 25 years in the NHS.
"I’m excited to work with such brilliant teams at St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House, where I can bring my professional experience into an organisation that I’m passionate about."
Anna is a registered paediatric nurse and children’s community nurse specialist, with considerable experience working in paediatric palliative care. She’s worked in and around the local area for the past 17 years – working across multiple sectors and organisations. She lives locally with her husband and two teenagers and loves to go on family adventures abroad.
"It’s a privilege to take up this role and I’m looking forward to developing Chestnut Tree House services for children and families, now and in the future.”
Having previously worked in retail and financial services marketing, Rachel moved into the charity sector and has been in public fundraising roles for the last 12 years. As Director of Public Fundraising and Retail, Rachel manages the fundraising teams responsible for generating donations from members of the general public, through our retail shops, and also manages our supporter care, donations processing, and database teams. In her spare time Rachel is a reluctant runner and ran her first half marathon to raise money for Chestnut Tree House. At home she is kept company by her orange cat Billy, who enjoys following her around the house demanding treats and making an appearance on virtual meetings when she is working from home.
“We moved to Worthing when I was 10 years old, and I have grown up knowing about the incredible work the hospices do. I am regularly in awe of the unwavering support of our local community. Hearing about and seeing for myself the wonderful ways people raise money for us never fails to remind me of what an amazing organisation we are, and I am proud to work somewhere that makes such a difference to those in the area I live in.”
Mandy joined Martlets in April 2023 and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Prior to joining us, she was the director of people and organisational development at St Christopher’s hospice for eight years, having also worked as a human resources director in further and higher education previously.
Mandy considers herself to be true ‘HR lifer’ having worked in human resources and organisational development for over 20 years. What she loves most about her work is when she is able to support people to achieve their career ambitions.
A strong advocate of volunteering, Mandy has spent a great deal of her adult life as a volunteer, starting some years ago when she worked in a Royal National Institute of Blind People day centre. She has also provided school career advice including mock interviews to Years 10-13 and was a NED/Trustee of an Academy Trust for 12 years, until 2022.
Clare joined St Barnabas in June 2023 and is a Chartered Member of CIPD and has over 20 years HR experience in a range of private and public sector organisations. Her role covers the delivery of the HR operations portfolio which includes HR and payroll administration, recruitment and employee relations management. Clare is enthusiastic in her approach and considers her key strengths are in developing strong working relationships with people to influence positive results for managers and their teams.
“I am incredibly proud to work for St Barnabas Hospices, and with colleagues from across whole the organisation who demonstrate on a daily basis their passion and commitment to what they do.”
Amanda has a wealth of experience both in the NHS and charity sector, with a track record of delivering improvements in care, performance and finances. Joining the team in October 2021, she brings with her a strong clinical and business development background – with an MBA from Brighton University.
“I am passionate about safe and compassionate care that is accessible to all and particularly for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Becki’s worked in the charity sector for over 25 years for a number of well-known brands including Sightsavers, WWF, the Prince’s Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society. She joined St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House in March 2020 and now oversees the income generation and people services teams, alongside the adult services delivery at both St Barnabas and Martlets. Outside of work Becki spends her time ferrying her teenage son around and supporting her husband’s record label. She lives in Hassocks with her husband, son, dog and cat.
"Having spent many years working in overseas development, this role at the hospices is the first time in my career that I have had the honour and privilege to support the community that myself and my family live in.”
John is a qualified management accountant and has served as Finance Director or CFO for many years in NHS hospital trusts and universities. John has two grown-up children and lives in Brighton, where he produces cider from apples grown in the garden.
"Having supported local food bank and homelessness charities as a volunteer, I’m enjoying the opportunity to bring my professional skills and experience to the running of this important local charity.”
Michael joined Martlets in June 2022. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with a background covering commercial, public and non-profit sectors.
Michael worked in manufacturing companies while studying in the early part of his career and qualified while working in the NHS in senior financial management roles. He moved to the commercial sector with BT where he held various positions before specialising in communications regulation, which led to him joining a national internet and comms provider as Regulatory Director. Subsequently, Michael has held senior management positions in further education and charities as well as continuing consulting activities in the communications sector. He joins Martlets from Independent Lives, a disability and care charity based in Worthing, where he was Director of Business Planning & Finance.
Simone has been a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Martlets since March 2004. She graduated from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, University of London (now part of Imperial School of Medicine) in 1993. Simone did her post-graduate general medical training in and around London. Her interest in palliative medicine began in 1998 as a junior doctor, and this led to her specialist training from 1999-2003.
