Our trustees
The charity is governed by a highly regarded Board of Trustees bringing a wealth of experience to the organisation. Trustees have independent control over, and legal responsibility for, a charity's management and administration.
Board of Trustees
Christina works at BP as VP Risk P&C based in London. She has been working in the oil and gas industry since 2007, having previously been Head of HR for the National Trust and European HRD for Indus.
With two family members who have hearing loss, Christina was keen to become involved with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. She brings her professional experience of risk and compliance, human resources, reward and renumeration to the team.
Coupled with her direct experience of working at the National Trust, Christina has a strong insight into the demands and challenges of running a successful charity. Christina became a trustee in 2018 and was elected as Chair in 2022. Christina is also a member of our Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.
Kathryn's current role is Executive Director of Zoos at ZSL London Zoo. Kathryn is very familiar with the assistance dogs' world, and she understands that accessibility is vital through her experience in visitor attractions. Kathryn has been a Trustee since 2018, is the charity’s Vice-Chair, and the Chair of our People and Culture Committee.
Heather qualified as a chartered accountant in 1983 and went on to specialise in tax. She has been a tax partner in international accounting firms and a partner in an international law firm. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, and of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Heather’s involvement with Hearing Dogs began when her own dog had a litter of puppies, one of which was acquired by the charity. Heather has previously been a Charity Trustee for her professional body, the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
She brings a deep knowledge of finance and taxation, as well as a love of dogs and some personal experience of hearing loss in her family. Heather has been a Trustee with the charity since 2022, is our Honorary Treasurer and Chair of the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.
Emily works for Cochlear as Director of Education for EMEA, a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and supplies cochlear, electro-acoustic and bone conduction implants.
She became an active fundraiser for Hearing Dogs before attending Nottingham Trent University to read Philosophy with International Relations and has been a Trustee since 2021.
Emily is also a trustee of the East Africa Character Development Trust and holds an MBA from Warwick University. Emily is a member of the People and Culture Committee.
Paul is a Chartered Accountant, with over 25 years’ experience in sectors including charities and not-for-profit sector, manufacturing, logistics and real estate providing audit, accounting, taxation, valuation and business advisory services. Paul has been a Trustee with the charity since 2022 and is a member of our Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.
Barry has worked in the independent hearing care sector since 1977 as a practitioner, trainer and manager. He is a long-standing member of the British Society of Audiology. In addition to his role as an External Examiner, he has been a Partner in the Health and Care Professions Council since 2010.
Barry brings great experience of our hearing loss services, having served as a Trustee of Hearing Link before the charity merged with Hearing Dogs in 2017. Barry is a member of our Services Committee.
Sarah is a qualified vet and a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in recognition of her work in establishing Behavioural Medicine as a veterinary discipline. Sarah has a special interest in the interplay between emotional and physical illness in dogs and cats and particularly in the role of pain.
She promotes the recognition of emotional health issues in companion animals and the role of the veterinary profession in safeguarding the welfare of animals in this context. Sarah lectures at home and abroad and is an author, co-author and editor of several books. Sarah has been a Trustee with the charity since 2021 and is the Chair of our Services Committee.
Stephen is an accomplished digital communications and marketing leader, currently working in the renewable energy sector. He has over twenty years digital marketing and communications experience across corporate, public and charity sectors.
His extensive experience in driving digital strategies aligns with his deep commitment to sustainability, innovation and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). Beyond his career, Stephen is committed to giving back to help people who may have disabilities or challenges, and supporting them to have a good quality of life.
Stephen has been a Trustee with the charity since 2024 and is a member of our MarComms, Tech & Data Committee.
Thomas is an executive leader and campaigner for social and environmental justice.
With a background as a political scientist and historian, he aims to help change the world for the benefit of people, animals, and the planet. With some thirty years of experience of working in global civil society organisations, he has led campaigns, communications, marketing and fundraising teams in Greenpeace, WWF, Oxfam, Amnesty International and World Animal Protection.
On a personal level and as a dog lover, he identifies deeply with the mission of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, having experienced the impact of hearing loss in his family. Thomas has been a Trustee since 2024 and is the Chair of our MarComms and Data Committee. Thomas currently serves as Director of Advocacy and Prevention at the RSPCA.
