Team Biographies
Patron
The Viscount Rothermere: Viscount Rothermere, is Chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust which was founded by the Harmsworths. Lord Rothermere is the fifth member of the family to be Chairman of the Company. The three main newspapers published in the United Kingdom are the flagship Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and the London Evening Standard, as well as Metro, which is distributed free of charge in London and 7 other cities around the UK, Ireland on Sunday and Loot. Lord Rothermere is married with four children.
Supporters
Mr Ronnie Wood: Wood began his career as a professional musician in 1964 as a guitarist with The Birds. Throughout the 1980s, Wood played as a member of the Rolling Stones and also continued his solo career. Wood is an accomplished artist his paintings, drawings and prints frequently feature icons of popular culture and have been exhibited all over the world. Several of his paintings, including a work commissioned by Andrew Lloyd Webber are displayed at London's Drury Lane Theatre.
Della Thielamay Actor, Channel 4, Shipwrecked. Della began her acting career in 2003 attending Acting/Musical Theatre at DeMontfort University, gaining a BA Hons in Performing Arts. Also attended Mountview Academy, Foundation Musical Theatre National Youth Music Theatre: Devising Musical Theatre course at Central School of Speech and Drama. Della is a fellow sufferer of Crohns disease and would love for people to know she has crohns if it will help to raise awareness! "I hate telling people myself but for you guys I will make an exception because it will help!"
Trustees
Professor Devinder Kumar PhD FRCS: qualified from the University of Delhi in 1975, where, as a medical student he was awarded the certificate of merit by the Minister of Health for his work with the The World Health Organisation’s small pox eradication programme. He completed his surgical training at Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Royal London Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he became a fellow of the royal college of surgeons in 1980.
Devinder carried out extensive Research into Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) at the London Hospital and was the first to describe a motility disorder in IBS. He was awarded the degree of PhD by the University of London in 1987 and was then successful in obtaining a fellowship to go to the Mayo Clinic in the United States to finish his training. In 1989 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in surgery at the University of Birmingham where he remained until 1989 until he took up a position at St George’s Hospital, London as Consultant surgeon in 1994. He was made Professor of Gastrointestinal surgery in 2004.
Professor Kumar has developed a special interest in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, advanced and recurrent bowel cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and faecal incontinence. Throughout his research he has published more than one hundred original papers and reviews in national and international journals. He has written more than fifty book chapters and has authored/edited six books and gives regular guest and Keynote lectures at National and International meetings.
Gary Douch Dip PT, ASMA St. James School for boys, Twickenham: Chairman - and co-founder of the charity. Gary suffers with Crohns disease and set up the charity with Professor Kumar to help undertake life changing research. Gary works as a full time Rugby Coach and also runs the Little Jesters and Bizzi-Kidz camps.
Margaret O'Keeffe RGN: Secretary - Margaret qualified at St George's Hospital, London in 1983 and remained there until 1988. Following 3 years in an aeromedical evacuation squadron at RAF Lyneham, continued her career at St Anthony's Hospital London, where she worked with Professor Kumar in advanced and complex colorectal cancers and other major bowel surgeries. Margaret currently works at Kingston Hospital
John Duddy: Accountant - A fellow sufferer of Crohns disease joined the charity as our accountant and lends his expertise in between working full time with the British Heart Foundation.
Fundraisers
Hazel Reeves FASC. MASC (BSC) (CORP): - Event manager - Worked as a counsellor and an events organiser until her bowel condition made life and work impossible. After meeting Professor Kumar and his team and having life changing surgery, Hazel has dedicated her time to fundrasing for the charity.
John Reeves, Events Bookeeper John has lent his support to our work over many years and now joins us with his wife Hazel to look after the finances raised at charity events.
Carol Overton -Chairman Fundraising Committee Carol retired at Christmas as Facilities Manager for the Institute of Chartered. Accountants.She is an Honourary Lady Taverner and Joint Chairman of theCity Region of the
Lords Taverners. Last year she was member of the Lord Mayor's Appeal Fund 2009.
Carol has many years experience as a Fund Raiser and joins us as Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee.
All of our Trustees and fundraisers are unpaid volunteers who also work full time in their chosen professions.
Our Trustees are CTN members
