Trustees have overall control of the charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do and are the people who lead the charity and decide how it is run. At Tree of Hope, the day to day running of the charity is delegated to Gill Gibb, our CEO, and her team. All the key decisions and strategic direction are the responsibility of the Trustees, alongside ensuring the good financial state of the charity. Gill helps and contributes to the discussions and decisions made.
Our Trustees do this role voluntarily, giving up their own time to use their skills and experience to help us be the best we can be – all are motivated by a keen desire to help others and give back.
Gill Gibb, CEO
Gill has been working with Tree of Hope since November 2015 and leads the team with day to day operations and works with the Board to implement strategy. Gill has worked for 30 years...
Gill has been working with Tree of Hope since November 2015 and leads the team with day to day operations and works with the Board to implement strategy. Gill has worked for 30 years in retail financial services and the not-for-profit sector and is an experienced Chief Executive who is passionate about making a difference for the families we suppport.
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Dave Grist, Head of Finance & IT
Dave started with Tree of Hope in April 2016 and manages all the financial and IT elements of the charity, audits and investments. Dave is supported by an Accounts Manager who works to service...
Dave started with Tree of Hope in April 2016 and manages all the financial and IT elements of the charity, audits and investments. Dave is supported by an Accounts Manager who works to service the financial running of all aspects of the family campaigns and suppliers we work with as well as the general running of the charity.
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Oliver Thorneycroft, Finance Manager
Oliver is Tree of Hope's Finance Manager. Oliver works alongside our Head of Finance & IT, Dave, and together they work with suppliers and ensure the families accounts are managed efficiently, that all your...
Oliver is Tree of Hope's Finance Manager. Oliver works alongside our Head of Finance & IT, Dave, and together they work with suppliers and ensure the families accounts are managed efficiently, that all your invoices are paid as swiftly as possible, process gift aid and make sure all donations and match funding are allocated correctly so that your campaign is always up to date.
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Georgina Lowry, Head of Marketing & Family Support
Georgie is our Head of Marketing and Family Support and has been working with Tree of Hope since July 2016. Georgie is responsible for developing Tree of Hope's brand awareness, leading on marketing, social...
Georgie is our Head of Marketing and Family Support and has been working with Tree of Hope since July 2016. Georgie is responsible for developing Tree of Hope's brand awareness, leading on marketing, social media, website and PR activities for the charity and the families we support. Georgie also works with hospitals, suppliers and partner organisations and charities to develop relationships and leads the Family Support team and all activities involved to ensure families feel as supported as possible through out their Tree of Hope fundraising journey's. Georgie is supported by two officers, Caroline & Stephanie.
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Caroline Candler, Family Support Officer
Caroline joined Tree of Hope as our Family Support Officer in November 2019 and feels passionately about supporting families who need our help. Caroline helps with all new and existing enquiries from families and...
Caroline joined Tree of Hope as our Family Support Officer in November 2019 and feels passionately about supporting families who need our help. Caroline helps with all new and existing enquiries from families and health care professionals, gives advice on managing a child’s fundraising campaign, and is often the first port of call for our beneficiaries. As a parent herself, Caroline gains a great amount of pleasure in seeing families reach their targets and achieve their goals.
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Katie Wotawa, Remote Family Support Officer
Katie is our first Family Support Officer based in the North of England, who joined us in March 2022! Katie works alongside Caroline, Georgie and Steph in the Family Support team, helping new and...
Katie is our first Family Support Officer based in the North of England, who joined us in March 2022! Katie works alongside Caroline, Georgie and Steph in the Family Support team, helping new and existing families to navigate their fundraising journeys. Katie has been enjoying visiting some exhibitions and events, and is keen to meet with our families in the North to help them get the most out of their fundraising experience!
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Stephanie Carlyon, Marketing & Family Support Officer
Steph joined Tree of Hope in November 2020, working alongside Georgie and Caroline as our Marketing and Family Support Officer. Steph works with our new and existing families, offering fundraising advice and inspiration as...
Steph joined Tree of Hope in November 2020, working alongside Georgie and Caroline as our Marketing and Family Support Officer. Steph works with our new and existing families, offering fundraising advice and inspiration as well as offering marketing and social media support to help raise campaign awareness to families who require it! Steph loves being able make a real difference by making life that little bit easier for families in along their fundraising journey.
