Who we are

Trustees & Staff

Board of Trustees:

    Neil Basil - Chair & Founding Trustee
    Laurie Clark - Founding Trustee
    Shirley Stabler - Founding Trustee
    Tim Bedingfield - Trustee
    Tony Dawson - Treasurer Trustee

Staff:

    Lynn Love - Chief Executive
    Helen Bracey - Helpline Services Manager
    Robin Radley - Helpline Stoma Care Nurse
    Evelyn Cowell - Helpline Administration Assistant
    Louise Sugden - Accountant
    Norah Laurie - Trust Fundraiser
    Charlie Rivers - Secondee Web Analyst

Board of Trustees

Neil Basil (Chair & Founding Trustee - I was responsible for founding Ostomy Lifestyle and was Chief Executive of the Charity from 2007 until November 2011.  I spent six years in the British Army but was medically discharged in 2002, due to ulcerative colitis.  Since then I have worked in a commercial environment, and started volunteering for an ostomy support group after ileostomy surgery in 2004.  I now have an ileo-anal pouch, and feel that with the right information and support a stoma should not have an impact on someone’s life.

In my spare time I’m either on my woodland-based smallholding in North Devon, or our boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal. I’m also a Consultant for The Helplines Association, assisting other charities setting up or developing helpline services.

Laurie Clark (Founding Trustee) - I have been involved as a Trustee with Ostomy Lifestyle since the very beginning and was a volunteer on the careline.  I have a stoma and am aware of the need to promote positivity in living with a stoma and for the need to provide information and advice to all who can make us of it. These days my role as a trustee means that I provide support in the running of the charity, ensuring that we abide by all the rules demanded of us as a charity, but I do also manage to get out and about meeting people at various open days and events from which I gain great satisfaction.

Shirley Stabler (Founding Trustee) -  I have been involved with Ostomy Lifestyle since its inception, initially training to be a Helpline volunteer, a role I fulfilled for 2 years and which I found most rewarding. I am also a Trustee and volunteer one day a week helping in the office. I have had an ileostomy for over 40 years and having felt very much on my own in the early days, I am keen to try and help others who might be in the same situation.

Tim Bedingfield (Trustee) – I have been involved with the charity for the last few years after a call from Neil Basil that came out of the blue. After suffering from Ulcerative Colitis for 8 months I had my large intestine removed in 2004 and now have a permanent iIeostomy. In a former life I was an international rower and after my operation went back into the sport of cycling racing. With this in mind and the way I view life after surgery it was a natural fit for me to come into the arms of Ostomy Lifestyle.
I love the can do attitude at the charity, their desire to help people despite the huge pressure that being a small charity in this day and age brings. Fun and games go hand in hand with all of their great work. I am honoured to be representing Ostomy Lifestyle.

Tony Dawson (Treasurer Trustee)

Staff

Lynn Love (Chief Executive) - This is a fantastic charity and I wish it had existed when my mother had had her stoma. I am responsible for generating funds through varied fundraising methods as well as marketing the charity and its services. During my 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry I worked largely in marketing and also had the pleasure  of working with medical charities. For many years I volunteered for charities and since 2003 have worked for small, rapidly growing medical charities in areas such as fundraising, management and membership.

It is a pleasure to work at Ostomy  Lifestyle and see firsthand the help and support it gives to more and more people affected by stomas. Outside of work I am interested in animals and am an avid traveler, keen to see wildlife and as much of the world as possible.

Helen Bracey (Helpline Services Manager) – I have been involved with Ostomy Lifestyle, either as a volunteer or staff member, since it was founded in 2007. Ostomy Lifestyle’s positive attitude towards stoma surgery mirrors my own after having an ileostomy formed for Crohn’s disease in 2004.

I run the Helpline service which involves taking calls and answering emails on a wide range of issues from people affected by stoma surgery. I am also responsible for making sure the policies and procedures we have in place ensure we always deliver a professional and reliable service to the people who need us. I oversee the production of our printed patient literature and deliver workshops and training to patients and professionals all over the country. I find my role incredibly rewarding and am proud to work for such a dynamic and innovative organisation.

Robin Radley (Helpline Stoma Care Nurse) - I worked at Stoke Mandeville Hospital as a Senior Stoma Care /colorectal nurse, and specialised in a range of disciplines including cancer, bereavement, and psychiatric care. I'm also a professional counsellor, specialising in bereavement, and the Cruse Trainer for the Buckinghamshire area.
I really enjoy working on the Helpline and speaking to callers about their ostomy concerns; after so many years in a clinical role it's refreshing to work for such a forward thinking charity.
This post is part of our Big Lottery funded project to bring clinical advice and support to the Helpline, as well as expand our range of support group organiser training and patient workshops being delivered across the country.

Evelyn Cowell (Helpline Administration Assistant) - I have recently joined Ostomy Lifestyle to help take some of the administrative burden off Helen's shoulders. The amount of work is a testament to the success of the charity and how it is continuing to grow. My post is funded by the Big Lottery. Although I do not have a stoma I have undergone years of peritoneal dialysis and can empathise with the concerns of people with a stoma.
I am a keen, although haphazard, gardener. Still, I enjoy my small successes when they occur. Monty Don is my hero.

Louise Sugden (Accountant) – I work one day a week for Ostomy Lifestyle and I’m responsible for the charities accounts and finances. I am studying the CIMA qualification which I hope to complete later this year. I’ve been with the charity since May 2011 but knew very little about it when I started. Since then I have learnt a huge amount about Stoma’s and the work that the charity does and it is a great place to work. The rest of the week I train to play Wheelchair Basketball at a semi-professional level. This year I will represent Great Britain at my second Paralympics and this is possible due to the flexibility Ostomy Lifestyle are able to offer me in my work.

Norah Laurie (Trust Fundraiser) - I am responsible for raising money for Ostomy Lifestyle so the charity can continue to help and support people affected by having a stoma. I am an Associate Member of the Institute of Fundraising and have over ten years of fundraising experience. It was with Barnardo’s in Scotland that I started my career as a fundraiser and since then I have worked mainly with small charities in the healthcare field. I am delighted to now be a freelance fundraiser helping Ostomy Lifestyle progress their fundraising capacity.

I love playing sport especially tennis and enjoy watching any sport at top level.

Charlie Rivers (Secondee Web Analyst) - Although I do not have a stoma myself, I am familiar with them because of family members who have had them in the past. I am currently “on loan” to Ostomy Lifestyle from the John Lewis Partnership where I work as an analyst, most recently having launched their international customer website.

With the help of the charity, I was able to secure a “Golden Jubilee Trust” award from the John Lewis Partnership, which lets me work here full time until the end of 2012. Whilst here, one of the ways I hope to improve the existing Ostomy Lifestyle website is to update it with fresh and easily accessible information.