Our Trustees

The Brain Tumour Charity is governed by our Board of Trustees, who have a wealth of experience in the fields of finance, business and medicine.

Our Trustees provide advice to our management team and meet throughout the year, both formally as a group and as members of various sub-committees. We are incredibly grateful to our Trustees for giving their time freely and providing so much support, knowledge and help.

Sadly, many of our Trustees have been personally affected by a brain tumour or have tragically lost a loved one to this disease. This experience is the inspiration behind their drive to do as much as possible in supporting The Charity, so that together we can find a cure for brain tumours faster.

Fraser Longden

Chair of Trustees

Fraser Longden – Chair of Trustees

Fraser has recently retired after a long and successful career in retail.  His last role was at Wickes PLC where he served on their Executive Board for nearly 11 years, latterly as their Chief Operations Officer and previously as their Chief Commercial Officer and HR Director.  Prior to joining Wickes PLC Fraser spent 15 years working for Kingfisher PLC.  His last two roles at Kingfisher were People Director (Executive Main Board) at B&Q and Executive Vice President of B&Q China.

“I have witnessed the devastating impact that a Brain Tumour diagnosis and the lack of modern treatments, particularly for children, has on the whole family and I am deeply motivated to help The Charity deliver against all three of their ambitious, but essential, strategic aims.  I have also been lucky enough to see first hand the amazing work and commitment from the whole team at the Brain Tumour Charity during the partnership between The Charity and Wickes.”

Through his work on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Fraser is a strong advocate of ensuring lived experiences are heard, understood, amplified and included in all decision making.

 

 

 

Elena Bechberger

Trustee

Elena Bechberger – Trustee

Elena currently works as Director of Transformation for the NHS in South West London where she is focused on establishing best practice care models across various health and care organisations. A public policy analyst by training, she completed her PhD at the London School of Economics and worked for a number of research and evaluation organisations before joining the UK National Audit Office. She has subsequently held a number of senior strategy and policy roles in the NHS, including with NHS Improvement and Monitor. Elena has a keen desire to help improve the experience of care for those suffering from brain tumours, having lost her father to the disease in 2018. She is delighted to be working with the Charity and to bring her experience of NHS service delivery and transformation to make a real positive impact for patients and their families.      

Rachel Edgar

Trustee

Rachel Edgar – Trustee

Rachel became aware of The Brain Tumour Charity after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in June 2020, and joined the board later that year. Rachel leads a research group at Imperial College London, investigating diseases such as influenza and COVID19 and developing ways to limit virus transmission. Prompt diagnosis and treatment enabled her to continue her research throughout the pandemic. She joined The Charity to help ensure that everyone with a brain tumour receives the same excellent standard of care and can access clinical research initiatives. She is a member of the Support and Information Committee and the Research Committee. Rachel has a passion for scientific discovery and became interested in viruses at a young age, pursuing this at the University of Cambridge where she completed her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in immunology and virology, and post-doctoral research into how our body clocks impact infections. Her other interests include cooking for friends and family, wine tasting and dancing, often all at the same time – she says she has no talent for any of these activities, but has a lot of fun! Rachel says “Alongside all the support and resources The Brain Tumour Charity provides, I’m so impressed by their evidence-led strategies to improve diagnosis, care and quality of life for those living with brain tumours, and the innovative research that they fund. I’m delighted to work alongside such dynamic and driven people in our mission to halve the harm and double survival from this devastating disease.”      

Anna Jarvis

Trustee

Anna Jarvis – Trustee

Anna became a trustee in 2022. She has a background in strategic volunteer involvement and is passionate about the power of volunteering to transform lives, having worked for a number of the UK’s leading charities over the last 15 years. Anna was motivated to become a trustee to help The Brain Tumour Charity deliver its vision of a world where brain tumours are defeated following her own family’s experience of this devastating disease. In 2019, at the age of 9 months, Anna’s son, Harry, was diagnosed with a brain tumour for which he is currently receiving treatment. Always up for a challenge, Anna recently completed a 24 miles fundraising run between home and the two hospitals treating Harry to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity, The Royal Marsden Charity and The Kings College Hospital Charity.      

Caroline Steel

Trustee

Caroline Steel – Trustee

Caroline is currently a solicitor working for the National Trust and she first came into contact with The Brain Tumour Charity when she was diagnosed with a high grade brain tumour in 2017. Like many, she had no symptoms until she collapsed with a seizure at work. As she progressed through the various stages of treatment, Caroline kept coming back to the information that she had received from the charity at the outset and started to turn to the website more. Caroline has been impressed at how much change and development she has seen in the charity in 5 years and she is really excited about supporting the charity in continuing to grow, raise awareness and provide ongoing support to those who are impacted by this disease. Working in the charity sector already, Caroline was drawn to the Trustee role in order to gain a different perspective and contribute to good governance and practical delivery. Caroline also hopes to bring her experience as a current patient to the team and give something back to an organisation that has helped her through such a difficult time in her life. Outside of the office since her diagnosis, she has discovered Nordic walking as a good way to rebuild some of her lost co-ordination, confidence and get outside to feel the benefits of fresh air and exercise.      