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Karen Warner, Head of Fundraising
Karen has been working in the voluntary sector for the past 15 years and has an extensive background in Fundraising including community, corporate, events and trust and foundations. Karen has worked for the likes...
Karen has been working in the voluntary sector for the past 15 years and has an extensive background in Fundraising including community, corporate, events and trust and foundations. Karen has worked for the likes of Demelza Children's Hospice, Burrswood, the Shaw Trust and West Kent YMCA. Karen leads and organises all of the charity's internal fundraising events with the support of our Fundraising Manager Joe and works with all of our Community and Corporate supporters.
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Emma Bourne, Head of Fundraising - Trust and Foundations
Emma has been with Tree of Hope since January 2016 and works to develop relationships with funders and managing all applications to raise funds for Tree of Hope general funds, specialising in Trust and...
Emma has been with Tree of Hope since January 2016 and works to develop relationships with funders and managing all applications to raise funds for Tree of Hope general funds, specialising in Trust and Foundations.
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Kevin Werry, Chairman - Trustee
Kevin chairs the Board of Trustees and has done so since April 2015. His background is telecoms, regulation and audit and he volunteers for Kent Search and Rescue, Kent Bloodbank and is a School...
Kevin chairs the Board of Trustees and has done so since April 2015. His background is telecoms, regulation and audit and he volunteers for Kent Search and Rescue, Kent Bloodbank and is a School Governor.
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Alex Noble, Deputy Chairman, Trustee
Alexandra of Noble & Associates is an Independent Consultant in the Financial Services sector, operating both in the UK and Internationally. She is particularly interested in medical and children’s issues, currently acting as an...
Alexandra of Noble & Associates is an Independent Consultant in the Financial Services sector, operating both in the UK and Internationally. She is particularly interested in medical and children’s issues, currently acting as an advisor to the Royal College of Nursing. Alexandra has been extensively involved with charities for many years and has worked with CEO Gill Gibb previously at the Charity Employees Benevolent Fund.
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Rob Lay, Trustee
Rob joined the Board in October 2016 and is recently retired from a career in asset management with responsibility for 10 country operations with multi faceted operational, marketing, HR, key stakeholder and PR developments....
Rob joined the Board in October 2016 and is recently retired from a career in asset management with responsibility for 10 country operations with multi faceted operational, marketing, HR, key stakeholder and PR developments. Rob attends our Finance Committee.
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Sean Thompson, Trustee
Sean is Managing Director of investment research firm CAMRADATA. Sean has always had a great interest and passion for charitable organisations, helping make a positive impact on the lives of others and has taken...
Sean is Managing Director of investment research firm CAMRADATA. Sean has always had a great interest and passion for charitable organisations, helping make a positive impact on the lives of others and has taken part in a large variety of fundraising initiatives from the age of 23, when he joined the Canterbury round table. Since then, Sean has immersed himself in charity and has taken on a large variety of voluntary event organising and media roles, inspiring others to do good for great local causes. Sean founded The MED Club in November 1998 with 10 friends and to date they have raised over £150,000 for charitable organisations.
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Charlotte Eberlein, Trustee
Charlotte joined the Board in September 2017 and is Head of Marketing and Business Development for a large regional law firm. Charlotte attends our Fundraising and Marketing Committee.
Charlotte joined the Board in September 2017 and is Head of Marketing and Business Development for a large regional law firm. Charlotte attends our Fundraising and Marketing Committee.
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Beth Dunmall, Trustee
In her day job, Beth is a consultant to trustees of large UK pension schemes and brings her experience of working with trustee boards to the Tree of Hope team. She attends the Fundraising...
In her day job, Beth is a consultant to trustees of large UK pension schemes and brings her experience of working with trustee boards to the Tree of Hope team. She attends the Fundraising and Marketing Committee and over the past few years has taken part in various fundraising initiatives herself (including challenging herself to half marathon runs, despite never having run before…)
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Laura Smith, Trustee
Laura is a Lecturer in Psychology based at the University of Kent. She conducts research into cognition and mental health and works with people with different neurological conditions. Laura has been a member of...
Laura is a Lecturer in Psychology based at the University of Kent. She conducts research into cognition and mental health and works with people with different neurological conditions. Laura has been a member of the Tree of Hope Medical Committee since 2018 and has recently joined our board of Trustees!
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