Trustees
Clive Whitehead – Treasurer / Acting Chair
Clive has been a trustee for 10 years. He has found being a trustee a very enlightening experience in terms of how the charity works, and the demands that are put on everyone involved in the work the charity undertakes.
With no real prior knowledge of caring or trusteeship, Clive had to learn about the charity and the role of a trustee. Talking to staff and carers helped him understand the importance of such a worthwhile charity.
The arrival of COVID brought new challenges, with no face to face meetings and everything being done electronically. However, even though there has been limited exposure for the charity, the board of trustees has expanded which can only be a good thing. Clive looks forward to seeing the charity continue to increase awareness of what the charity does.
Outside of the charity, Clive is a fully qualified accountant and has been running his own practice for a couple of years, which has continued to expand. His interests are all sports, he is a keen cyclist as well as enjoying playing 5 a side football. He has a close relationship with his children as well as his partner. His other interest is his parrot a yellow crested Amazon, who is very entertaining as well as demanding.
Roger Service
Roger is a Civil Engineer specialising in Health and Safety after retiring from Central Government. He was a Trustee Board member of The Chartered Management Institute and now spends his time helping other people through volunteering with various charity organisations. His passion is Welsh Rugby and he enjoys gardening.
John Piper
John has just fully retired, having had careers in retail travel management, IT training, practice management (legal) and my own IT Consultancy. He is a professional member of the BSC (The Charted Institute for IT). He has been volunteering for the Association of Carers for a little while on the Computer Help at Home service. He has found to be enjoyable and will continue to do so. He has 2 children and 5 Grandchildren. He enjoy foreign travel, keeping marine fish, photography and walking his dog Teddy.
Andy Thomas
From Monmouthshire via S. London, Andy has lived in Lewes for many years. He was a partner in a large Sussex law firm and is now semi-retired.
As a young man, he worked in the NHS including in operating theatres and also has experience of being a full-time carer.
He is currently secretary of a community interest company promoting local music and was joint founder of Rocket FM, a seasonal local radio station
Linda Witten
Linda, although born in Canada after WW2, grew up in Brighton and has lived in a village in Sussex ever since. With her late husband they raised three children and when her children were small she was actively involved in lots of village community endeavours including fundraising for a new sports centre. For many years Linda ran a charity to provide domestic support and shopping for mainly elderly people in Mid Sussex and was also a serving magistrate until her retirement in 2017. She has previous trustee experience having been a governor of Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. She has experience of the carers network in West Sussex when her husband was nursed at home and she has very current experience of caring as she has responsibility for her 99 year old mother who lives with her.
Luke Apps
Luke joined as a trustee in May 2021. He runs two recruitment businesses that offer professional staff across the UK. In his spare time Luke watches Aston Villa play football and also spends time with his daughter Neve.
Gillian Scollay
Since the age of 18 I have always been ‘hands on’ whether it be nursing, counselling or helping others in some practical way. Since nursing my husband and covid, together with the constraints of age, everything changed. There was a vacuum. The possibility of becoming a trustee with the AOC presented itself as something I could contribute to. I am still in the learning phase but am enjoying being part of a team once more (and what a wonderful team they are!)
Sue Hammett
I became a probationary trustee in February, and following a long and varied career within a blue-chip organisation, I wished to devote a portion of my spare time to the care of others. Having been introduced to the Association of Carers, I believe that I have found a perfect fit.
My working life demanded a fine attention to detail, and this is but one aspect from a range of skills that I can offer. I am used to dealing with folk from around the globe, and thoroughly enjoy interacting with others.
During the final years of my career, I found myself in the role of carer; this being for my mother who was so unfortunate as to contract Alzheimer’s Disease, and it was during this period when experiencing every emotion imaginable, that my ability to provide empathetic care was realised. It is always harder when the person requiring care is a loved one – particularly when dementia is involved, but one must deal with whatever is presented.
My social interests include valued time with our family; five grandchildren certainly keep me on my toes! We have an MG sports car, and are members of a couple of local classic car clubs with whom we enjoy a variety of activities, some of which I arrange. I also enjoy crosswords – my best result being the winner of the Telegraph Christmas crossword some years ago, for which I won a case of Krug
Lady Crabtree is Patron of the Association of Carers
The Dowager has been entertaining audiences since 1978 with her comic views on life. She has made countless radio and TV broadcasts; written several books, including The Secret Journals of Queen Elizabeth II, and speaks to a large variety of clubs, groups and societies each year with her comedy talks.
Over the past forty years Lady Crabtree has raised many thousands of pounds for a wide range of charities and is particularly delighted to be Patron of the Association of Carers.
Lady Crabtree says:
“From experience, I understand just a little of what Carers go through and what it entails having to look after a loved one. The hours it takes, the energy required, the inevitable stress involved, and how at times it can feel very isolating. Thousands of people in East Sussex are spending more than 50 hours a week as an unpaid Carer.”
Claire Baldry
Claire is a retired primary school headteacher who is now a carer for her husband. When she does have spare-time, she writes and performs light-hearted poetry as well as supporting community events in her hometown of Bexhill. Claire says “As a carer myself, I know how demanding the role is and also the immense value of the support offered by The Association of Carers. I was delighted to be accepted as a trustee for the charity, and will do my best to contribute to their work.”
Phyl Osborne
On leaving school, I worked as a shorthand typist. Firstly for the War Office Selection Board and then with the Hampshire Police. I wanted to join the Police, but was too short!!! I met and married my first husband. We lived five years in Dundee and my two sons were born there. Very sadly, our second son was born extremely premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of two. (He is now 62) So I have had many years of caring. However, we endeavoured to ensure his independence as much as possible, and since the age of 22 he has lived in his own home but with support from the family. We had so many hurdles/battles to overcome, and this is really what has made me acutely aware of the very little support ‘disabled’ families receive. After the birth of my two boys, my husband’s work took us to Crawley in West Sussex. I had two more children (girls), so I was at home with the children. I joined a disability group and learned to horse-ride to be knowledgeable in assisting with the local Riding for the Disabled Group, which my son loved. I became widowed and needed to work! I started as a secretary at the local Social Services and then became an assistant social worker. This led me to become a qualified social worker, working firstly with adults and then children and families. I became keenly interested in the welfare of deaf people and was asked if I would undergo training in relation to this. I consulted the children – the youngest was about 14 at the time – and they all felt it was a great idea and actively encouraged me. Around that time, I met my present husband, and since our marriage, he has been a quiet source of strength and support. I retired at 67 years of age, having worked very many years as a senior social worker for Deaf people across West Sussex. Sadly, I am now caring for him as he has alzheimers type dementia. It is therefore a result of life events that the Association of Carers was very much the organisation I felt I wanted to be involved with, having personally experienced the constant challenges and hurdles of ‘caring’!