Trustees
The Trustees have responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity, ensuring that Thames Hospice meets its strategic objectives whilst complying with charity law and the Charity Commission requirements.
Accessibility
Search
- About us
- Our people
- Trustees
The Board
The Thames Hospice Board is Chaired by Chris Aitken. The Trustees have been carefully selected for their breadth of experience in the medical, commercial and charity sectors.
Full board meetings are held every three months at Thames Hospice, Windsor Road, Maidenhead, SL6 2DN.
Chris joined the Thames Hospice Board in 2012 and became Chair of Trustees in September 2022.
Chris is a graduate of Edinburgh University and has had a career in agribusiness and the food industry, specialising in supply chain management. He has had director roles in procurement, manufacturing and supply chain across Europe for Nestle and United Biscuits. He ran his own supply chain and change management consultancy business, and has worked with ABF, Northern Foods, RHM and latterly Premier Foods and Burtons Biscuits.
As well as his role as Chair of Trustees at Thames Hospice, Chris is Trustee and Secretary of The Prince Philip Trust Fund for The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. He is Chair of the Windsor & Eton Choral Society, Vice-Chair of the Windsor and Eton Society, a Lay Steward at St George's Chapel, Windsor, a Director of St George’s House, a Trustee of The Foundation of The College of St George, Windsor Castle and a local committee member of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Chris lives in Windsor with his wife Linda and also has a home in St Andrews.
Judith became a Thames Hospice Trustee in 2017 after a long career as a GP and Senior Partner in a Maidenhead practice.
She also spent five years on the board of WAM (Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead) Clinical Commissioning Group, giving a clinical focus to the commissioning of services for local residents.
Judith is married to her husband Clive, has three grown-up children and two grandchildren. She enjoys skiing, playing golf and travelling.
Jon joined the Thames Hospice Board in 2020 and is on the HR & Nominations Committee and Chairs the Finance & Investment Committee.
He is a qualified accountant, treasurer and member of the Institute of Directors. With more than 30 years experience of director-level leadership of finance, systems and change teams, he has worked with a number of global multinational companies in various industries. He is a trustee of other charities and is full of admiration for what the palliative sector contributes.
Jon is married and has three adult children. He enjoys rugby from a distance but participates in running and cycling. His other pleasure includes reading history and living in the Thames Valley which offers plenty of history to see.
Jon says:
"I am very honoured to be a Trustee of Thames Hospice whose wonderful staff provide compassionate care and support to our community, making such a difference to so many lives each year."
Starting her career in the civil service, Janet King joined Frimley Park Hospital in 1987 working for West Surrey and North East Hants Health Authority as Personnel Manager.
Janet became a Director of Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust in 1991 and served under Sir Andrew Morris for 30 years as Deputy Chief Executive at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. Janet’s portfolio included human resources management, all non-clinical support services, estate and capital planning. Janet now works in consultancy at board level, with specialist skills in board governance, mergers and acquisitions, board and clinical leadership, investigations and mediations.
After experiencing first-hand the support and care Thames Hospice provides for our patients and their families, Janet believes end-of-life care is a basic human right for everyone, providing a vital service to the population. On the Board Janet aims to help strengthen the links between secondary care and the Hospice so that we can jointly provide the best care for end of life patients.
Alice joined the Thames Hospice Board in 2022 and is on the Finance & Investment and Income Generation Committees.
With over 20 years experience at board level delivering transformational change across a variety of industries in both public and private sector, Alice has a unique perspective from working in both charities and commercial settings.
Alice is passionate about her local community, and was crowned Wonder Woman of Windsor in 2020 due to the phenomenal contribution she makes to a number of charities across the area.
Alice loves swimming and began open water swimming during the pandemic, she can often be found enjoying the view of the Hospice from the lake on an evening swim.
"I am truly inspired every time I come to Thames Hospice, the environment that the amazing team have created there is phenomenal. The hospice cares for our entire community and I am so proud to be a Trustee here."
Bruce worked at Frimley Park Hospital as a Consultant Urologist for 22 years, during which time he was lead for Urology, Clinical Director for Surgery and Chair of the pioneering End of Life Steering Group. Bruce was also the training program director for Urology in KSS Deanery.
From 2016 until he retired in 2019 he worked at Frimley Health, part-time, as the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian - an impartial source of advice and help to staff raising a concern. He continues a longstanding interest in teaching communication skills to senior doctors and nurses. During lockdown, he has developed the course so that it can now be delivered online, effectively. He is interested in patient safety and in bringing humanity back into healthcare, which are values Thames Hospice holds dear.
Bruce lives locally and is married to Bridget; they have three children and three grandchildren. He enjoys skiing, walking, fishing and supporting the England rugby team.
Frances joined the Hospice’s Board of Trustees in 2022 and is Vice Chair and a member of the Finance & Income Generation Committee.
Frances has worked in the charity sector for 18 years and is currently CEO of the charity Dementia Carers Count. With a background in fundraising, Frances started her career at the King’s Trust and has led teams at RNID, Girlguiding and Young Women’s Trust to diversify and grow income to maximise impact.
Frances is passionate about fundraising for great causes and has undertaken a number of gruelling challenges, including the Brighton Marathon, a stair climb and a five day trek across the Sahara, raising significant funds.
When she’s not working Frances loves reading, walking and travelling.
"As a strong advocate of social justice, I believe that everyone has the right to high quality end of life care and, having grown up in the area, am proud to be serving Thames Hospice as a trustee."
Nancy joined the Hospice’s Board of Trustees in 2023 and sits on the Income Generation & Marketing and Patient Care and Quality Committees.
Nancy qualified as a nurse in 1980, and retired earlier this year following a long career in the NHS in Berkshire. During that time she held Director of Nursing positions with her focus being on clinical leadership and patient quality within community settings.
Nancy understands first hand how important Thames Hospice is in supporting patients and families.
Nancy is married, lives in Binfield and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Make a difference
Our services are free of charge to all those in our community who need vital hospice care but this is only made possible through the charitable support and generosity of our amazing community. We need to raise £34,000 each day to fund our services 365 days a year to the people who need us most.
We’ve never needed you, our wonderful supporters, more than we need you today. Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available for those in desperate need.
Support us