President
Sir Stuart is best known for his 14 years as Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, and he continues to be a passionate advocate of ‘the John Lewis model’ of employee engagement. He subsequently became non-executive Chairman and First Commissioner of The Crown Estate from 2010 until 2016, for which he was awarded a CVO in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Before joining John Lewis, his first career spanned 12 years in the Civil Service (Board of Trade, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department of Prices & Consumer Protection). Sir Stuart was The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 2013. He lives close to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People with his wife, Angela.
Life Vice Presidents
Faith was born in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, in the middle of an air-raid. She spent her early life in West Sussex and following her father’s diplomatic life around the world – grabbing an education along the way in the UK, USA, Egypt and France. She married young and has two grown-up children, plus three grown-up grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Faith’s professional life includes event organising, documentary film making in Los Angeles and London, advertising in New York and over 25 years running not-for-profit academic grant-making organisations. Being able to continue her mother’s work gives an extra-special meaning to Faith’s commitment to the future of the charity.
When Faith’s grandson Sam was 13, he commissioned, edited and marketed a book of recipes gleaned from his school mates in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. And so the legacy of love, commitment and support for this wonderful charity goes on. Faith became a trustee in 2002 and was honoured to be asked to take over as Chairman six years later. Faith served as Chairman until 2022 when she became Life Vice President.
Faith’s mother, Lady (Beatrice) Wright, co-founded the charity with Dr Bruce Fogle in 1982. In June 2024, Faith was awarded an MBE for her services to deaf people in the King's Birthday Honours List 2024.
At the age of 25, in 1974, three significant things happened to Adrian that would shape the rest of his life. He qualified as an architect, married Louise and got his first dog, a Jack Russell called Winifred. Adrian has had at least two dogs ever since. At the same time, he decided to put down roots in East Yorkshire where he was born and bred.
Adrian left for a brief period to be educated at Ampleforth College and to train as an architect. Shortly after that his two sons, Adam and Luke, were born, Adrian became a Partner in the Hull-based architects Gelder and Kitchen, and then subsequently Senior Partner, before retiring in 2009.
He has been a Magistrate since 1982, a Non-Executive Director of a family confectionary business M A. Craven & Son and a Partner in a retail jewellers’ business.
Adrian has several other charitable interests alongside Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. These include being Chairman of the Hull and East Riding Charitable Trust that gives to good causes in East Yorkshire, Chairman of Trustees of the Lees Rest Homes who manage 115 flats for the elderly in Hull and a former trustee of the York Minister Fund.
In 2010/2011 Adrian was High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire and concentrated his efforts on investigating and supporting all those involved in dealing with those addicted to drugs in the search for reduction in crime and the culture of crime.
Adrian's first contact with Hearing Dogs was as part of the Northern Centre Capital Appeals Committee. He was proud that the charity chose East Yorkshire as the location for its northern facility, The Beatrice Wright Centre, and enjoyed being able to contribute his skills and experience in construction, law and commerce for the benefit of the Charity.
Vice Presidents
Bruce is a Canadian-born vet with over 40 years’ clinical experience in London. With Lady (Beatrice) Wright he is co-founder of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and was appointed an MBE for services to deaf people.
He is the world’s best-selling practicing vet with books in over 35 languages. For services to pets, pet owners and vets, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association awarded him Honorary Life Membership.
Bruce is Chair of the Board of Directors of Humane Society International (HSI) an international charity that celebrates animals and confronts cruelty worldwide. His children’s activities can be followed on www.tamarafogle.com and www.benfogle.com. His dog Bean does not have her own website… yet!
Ronnie Bourne served as Volunteer, Trustee, and latterly as Honorary Vice President of Hearing Link for many years until the charity merged with Hearing Dogs. After an early career in retail, Ronnie created his own successful marketing consultancy business which he sold twenty years later to a FTSE 250 company.
In 2015 Ronnie was the recipient of the Heather Jackson Award which is given annually to a deafened person who has made a significant contribution to the improvement of the welfare and opportunity of deafened people.
David joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot direct from school and served for 35 years culminating in his last two posts as Commander of the British Forces in the Falkland Islands and Director General of Personnel Services.
From 1993 to 2005 he was Managing Director of The Services Sound and Vision Corporation providing the British Forces with worldwide radio and television networks, audio-visual shops, cinemas and live entertainment. At the same time, he was Executive Chairman and Managing Director of four successful start-up satellite and media companies.
