Bryan was a Royal Air Force operational assault pilot for the first twenty years of his career. During this time, he was deployed to the Falkland Islands and the Gulf and also led the first three-ship Hercules Formation into Kosova ahead of the Russian Advance. Following the death of his father in 2001, Bryan switched careers and joined Help the Aged as Head of Services, Innovation and Development. He subsequently worked for The Royal British Legion before joining Elizabeth Finn Care as Director of Grants, a role he held until 2015. He is currently the CEO of grant-making charity, Rainy Day Trust. Bryan is also a trustee of youth charity, 4Youth (South-West) and a mentor to servicemen & women wishing to pivot into the charity sector.

Chris began his career in the charity sector in 2009, initially working as a project worker in a homeless hostel. He went on to work as a housing support worker, a mental health advocate for LGBTQ+ young people, and as part of the grant-making team for a national anti-poverty charity. More recently, Chris worked as a grants manager for a philanthropic foundation before joining Evie’s Gift as charity manager in 2022.

Dawn began her career in the social care sector working with refugees and asylum seekers in front-line roles, before going on to support people reintegrating into the community following their release from prison. She subsequently managed services serving the homeless community, women fleeing domestic violence, those with disabilities, and older people. Latterly, Dawn worked in Housing as a Funding Manager, then headed a large team in benevolent grant-making for thirteen years prior to her retirement in 2021. She remains an advisor to two grant committees for national grant-making organisations as well as a trustee for Evie’s Gift.

David was an engineer in the Royal Air Force for seventeen years before transitioning into the private sector. For the past eighteen years he has worked as a Programme Manager for QinetiQ, a Defence & Space Manufacturing company specialising in providing advice, services and innovative tech-based products to Government organisations, as well as a range of international customers. David is proud to have been Evie’s Godfather and has been a trustee of Evie’s Gift since its inception in 2018.

Lisa studied Law at Birmingham University and Chester College of Law, qualifying as a solicitor in 1993. She is currently Associate General Counsel and Head of Legal for a leading IT consultancy company, overseeing its legal teams in the UK and Ireland. Lisa is a commercial lawyer and has particular interests in technology law, IP, privacy, employment and property law, as well as a passion for complex outsourcing contracts. Lisa’s daughter was a close friend of Evie’s, and she was honoured to be asked to be a Trustee for the charity. She is also a keen marathon runner.

After obtaining a Law degree from the University of Oxford, Simon spent many years working in accountancy and financial management across a series of major corporations before becoming Director of Financial Planning & Analysis for HM Revenue & Customs in 2007. He transitioned into the charity sector in 2010, becoming Finance Director for The British Heart Foundation before taking the role of CEO at anti-poverty charity, Turn2us. He is currently Director of Finances & Corporate Resources for Versus Arthritis. Simon specialises in charity business management, which encompasses finance, risk, planning and governance. He is a regular speaker and writer on a wide range of charity issues and has been a columnist for Charity Finance magazine since 2016.

Karen worked in education throughout her career before retiring in 2019 to enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. She was the Headteacher at Evie’s primary school for over twenty years, and having built a strong relationship with her parents during Evie’s time there, was honoured to be asked to become a trustee for Evie’s Gift in 2020.

Neesha has over eighteen years of experience in fundraising, both here and in the USA. She has worked for a number of prestigious charities, including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Cancer Research UK. She is currently Fundraising Manager for Carers UK, which supports 10.6 million unpaid carers across the UK through campaigning, support, and advocacy. Neesha is responsible for all elements of the charity’s voluntary income – with the exception of corporate fundraising – and focuses primarily on major donors, trusts and special events.

Saskia studied English Literature at Cambridge before entering a career in advertising in London. She later moved to Sydney, where she ran media campaigns for companies including Coca-Cola, BT and P&G at a series of leading international agencies. After returning to the UK, she transitioned into client representation for UKTV, running the Strategy & Research Department for many years before moving into Marketing and Outreach within Education in 2012. Saskia worked at the prestigious St Paul’s Girls School in London prior to joining Ipswich School, where she holds the position of Director of Marketing.