Our Board of Trustees

Dame Nicola is the CEO of Valour multi academy trust, prior to this she was an Executive Headteacher of 2 highly successful primary schools for over 15 years. During her time as CEO she has led organisation transformations and the creation of a charitable trust. In addition, Dame Nicola is a national executive officer for NAHT, which enables her to champion the work of leaders, and influence education policy at government level.

In her previous role as vice chair of Schools North East she provided advice on strategy and governance. These are skills she utilises in her role as non- executive director within a social enterprise research company. Dame Nicola will bring her skills in strategy, governance and people management to the role of Trustee at St. Oswald’s. In her spare time Dame Nicola enjoys walking her two cockerpoos, completing cycling challenges and braving open water swims.

Andrew is an experienced Consultant Physiotherapist and is currently Director of Clinical Strategy as part of the Executive Team at Connect Health – a North East-based organisation that provides community, diagnostic, and surgical services to the NHS.

He is recognised as an expert clinician and thought leader on an international scale. As an active researcher with over 35 clinical papers published in peer-reviewed journals, he is a regular speaker at global conferences.

Andrew has held executive positions in several organisations, including the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (as Chair of Education), and most recently the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine – where he became the first Allied Health Professional to join the FSEM Executive Council. He has also served in a non-executive capacity on the Governance Advisory Board of a company providing medicolegal and occupational health services.

In his spare time, Andrew continues to develop his leadership capabilities, holding a King’s Commission in The Royal Yorkshire Regiment. He also describes himself as "a very average runner and cricketer".

As the IT Services Director at Newcastle Building Society, Kirste has over 20 years of experience across both the public and private sectors, delivering digital, technology and IT services. She is passionate about people development, operational stability, and providing exceptional customer service. In her current role, she leads the modernisation and transformation of the organisation's technology estate. Her previous experience includes eight years at the NHS Business Services Authority, where she managed IT governance, risk and compliance, software development, QA & Testing, and support, overseeing significant projects.

On a personal level, she is proud of her North East heritage, with her entire family being born and raised in the region. Growing up in the council estates of the West End, she holds a deep sense of pride in her roots and is grateful for the opportunities she has had. She is also thankful to have raised her three children in Newcastle.

As a neurodivergent woman, she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Having chaired the Disability and Neurodiversity Network at the NHS Business Services Authority, she now serves as co-chair of the Disability Awareness Network at Newcastle Building Society. She is also an active member of various colleague networks and continues to foster an inclusive environment where all colleagues can thrive.

Alison worked as a Partner in General Practice for over 30 years with the Park Medical Group, based in Fawdon and Kingston Park, where she played a significant leadership role.

Over the years, she has seen many patients benefit from the services provided by St Oswald’s Hospice.

Alison has lived in Newcastle all her life, with the exception of her university years, and trained as a GP in the North East. Throughout her career, she has maintained a strong interest in communication skills and education. After initially teaching undergraduates, she went on to become a trainer for postgraduate doctors specialising in General Practice.

She remains involved in training GPs to become trainers and has been a GP appraiser since the process was introduced locally, continuing in this role today.

Outside of work, Alison is a keen tennis player and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

David Hicks is a key member of the Newcastle tax team in Deloitte, and has been instrumental in helping to build a leading practice. In particular, his presence in the market as a heavyweight personal tax adviser has seen the team go from strength to strength, both in the region and further afield.

David is a Deloitte ‘lifer’, having joined as a school leaver from a working class family in 1990. He started his career in the Leeds office, where he gained his CTA qualification, and has been an integral part of the Newcastle office since moving to the North East in 2006. His talents saw him progress to Director in 2012, and since then he has gone from strength to strength showcasing not only his own abilities regionally and nationally, but also that of the entire team.

Neil has worked as a General Practitioner in the North East for 25 years as a Partner at Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical Group in Gateshead and now as a locum GP for Gateshead CBC. Both Neil and his wife, Ruth who is also a GP undertook training in the North East and as such spent time at St Oswald’s learning about end of life care in the hospice and within the community. He has been involved in NHS management for many years, initially as Deputy Medical Director at North of Tyne PCT between 2004 and 2012 and then as a Medical Director for Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group between 2012 and 2019.

Outside of healthcare and work, Neil is a Welfare Officer for the Low Fell Running Club and is also a Volunteer Leader for Ski Club of Great Britain.

Tricia has been a Director and Business Consultant for 20 years and has worked all over the country in public, private and not-for-profit sectors, specialising in HR and Organisational Transformation. She has experience in a diverse range of organisations including Kier, Youth Hostel Association, Health Care Charities, the Arts, Justice and Housing sectors and is an experienced board member, coach and mentor.

Born and brought up in the North East before moving to Sheffield early in her career where she set up a successful business whilst raising her family. She has recently returned to live near the Northumberland coast and is enjoying all the benefits of living in this fabulous part of the country, and enjoys cycling and long beach walks.