Since being at Martlets, Simone was Clinical Director of the community palliative care team from 2010-2016 and has been Medical Director since June 2013. As well as her clinical commitments, she has an active teaching role with links to Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the Institute of Cancer Research and with GPs and primary care teams in the local area. She has a large strategic role in the locality working with other providers and commissioning bodies to ensure that palliative and end of life care is of the highest quality and safety.
Simone has a particular interest in medical ethics and obtained her MA in Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care in 2005 from Keele University. She is also passionate about clinical leadership, completing the NHS Staff College Senior Leadership Programme in 2012 and going on to be invited to be part of their faculty in 2013.
When she is not working, Simone enjoys being a busy mum, wife, daughter and friend, indulging in foreign travel and singing, rustling up a good home cooked meal and building on her very basic knowledge of the arts.
Jane is a consultant in palliative medicine and has worked in palliative care for 18 years in community, hospice inpatient and hospital posts in the UK and overseas both as a GP and as a palliative care specialist. She works closely with the Head of Service to provide clinical and strategic leadership for the hospice, clinical insight into discussions at the executive team level and is the organisation’s Caldicott Guardian. Jane continues to be involved in direct patient care, training, education, research and governance alongside this role. She lives in Hove and is a very keen Charleston dancer and sea dipper.
“I am passionate about working within multi-professional teams to deliver effective holistic and equitable care in a sustainable way for both patients, their loved ones and our own staff. I believe palliative care is everyone’s business.”
Gill joined Martlets in February 2022, and has a range of experiences in healthcare across Sussex spanning over 20 years. This includes health commissioning and acute hospital deputy director roles, working closely with social care, community services and education. Her responsibilities have encompassed operational management as well as transformational strategic change.
Gill lives with her husband in Brighton and enjoys travel, cycling and has more recently started outdoor swimming.
Kathleen’s role covers the executive lead of our Estates and Facilities and Health and Safety portfolio, with an overview on our capital works programmes, and the lead on all business planning for the charities. Kathleen has a wealth of knowledge in the health sector, having a career spanning 25 years in the NHS.
"I’m excited to work with such brilliant teams at St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House, where I can bring my professional experience into an organisation that I’m passionate about."
Anna is a registered paediatric nurse and children’s community nurse specialist, with considerable experience working in paediatric palliative care. She’s worked in and around the local area for the past 17 years – working across multiple sectors and organisations. She lives locally with her husband and two teenagers and loves to go on family adventures abroad.
"It’s a privilege to take up this role and I’m looking forward to developing Chestnut Tree House services for children and families, now and in the future.”
Having previously worked in retail and financial services marketing, Rachel moved into the charity sector and has been in public fundraising roles for the last 12 years. As Director of Public Fundraising and Retail, Rachel manages the fundraising teams responsible for generating donations from members of the general public, through our retail shops, and also manages our supporter care, donations processing, and database teams. In her spare time Rachel is a reluctant runner and ran her first half marathon to raise money for Chestnut Tree House. At home she is kept company by her orange cat Billy, who enjoys following her around the house demanding treats and making an appearance on virtual meetings when she is working from home.
“We moved to Worthing when I was 10 years old, and I have grown up knowing about the incredible work the hospices do. I am regularly in awe of the unwavering support of our local community. Hearing about and seeing for myself the wonderful ways people raise money for us never fails to remind me of what an amazing organisation we are, and I am proud to work somewhere that makes such a difference to those in the area I live in.”
Mandy joined Martlets in April 2023 and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Prior to joining us, she was the director of people and organisational development at St Christopher’s hospice for eight years, having also worked as a human resources director in further and higher education previously.
Mandy considers herself to be true ‘HR lifer’ having worked in human resources and organisational development for over 20 years. What she loves most about her work is when she is able to support people to achieve their career ambitions.
A strong advocate of volunteering, Mandy has spent a great deal of her adult life as a volunteer, starting some years ago when she worked in a Royal National Institute of Blind People day centre. She has also provided school career advice including mock interviews to Years 10-13 and was a NED/Trustee of an Academy Trust for 12 years, until 2022.
Clare joined St Barnabas in June 2023 and is a Chartered Member of CIPD and has over 20 years HR experience in a range of private and public sector organisations. Her role covers the delivery of the HR operations portfolio which includes HR and payroll administration, recruitment and employee relations management. Clare is enthusiastic in her approach and considers her key strengths are in developing strong working relationships with people to influence positive results for managers and their teams.
“I am incredibly proud to work for St Barnabas Hospices, and with colleagues from across whole the organisation who demonstrate on a daily basis their passion and commitment to what they do.”