Our trustees
Sue Jay
Sue is an interior designer who has spent many years dedicating her free time to the voluntary sector. She has been a member of PTAs and Boards of School Governors and spent 21 years as a member of the National Association of Ladies Circles, serving at local and national levels. During those years she worked closely with many charities, but especially Cancer Research UK for which she received a special award. Sue was a National Board member for five years and was the National President for 2001-2002.
Sue is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees and chairs the Trustees’ Fundraising Committee.
Professor Jillian Mann
Jill completed her medical training in London and Birmingham. She specialised in cancer and blood diseases and was a consultant for 30 years at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she developed the services for children with these disorders. She was a founder member of the UK Children’s Cancer Study Group and worked for the UKCCSG and many national and international committees. Now retired from clinical practice, she continues to undertake research and pursue her education interests.
Jill was Chairman of the Board of Trustees until June 2009.
Professor David Proops
David first came to Birmingham in 1965 to train as a dentist and subsequently studied medicine. He undertook further training in Toronto before being appointed consultant ENT head and neck surgeon to the Birmingham Children's Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and has recently retired from clinical practice. David has been President of the British ENT Society and is visiting professor at the University of Aston where he is still actively engaged in research. He is also a trustee of the TWJ Foundation.
Hugh Reynolds
Hugh has been a Chartered Accountant for over 30 years and is currently Senior Partner of a firm based in Lichfield. He has been a school Governor for 8 years and is an independent financial examiner of charity accounts. Hugh is also a member of his local Village Hall Management Committee and in his spare time he enjoys walking in the Welsh hills.
John Russell
John recently retired as director of a national firm of stockbrokers based at their Birmingham offices. He is a trustee of several Midland charities and has been Chairman of the Birmingham Stock Exchange Association and President of the Securities Institute. He served on Lichfield City Council for a number of years, chairing the Planning and Finance and General Purposes committees. He was also the Mayor of the City of Lichfield.
John was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees in June 2009 and currently also chairs the Trustees’ Investment & Finance Committee.
Katie Silvester
Katie is a partner of a national firm of solicitors based in their Birmingham office. Since training in Cambridge and Manchester, she has worked in Birmingham. Katie is a governor of The Sixth Form College Solihull and of Hockley Heath Primary School and was for many years a member of the Council of the Birmingham Law Society.
Katie chairs the Trustees’ Grant Making Committee.