Tricia is delighted to have the opportunity to use her experience in the role of Trustee for St Oswald's.

Laura is a Chartered Surveyor working for a property company based in Newcastle and became a Trustee of St Oswald’s Hospice in 2020.

Laura has had a varied career, firstly as part of the HR department at Fenwick Limited after graduating from University. During her nine-years at Fenwick, Laura also worked as part of the senior management team assisting the Managing Director in all elements of the retail business.

In 2012, Laura made the move to the commercial property industry, joining Gavin Black & Partners. Whilst there, Laura completed an MSc in Surveying and, subsequently, was successful in gaining chartered status with Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).

Laura is currently a member of the RICS North East Regional Board looking at standards of the property industry in the region and attracting future talent into the profession.

Following a move to the global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Laura was seconded for maternity cover to Hanro Limited and wasn’t allowed to leave!

Laura has lived and worked in Newcastle her whole life and enjoys getting out and about across the region either with her dog or on her Stand Up Paddleboard.

Imogen is a partner at Ward Hadaway LLP, one of the UK's top 100 law firms with over 90 partners and 450 people, serving local, national and international clients from Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.

Imogen leads the debt finance and banking team within the corporate finance unit at Ward Hadaway. Her role involves managing a team of individuals alongside a continued individual client workload. She is responsible for all aspects of team management including: recruitment; financial performance; unit budgeting; business development and client relationships.

Imogen was born and educated in the North East and is passionate about our area and continues to seek to promote the region as a vibrant and exceptional place to live and work. She enjoys participating in the region's vibrant arts and cultural scene and is a regular visitor to local cinemas and theatres. She also enjoys walking, yoga and pilates.

James is Chief Information Officer (CIO) at North Group, a leading marine mutual liability insurer based in Newcastle upon Tyne with regional offices and subsidiaries in Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. James is responsible for the management of the IT department and supporting 400 employees worldwide. Prior to joining North, James worked in a number of different sectors including finance, health and retail.

James also plays a role in championing the cyber resilience of organisations in the region through his work on the Cyber Security working group for Dynamo North East. Further afield, James contributes to the wider IT agenda across the global maritime insurance industry through the International Group of P& Clubs’ IT Committee, a working group he has chaired since 2020.

Having been appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2021, James is looking forward to sharing his expertise and experience further.

In his spare time James likes to spend as much time as possible outside, preferably on or under water either sailing or scuba diving in the North Sea.

Richard qualified as a CIPFA accountant in 1975, shortly after his move from Warwickshire, his home county council, to take up a position in the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. He stayed there for 8 years as Group Accountant and then Management Accountant, before moving to Langbaurgh Council on Teesside as Assistant Borough Treasurer. With responsibility for Exchequer functions, he had a wide brief over rate and income collection, housing benefits, payroll and various administration functions. 1991 saw Richard move back to Tyneside as Financial Services Manager for Northumbrian Water, where he remained in various roles, latterly Audit, for 20 years.

He retired in 2011 and one of the first things he did after that was to apply for a volunteer role at St Oswald’s. He has loved his Friday work since then. Mainly this has been as a Volunteer Minibus Driver, bringing patients in for day treatment, taking them to the hospitals for X-Rays or on trips out, picking up collection boxes and delivering medical garments. With limited minibus activity at present, Richard is now working at the Hospice’s shop on Gosforth High Street.

Away from work, Richard has become closely involved with junior badminton in the county, carrying out much of the behind-the-scenes administration work, acting as team manager and running tournaments on the Badminton England National Junior Circuit. He is a member of the management committee of Northumberland Badminton Association and Chairman of the Business Sub-Committee. Any spare time is taken up with his regular cycling group or on his allotment.

Sue’s background is in business and retailing opening a jewellery store in Newcastle in 1984. Whilst remaining an active partner in the business, Sue decided to follow another path and studied for a Law degree at Northumbria University, graduating in 2002.

Her interest in law was, in part, inspired by her role as a Magistrate. She served on the Newcastle Bench for 20years including a term as Bench Chairman and also as a member of the Lord Chancellors Advisory Committee.

Sue has volunteered for St Oswalds since 1986 in a variety of roles and is currently part of the Spiritual Care Team based on the Adult Inpatient Unit.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and trying to improve her gardening skills.

David is a Qualified Accountant (C.I.P.F.A.). He retired in 2022 following a long career in NHS Finance, primarily in Northumberland and Newcastle. He has experience of finance in primary care, healthcare commissioning, the provider side of the NHS, NHS Charities, and a number of other regional and national functions. His final appointment was as Deputy Director of Finance for Newcastle upon Tyne Foundation Trust.

David was originally from the North West but has lived in the North East for almost 40 years, and lives locally in Kenton.