Meet our team members and trustees

Our people

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Mark Lever

Chief Executive

It was seeing the power of volunteering first hand that motivated me to move from the world of finance to the charity sector nearly 25 years ago – a move I have never regretted. I am incredibly proud to be working with such a talented team who are all committed to maximising the impact of volunteering on the health and wellbeing of local communities.


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Maeve Hully

Director of Volunteering

As a nurse with a career of more than 30 years, I have witnessed the fantastic contribution volunteers can make. My goal at Helpforce is to enable more organisations to grow the role of health and care volunteers, ensuring people and their families receive the support that they need.


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Paddy Hanrahan

Director of Strategy and Innovation

My personal driver is social change and Helpforce is a fantastic opportunity to help communities as well as support our brilliant NHS. Based on my own volunteering experience, the magic of helping other people is a win-win for all involved and should play a role in all of our lives.


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Sally Williams

Helpforce Network Manager

As Helpforce Network Manager, I aim to make sure the Network continues to grow and evolve, providing a thriving and supportive community for professionals from statutory and voluntary sector organisations with an interest in volunteering in health and care. I feel very lucky to witness the connections being made and the problems solved by bringing people together.


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Debbie Ambrose

Network Coordinator

Working with Helpforce has given me a unique opportunity to meet and work with inspirational people whose goal is to improve people’s health and wellbeing with the help of volunteers. My role within the Network team helps to bring Network members together so that they can support each other by sharing their knowledge and challenges.


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Maxine Moss-Black

Programme Manager

My role at Helpforce allows me to help organisations effectively integrate volunteering initiatives into the organisations and/or across place, helping them to improve their efficiencies or ensuring people have the support they need outside of hospital. I really enjoy supporting organisations to adopt approaches that will work in their local context.


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Melissa Griffith

Programme Manager

From experience working within the health and care landscape, I have seen the immense difference volunteers can make to patients at any stage of their care pathway. I am motivated to make that achievable by any health and care organisation. I want to prove to health system leaders that there are endless possibilities for making volunteers part of the solution to the challenges keeping them up at night.


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Mark Burrett

Programme Manager

As a Programme Manager leading on Helpforce Volunteer to Career Programme, I'm very proud to see 66% of volunteers who joined this programme have embarked on careers or secured employment in health and care. I take great pride in this programme, knowing it is helping the health and care sector to connect with local communities and address their workforce needs.


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Sara Miles

Programme Manager

Having worked and volunteered for many health related charities over the past 20 years, I know the benefits that volunteers can bring to those experiencing health challenges and to their families. I want to support as many organisations as possible to develop high impact volunteering services that tackle some big challenges around areas including discharge and missed appointments and, most importantly, that help people to live well.


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Vy Tran

Communications and Content Manager

I’m fascinated by the power of volunteering and truly believe that volunteering plays an important role in our society. From using my extensive knowledge and skills in communications, marketing and PR, I aim to raise Helpforce's profile widely, so that more health and care organisations can learn about the support that we can give them to accelerate the impact of their volunteering.


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Peter Agbon

Digital Solutions Architect

I believe the strongest aspect of humanity is our ability to help each other. That's why I leverage digital innovation and development to empower this movement. Working with Helpforce is incredibly exciting; they focus on unlocking the potential of community and volunteer innovation within healthcare and social care.


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Sibel Akbiyik

Research Analyst

My role at Helpforce allows me to use my research skills to provide evidence demonstrating the impact of volunteering. Raising the profile of volunteering and supporting health and care organisations with their challenges is fulfilling.


Nikki Fojen

Insight and Impact Service Manager

Through years of working in the charitable sector, I have seen first-hand how vital volunteers are in delivering quality care and support. Through our work in the Insight and Impact service, I love being able to support our clients to demonstrate the value and impact of volunteering services, to continue to harness and build upon the incredible support being offered.



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Kate Crossan

Senior Data and Impact Analyst

I love working at Helpforce because it gives me the opportunity to use my data and research skills for a good cause. I hope that our evaluations continue to build recognition of the great impact volunteers can have, and provide evidence to enable our clients to grow and develop their volunteering services.


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Melior Whitear

Head of Communications

Volunteers already do so much across health and care - but could do so much more. I'm pleased to be working alongside this great team to share the message about how Helpforce can support organisations to develop volunteering services, and about our extensive evidence of the difference volunteers make.


Our trustees

Dr Anna Dixon

Chair
Anna co-founded Helpforce with Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett in 2015 and has been a board member ever since.  She has a background in health and care strategy and policy at the highest level – including as Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better and Chair of the Archbishop’s Commission on Reimagining Care.

Jayne Blacklay

Vice-Chair
Jayne is the Strategic Adviser for the Foundation Group of Trusts that include South Warwickshire Foundation Trust (SWFT), George Eliot Hospital Trust, Wye Valley Trust and Worcestershire Acute Trust. She has been a Helpforce Trustee since the beginning and is a non-executive director on a number of boards delivering healthcare and digital services.

Claire Newton

Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee
Claire is a chartered accountant and has previously worked in senior finance roles in the private, public and voluntary sectors. She has been the Honorary Treasurer of Helpforce since 2019.

Claire Riley

Trustee
Claire is the Chief of Corporate Services for North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Executive Lead for Women's Health, Research and Innovation. Before joining the ICB, Claire was the Executive Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Karen Bonner

Trustee
Karen is Chief Nurse and Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. In 2023, she was recognised by the HSJ as one of the 50 most influential Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people in health. She is a member of the Workforce Race Equality Standard Strategic Advisory Group and of the Nurse Executive Council at the Beryl Institute.

Massoud Fouladi

Trustee
Massoud was Co-founder and Medical Director of Circle Health Group. His vision has been to build a co-owned and clinically-led partnership of healthcare professionals. In 2001, Massoud founded the Ophthalmic Clinical Leads Forum at the King's Fund and was Chair of the Association of Ophthalmologists in the UK from 2003-2007.

Lara Sonola

Trustee
Lara is an independent consultant and former Programme Director in the NHS, who has worked in the areas of strategy development, integrated care systems, governance and leadership development. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Octavia Housing, Joint Chair of Age UK Wandsworth and King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity's Chair Designate.

Rosemary Brook Arbiter

Trustee
After university and ten years working in manufacturing industry, Rosemary developed a prominent career in strategic communications for national and global businesses. A former Trustee of the Industry and Parliament Trust and the Royal Voluntary Service, she has been a Helpforce Trustee since the charity’s foundation.

Professor Sir Mike Richards

Trustee
Mike has been a cancer physician, National Cancer Director for England and Chief Inspector of Hospitals at the Care Quality Commission. Currently he is Chair of the UK National Screening Committee and he advises NHS England on diagnostic services. In addition to Helpforce, he is a trustee of Cancer Research UK.

Our Founder

Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett

Founder
Sir Tom founded found Helpforce in 2017 with the vision that everyone who visits the hospital will never be alone. He is also the founder of the Chair of The Marshall Institute within the London School of Economics and Political Science and was Chair of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He is also a Trustee of The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The King's Fund.