David has been a trustee of several other charities including the RAF Museum, a conservation trust in the South Atlantic, the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund and the British Forces Foundation; and he was a Governor and Chairman of Amersham & Wycombe Further Education College for some 12 years. At each of these concerns he specialised in financial management and governance and used this experience whilst he was Honorary Treasurer at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
David has been married to Suzie for over 40 years; they have three grown-up children and nine grandchildren. They live in Ashendon, north Buckinghamshire, and when not maintaining their few fields, horses and sheep they are inveterate travellers to fairly out-of-the way places.
In 1990 Hilary might have responded to a survey question: “Do you like dogs?” with a firm negative. As a Senior Partner in a busy general medical practice, caring for ageing parents, plus three children and a profoundly deaf husband, struggling to cope with an international career, life seemed busy enough for Hilary! Jodie was the first hearing dog for Hilary’s husband and a superstar in her own right – she changed everything.
She provided a link for Rodney with a world that was beginning to retreat because of deafness, enabling him to complete his genetic research and restore his spirits. As ballet and opera lovers, Jodie accompanied Hilary and Rodney to Covent Garden and barked loudly when the Queen entered to open the refurbished building at Glyndebourne! The orchestra’s attention was totally diverted from the conductor Simon Rattle when two paws and a head appeared over the edge of the orchestra pit.
Observing the counselling and continuity of care offered by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was a rewarding experience and has continued with Dove, Rodney’s replacement hearing dog. Personal and professional interest in deafness, its causes and effects, past membership of the Human Genetics Commission and many other medical committees, allowed Hilary to contribute as a Trustee to the splendid work of the Charity. Hilary has retired from being a Trustee for the charity but is now a Vice-President.
Ken was born in July 1950 and grew up in Dundee. In 1967 he moved to Birmingham to study engineering. On leaving college in 1972, he joined British Leyland, where he held positions in marketing and sales. In 1980, Ken joined Peugeot UK, progressing to the position of Regional Director for the South of England. He joined Renault UK in 1991 as Director of Sales. Ken joined Honda (UK) in 1993 as General Manager (Cars) a move which coincided with Honda’s manufacturing investment in the UK. In 1998 Ken was promoted to Managing Director of Honda (UK). His responsibilities were added to in 2003 when he was appointed Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe. In April 2010, Ken was promoted to Executive Vice President, Honda Motor Europe, responsible for business performance in 27 European markets for Cars, Motorcycles and Power Equipment products.
Ken has a high interest in developing people in the industry and has a passion for seeing the development of apprenticeships. Married to Linda with two daughters, Ken’s hobbies include boating, golf and current affairs.
Vicky studied physiology at Oxford, in the 1960s and completed a doctorate on neurotransmitters. After briefly working for Robert Maxwell (on which experience she has dined out many times!) she held successive posts as a Scientific Administrator in the research councils and the Cabinet Office, where she was Deputy to the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser.
She then moved from the public to the charitable sector and spent nine years as Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, gaining experience of issues facing grant-giving charities.
She is married to a retired history professor, and the couple have lived in Oxford since they were students. She enjoys cooking and gardening some of the time, walking her neighbour’s dogs, travelling and attending the local book club.
When Vicky retired from full-time work she wanted to put her experience of charities and the public sector to good use. She has personal reasons for her interest in deafness, having lost hearing in one ear following a virus infection. Her first contact with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was when the charity applied for a Wolfson Foundation grant towards the Beatrice Wright Centre. She was impressed by what she saw and welcomes the opportunity of helping in the charity’s further development.
Within her professional life Vicky currently works in the Transport for London LU Asset Strategy & Investment team with accountabilities for the ICT (Information Communication Technology) services to operational staff and the general travelling public as much of the work she does has a direct impact on both groups of people.
She is an active member of the Equality and Inclusion steering Groups in TfL which has helped her identify the challenges and needs of a diverse range of difficulties and obstacles faced by numerous people. As each person’s equality and inclusion requirements can be different and, with the limited availability of technology, getting the right solution to meet the needs of varying groups is an extremely important element of her role.
Vicky lives in Hertfordshire with her hearing dog Victor who is her third hearing dog. Vicky was born hard of hearing and after receiving her first hearing dog (Mulder) in 2001 she realised the enormous benefits that were achievable. She very quickly developed a keen interest in the advancement and progression of the charity and, following a successful application in July 2011, she felt honoured to be accepted onto the Board of Trustees, where she served for a decade.
She believes her personal and professional experiences can be shared with the charity which in turn, should bring greater awareness and enable the organisation to fine tune the services it offers to hearing dog recipients.