Hayley Conroy

Trustee

Hayley Conroy – Trustee

Hayley has recently retired from EY, where she was an Associate Partner. Her career at EY spanned 33 years and a range of roles, focussing on audit in the UK for 20 years and then moving to EY’s global organisation to help build and deliver a global digital transformation program. Hayley is fulfilling an ambition to contribute to charities supporting the research and treatment of brain tumours following her granddaughter, Lily-May’s, diagnosis of an optic-pathway glioma in 2017. Hayley says “The past few years have given me an insight into the significant lack of awareness of brain tumours, the impact they have on a person’s life, and that of their families, and the urgent need for more research. The vision, strategy and values of The Brain Tumour Charity resonate strongly with me. ‘Double Survival’ and ‘Half the Harm’ are powerful goals and I really believe that The Brain Tumour Charity can achieve them. I’m proud to be part of this, to help deliver the vision that one day we will live in a world where brain tumours are defeated.”      

Dr Kieran Palmer

Trustee

Dr Kieran Palmer – Trustee

Kieran is currently working full time in the NHS as a doctor in oncology, and is training in the delivery of systemic and radiation therapy for cancer. He has a keen interest in clinical and translational research, and has previously focussed on the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients. Kieran became passionate about brain tumours when working within the neuro-oncology department at St Bartholomew’s hospital, where he saw the life-changing impact these tumours can have on patients and their loved ones. He was struck by the difference in treatment options between brain tumours and other types of cancer. This motivated him to join the Brain Tumour Charity to try and progress the development of new therapies, and ensure equal access to clinical trials on a national scale. Kieran was inspired by the outstanding progress The Charity has made so far, and is driven to help achieve its urgent and essential overarching aims.      

Matimba Swana

Trustee

Matimba Swana – Trustee

Matimba is delighted to be working with the Brain Tumour Charity and was impressed by our innovative approach to raising awareness of the disease. Matimba is doing a PhD at University of Bristol working with Academic Supervisors Dr Sabine Hauert (Department of Engineering Mathematics) and Prof. Jonathan Ives (Centre for Ethics in Medicine) on the PhD entitled “Here’s your swarm medicine prescription”: Investigating the ethical and regulatory complexity of in-human testing of robotic nano-swarms. Following an undergraduate degree in Biology and Masters degree in Immunology and Immunogenetics Matimba joined Stemcell Technologies Inc., a Canadian biotechnology where she worked with academic institutions, NHS labs and pharmaceutical companies and troubleshooting cell separation techniques, flow cytometry, and immune cell-based assays. She then spent six years with the Medical Research Network, a clinical trial support organization, where she managed client relationships and consulted on implementing a community-based trial model that puts patients at the heart of a clinical trial to different vendors, partners, regulators, pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations, while living in 12 countries across Europe, Africa, and South America. Matimba recently moved back to the UK after 4 years living abroad and graduated with an Executive MBA in Madrid three days before starting her PhD in October 2021. She is still reacclimatising to the British weather but is happy to have access to pickled onion monster munch again. Matimba saw joining the charity as an opportunity to improve the wellbeing of patients and families impacted by a brain tumour. Matimba is thrilled to be a small part of an incredible team and keen to contribute to helping the realization of the charity’s vision “a world where brain tumours are defeated”.      

Suki Sandhu

Trustee

Suki Sandhu – Trustee

Suki has spent the last 15 years working for Mars Wrigley Confectionary in the world of selling chocolate. She has worked in various roles, with her current role being a national account manager. Suki has supported the charity since her son Raj was diagnosed with a high grade glioma at the age of 2 years old in 2012 when the charity was The Samantha Dickson Trust. Raj was also active in supporting the Charity with some of the media campaigns that have been run over the years. Sadly Raj passed away in 2018 at the age of 8 years old. Suki is keen to support the charity further so that we can ensure there are better treatments for children available and with the hope one day through research we can finally develop a cure.      

Julia Osgerby

Trustee

Julia Osgerby – Trustee

Julia is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ extensive experience operating in complex multinational businesses. She is currently the Group Corporate Finance Director at Compass Group PLC – a broad role that covers forecasting and planning, Group financial systems, overseeing commercial finance, as well as close business partnering with Investor Relations and the Remuneration team. Julia’s leadership is defined by authenticity, clarity, and inclusivity. She excels at simplifying complexity, empowering diverse teams, and fostering a culture built on trust and integrity. Her style is collaborative yet accountable – supportive, with high standards. She is deeply committed to driving meaningful change and enabling others to thrive through shared purpose and professional excellence. On a personal level, The Charity’s vision of “Living Longer and Better” resonated, having had first-hand experience of receiving a life-changing diagnosis and appreciating the value that charities can bring in supporting individuals and their loved ones. Julia’s corporate experience can benefit The Charity, and she is especially excited to support its ambitious growth strategy.        

