Chairman: Shaun O’Leary (he/him)

Shaun was Joint Chief Executive at St Christopher’s, London from 2014 to 2021 having previously served as chief executive of St Catherine’s hospice in Crawley. Prior to this he worked for Prostate Cancer UK and earlier in different HIV support organisations including, latterly, Terrence Higgins Trust.

Shaun has been a trustee of the Men’s Health Forum (UK) and a trustee of Hospice UK (then Help the Hospices). He has a sociology degree from Warwick University and spent the first five years of his working life in West Yorkshire Probation Service.  A long-term Sussex resident, Shaun currently lives in the Heathfield area.

Duncan Adams

Duncan has a wealth of board level experience in strategic development, marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement gained across the public and third sectors. He previously held the role of Director of Marketing at St Wilfrid's some years ago and now works as an independent Strategic Advisor to values-based leaders and organisations, supporting them to enhance their profile, design and deliver compelling strategy, and to nurture meaningful stakeholder relationships. Duncan has lived in Eastbourne all his life and has a strong network of local and regional contacts, which he brings to support the work of the hospice.

Dr Mark Barnes (he/him)

Mark was a GP in Seaford for 26 years, and during that time he was very grateful for the excellent care provided by St Wilfrid’s for his patients.  Over much of the last 31 years, he has been involved in NHS management and has been passionate about improving palliative care. Mark is married, with a daughter and grandson.

Jane Butler (she/her)

Jane worked as a Registered Nurse and Midwife in a range of senior clinical, managerial and education roles in the NHS and in Higher Education. Prior to her retirement she worked for Health Education England working across Kent, Surrey and Sussex as Head of Clinical Education/Lead Nurse, with responsibilities for the education and training of healthcare professionals. Jane is the Trustee Lead for Safeguarding and chairs the Clinical Governance Committee. She is married and lives in Hailsham.

Beryl Hobson (she/her)

Beryl currently runs a governance consultancy, working primarily with not-for profit organisations. During her career she has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors and has been a trustee of several charities. She has also been the Chair of a NHS foundation trust and a NHS primary care trust. Beryl’s father was a patient at St Wilfrid’s so she has experienced the outstanding care at the hospice in a personal capacity.

Ed Smith

Ed has worked in various finance roles throughout his career and he currently works as Finance Manager at St Peter and St James Hospice, Chailey. In his previous role as a tax manager with Legal and General, he co-chaired the employee disability awareness advocacy group, the Ability Network helping to make the workplace as suitable as possible for people with differing abilities. Ed has a personal connection to the hospice through his Grandmother who was a patient and he wants to use his experience of both finance and diversity, equity and inclusion for the benefit of St Wilfrid’s. Ed lives in Eastbourne.

Lucy Butt

Lucy is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Bramber Bakehouse, working in the Violence Against Women and Girls Sector. She has ten years' experience spanning governance, fundraising, finance, developing teams & services. Having relocated from South East London, Lucy now lives in Eastbourne with her young family.

Louise Owen-Thomas

Louise has over a decade of experience working in charities across Health and Social Care, and had the privilege of supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals in East Sussex. Louise is deeply passionate about driving change in health inequalities and championing better outcomes for all. Her professional interests include Clinical Governance, Healthcare Leadership, and promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing for staff. She is committed to creating meaningful impact through compassionate leadership and evidence-based practice.

Andrew Lloyd

Andrew is Professor Emeritus at the University of Brighton, having held a range of executive board roles before retiring in December 2025. He has extensive experience of financial, people and resource management, organisational change, educational innovation and partnership, IT and estates development and risk management and mitigation.

Andrew has held previous trusteeships in state and independent schools, a health research charity and the NHS. He has recent personal experience of the outstanding palliative care provided by St Wilfrid’s through the weeks his sister spent as an inpatient and, living locally in Alfriston, appreciates the importance of the hospice to the local community.

Lisa Beeching

Lisa is a senior People leader with extensive experience in the insurance sector, specialising in organisational transformation, leadership and technology-enabled change. She is passionate about building inclusive, high-performing cultures and helping organisations achieve lasting impact through their people.

Lisa lives in East Sussex and is proud to support St Wilfrid's Hospice as a Trustee. Outside work, she is a mum to three boys and enjoys spending time with her family

Fiona Collins

Fiona lives in Eastbourne and has worked in healthcare for more than 30 years. She initially qualified as an Occupational Therapist and later became a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Brighton. This clinical background continues to shape her approach to leadership and her commitment to person-centred care.