Board of Trustees and Advisory Council

Membership Trustee, Appointed 2020

Roles

• Chair of Remuneration and Nominations Committee
• People and Support Services Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult Services)
• Charity Leadership
• Health & Social Care Leadership & Knowledge

Born, raised and educated in Birmingham, Paul had over 40 years of NHS experience, 23 of which were as a Chief Officer or Chief Executive’ before he retired from full time work in 2021. He has led a wide range of NHS organisations.

Along with his role at Hospice UK, Paul is a Trustee of both the Nishkam Heath Care Trust, and St. Giles Hospice, Staffordshire.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2021

Roles

• Governance Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult Services)
• Charity Leadership
• Health & Social Care Leadership & Knowledge (Social Care)

Sharon Allen joined Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC) as CEO in 2019, Previously she held the post of CEO at Skills for Care, and prior to this CEO of St Anne’s Community Services.

She is a a Trustee with Age UK, and Patron of Cambridgeshire Care Provider Alliance. Sharon was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to homeless people, social care and housing.

Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• People and Support Services Committee Member

Key Skills

• Palliative Care Medicine
• Palliative Care Research
• Equity

Dr Sabrina Bajwah is Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical Reader at King’s College London, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Executive Lead at the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation.

Trustee, Appointed 2021

Roles

• Chair of Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee (on mat leave)

Key Skills

• Finance
• Audit

Chloé Chik joined Hospice UK as a Co-opted Trustee and Chair of the Finance Income Generation & Audit Committee in September 2021. She is a qualified chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and her background is in financial statements audits for the charity, healthcare, education and social housing sectors.

As a Director at KPMG, she currently leads large national teams to deliver internal audit and risk assurance services for the Government and devolved public sector, including healthcare. Chloé was previously the Charity Sector Lead for the UK firm and has worked with a range of not-for-profit organisations including some of the largest charities in the UK and abroad.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2023

Roles

• Chair of Hospice Boards Council
• Chair of Governance Committee

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult Services)
• Charity Leadership
• Charity Governance
• Health & Social Care Leadership & Knowledge

Ros is Chair and Trustee at Compton Care a specialist hospice serving Wolverhampton, the Black Country and surrounding areas. She chairs the Hospice Boards Council at Hospice UK.

She is an experienced NHS Chief Executive and health care leader who combines a clinical background with substantial leadership experience across the full range of healthcare settings. Ros has a special interest in palliative care for disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. She is a Fellow at Worcester University.

Membership Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee Member

Key Skills

• Palliative Care Medicine
• Palliative Care Research

Originally from Dundee, Sam has worked in the NHS and Hospice Sector for over 25 years.

Sam has been a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Luke’s Hospice and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2008, and Medical Director at St Luke’s Hospice since 2013.

Sam has held clinical leadership and advisory roles in NHS England regionally and nationally including Training Programme Director for Palliative Medicine in Yorkshire and Humber Deanery, and most recently Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care for NHSE North East and Yorkshire Region.

Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee Member

Key Skills

• Income Generation (Grants)
• Membership Organisation Governance
• Education and Training

Professor Helen Laville is the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and took up her role on 1 August 2025.

Helen's career began at the University of Birmingham, where she specialised in American women's history, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement. She served as the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at Manchester Metropolitan University, before joining Kingston in 2020 as the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, to lead on their academic mission of education, research and knowledge exchange.

Having experienced the practical and emotional support that hospices offer to families at their lowest points, Helen is committed to supporting the work of Hospice UK, and to helping it develop its strategy for the coming years.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2018

Roles

• Governance Committee Member
• Chair of Grants Committee
• People and Support Services Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Children)
• Palliative Care Medicine (Paediatrics)

Originally a Consultant Paediatrician, Mike subsequently became Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Since retirement in 2015, Mike has been a trustee for Naomi House and Jacksplace, the Children and Young Adults Hospice. 

Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• People and Support Services Committee Member

Key Skills

• Palliative Care Nursing
• Palliative Care Research
• Patient and Public Involvement

Alison is an experienced academic who combines her clinical background as a nurse with research to advance practice, with a career extending over 40 years. Alison has an interest in nurse-led interventions that promote personalised care and better symptom management for people with life-limiting conditions.

She leads a large programme of applied health and care research that responds to, and meets the needs of, local populations and local health and care systems. She leads a team dedicated to enabling healthcare professionals make research part of their careers.

Alongside her role at the university and hospital in Southampton, since 2020 Alison has worked for NHS England as Deputy Director of Nursing Research.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2019

Roles

• Chair of People and Support Services Committee
• Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult)
• Independent Hospice Leadership (Children)
• Palliative Care Nursing

Michelle Rollinson is Chief Executive Officer of St Andrew’s Hospice, and a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. 

Michelle is a Registered Nurse with 20 years’ senior management experience within Hospice care, and has health sector knowledge spanning both adult and children’s care.

As seconded Clinical Project Lead for Humber Children’s Palliative and End of Life Care project she is leading transformational change.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2019

Roles

• Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult)
• Income Generation (Fundraising)
• Charity Leadership

An experienced charity leader, David has held a number of Chief Exec roles over the last twenty years in welfare rights, mental health and hospice care. After his most recent position at Teesside Hospice, David is currently Chair of St Leonards Hospice in York and an Associate Non-Executive Director at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

Developing a strong vision for good healthcare has allowed David to lead service redesign and develop lasting relationships with partners. He regularly engages in public debate on issues such as mental health, end of life care, charities and leadership.

Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• Acting Chair of Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee 

Key Skills

• Finance
• Audit
• Income Generation
• Charity Leadership
• Charity Governance

Richard Winter CBE is Deputy Chair of Save the Children in the UK, board member of Save the Children International and recently retired partner at PwC.

Membership Trustee, Elected 2025

Roles

• Chair of Advisory Council
• People and Support Services Committee Member

Key Skills

• Independent Hospice Leadership (Adult)
• HR / People / Workforce

Helen Bennett has led Pilgrims Hospices as Chief Executive Officer since 2020, bringing over a decade of senior experience in healthcare leadership, human resources, and organisational development.

Previously Helen was the Director of Human Resources at Pilgrims, and an NHS Director involved in major strategic transformation projects, Helen has a deep understanding of both statutory health services and hospice care. She is committed to championing high-quality, person-centred care for people living with a life-limiting illness.

Helen has served on the Hospice UK Advisory Council since 2022, representing hospices across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

Trustee, Appointed 2025

Roles

• Finance, Income Generation & Audit Committee Member

Key Skills

• Finance
• Audit
• Health & Social Care Leadership and Knowledge (Health)

Andrew Strevens is an experienced CEO and CFO, who has worked over 10 years at Board level within the NHS, currently Chief Finance Officer for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. His career spans both the public and private sectors and he is passionate about ensuring the maximum benefit from the resources available. Andrew is a values-based leader who believes deeply in developing a culture where people can thrive and be at their best.