Emeritus Founder Trustees

Angela Dickson MBE

Founder Trustee

Angela Dickson MBE – Emeritus Founder Trustee

Neil and Angela Dickson lost their 16-year-old daughter Samantha in 1996 to a high grade brain tumour. They were so astounded at the lack of research and support for brain tumours that they set up the first dedicated brain tumour charity in the UK, The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust. The Charity grew steadily and soon covered the whole of the UK. Research into the delays in diagnosing childhood brain tumours at Nottingham University led to the launch of the award winning HeadSmart campaign in 2011. In 2013, The Trust merged with Brain Tumour UK and the Joseph Foote Foundation to form The Brain Tumour Charity. Angela was the driving force behind the establishment of our Supporter Group model, which enables families to set up fundraising groups in the name of their loved one, whilst also channelling vital funds into research. This model has gone from strength to strength and there are now more than 300 Groups raising more than a £1 million each year with The Brain Tumour Charity. Angela and Neil were presented with MBEs by the Queen in 2015 for their hard work and commitment to improving the lives of people affected by brain tumours. Angela made a huge contribution to The Brain Tumour Charity during her time as Trustee, including sitting on the Patient Support Committee, supporting fundraisers, attending events and raising awareness of brain tumours. In recognition of this and her dedication to improving the lives of everyone affected by a brain tumour diagnosis, she is now our first Emeritus Founder Trustee.                        

Neil Dickson OBE

Emeritus Founder Trustee

Neil Dickson OBE – Emeritus Founder Trustee

Neil and Angela Dickson lost their 16-year-old daughter Samantha in 1996 to a high grade brain tumour. They were so astounded at the lack of research and support for brain tumours that they set up the first dedicated brain tumour charity in the UK, The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust. The Charity grew steadily and soon covered the whole of the UK. Research into the delays in diagnosing childhood brain tumours at Nottingham University led to the launch of the award winning HeadSmart campaign in 2011. Keen to streamline approaches to researching brain tumours and supporting families, Neil led the successful merger of The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust with Brain Tumour UK and the Joseph Foote Foundation in 2013, to form The Brain Tumour Charity. In September 2024 Neil stepped down from the Board of Trustees having reached the end of his terms of appointment. In June 2025 Neil accepted the honorary role as Emeritus Founder Trustee and continues to actively support The Charity.                          

Emeritus Trustees

Robert Posner

Emeritus Trustee

Robert Posner – Emeritus Trustee

Robert joined the board of The Charity in December 2012, having previously served on the board of Brain Tumour UK since 2008. He sat on the Support & Influencing Board sub-committee to support The Charity in its goal to halve the harm for those living with a brain tumour. Robert’s motivation to be a trustee of The Charity stemmed from his belief that that there is still too little being done for those who have been diagnosed with this forgotten cancer.                          

Pippa Murray

Emeritus Trustee

Pippa Murray – Emeritus Trustee

Pippa joined The Brain Tumour Charity in 2008, having cared for her 15-month-old son, Lawrence, following his diagnosis with a brain tumour, until he passed away in September 2007 aged 3 years 9 months. During her time as a Trustee of The Brain Tumour Charity, Pippa was Chair of our Information and Support Sub-Committee and served as a member of the Research Sub-Committee.                        

Berrie Norton

Emeritus Trustee

Berrie Norton – Emeritus Trustee

Berendina (Berrie) and her husband Graham first became involved with the Charity through its Founders, Neil and Angela Dickson, in early 2000, when their 14-year-old son Michael was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain tumour, from which he died within that year. Berrie is particularly concerned with paediatric tumours and the long-term effects on other family members, including siblings, having seen those problems at first hand. As such, she was a member of the Services and Influencing Sub-Committee during her time as a Trustee of The Brain Tumour Charity.                        

Graham Norton

Emeritus Trustee

Graham Norton – Emeritus Trustee

Graham first became involved as a trustee of the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust in 2003, following a desire to help find a cure for this cancer following the death of his 14-year-old son in 2000. During his time as a Trustee of The Brain Tumour Charity, Graham was chairman of the Audit Committee, and a member of the Ethics & Governance and Remuneration sub-committees.                        

Graham Lindsay

Emeritus Trustee

Graham Lindsay – Emeritus Trustee

Graham Lindsay joined the board of Brain Tumour UK in August 2010 and following various mergers, became Vice-Chair of Trustees in his time with The Brain Tumour Charity. Married to Judy for 34 years, Graham has two sons and three grandchildren. His knowledge of and interest in the brain tumour charity sector arose after his wife was diagnosed in late 2006.