Meet the team
Chief Executive: Colin Twomey (he/him)
Colin took up the post of CEO in January 2023. Prior to this he had been at St Wilfrid’s for eleven years, providing senior leadership in clinical Director roles.
After qualifying as a Registered Nurse, Colin went on to achieve a Bachelors degree in Nursing and an MA in Psychology. Practising in various roles in cancer then palliative care, Colin held several leadership positions in the NHS before joining the hospice.
He was awarded a Florence Nightingale Scholarship in 2020 which provided additional leadership training to build on previous studies in health service management.
Finance & Facilities Director: Darren Mackenzie
Darren was appointed Finance & IT Director in April 2022 and this is on a role share basis with St Michael’s Hospice Hastings and Rother.
Darren is a Chartered Accountant and spent five years in audit practice before spending a further three years in insurance.
He has spent the last eight years working as a Finance Director in the manufacturing industry for both multinational and private equity funds.
Medical Director: Dr David Barclay
David has been Medical Director since June 2007, this has been his second consultant post in palliative medicine post having previously worked at Trinity Hospice in London following his specialist training in South London, Kent Surrey and Sussex locality including placements at Kings College Hospital and St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham. David studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen, graduating in 1994.
He also works in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust as a consultant in palliative medicine and has contributed to the end of life care services across the Trust being recognised as outstanding in a recent CQC report. Since starting here David has grown the medical team in response to increased need and increased the number of doctors in training that benefit from being at the hospice. He is passionate about collaboration and has built strong links across Sussex Hospices.
Patient and Family Support Director: Andrea Dechamps
Andrea has a background in social work/social pedagogy and counselling. She has worked in end of life care from the early days of AIDS, moving on to various roles in hospices, most recently as a senior manager at the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead, and then as Director of Social Work, Bereavement and Welfare at St Christopher's Hospice.
Andrea has lectured internationally on psychosocial aspects of end of life care and has served as a trustee of a community bereavement service and also the Natural Death Centre. In 2012-13, Andrea was seconded to the National End of Life Care programme as their Social Care Lead for London.
Development Director: Pam Russell
Pam joined St Wilfrid's in November 2017, after nine years as Director of Fundraising and Community Relations at St Luke's Hospice in Harrow and Brent.
Pam moved to the voluntary sector after an early career as Marketing Manager for the Open University in London and for the Nursing and Medical Division of Times Mirror International Publishing.
Voluntary sector experience includes Christian Aid and Mencap.
Clinical Services Director: Evelyn Prodger
Evelyn Prodger started in her post as the Clinical Services Director in October 2023, a post held jointly with St Michael’s Hospice Hastings and Rother.
Evelyn qualified as a Nurse in 1991 and worked in a variety of clinical areas before specialising in Older People’s Medicine and Community Hospitals across Sussex. She also completed a BSc in Nursing Studies and a Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice.
She made the move to end of life and palliative care in 2019, where she worked in Brighton and Hove, before taking up the Clinical Services Director role at St Michael’s Hospice in 2021.
Associate Medical Director: Louise Free
Louise has been Associate Medical Director since January 2023, having worked as a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Wilfrid’s and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, since 2016.
Louise studied at Guy’s King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine, graduating in 2005. Part of her Foundation Programme was based at Eastbourne District General Hospital and was one of the first cohort of Foundation Year Two doctors to be based at St Wilfrid’s Hospice in 2006 and 2007.
She completed her Specialist Training in Palliative Medicine in the London and Kent area, working as a Registrar at St Christopher’s Hospice, Hospice in the Weald, King’s College Hospital and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals. She had experience of working at consultant level at King’s College Hospital, Prospect Hospice and Great Western Hospitals prior to this appointment. She also has an MSc in Palliative Care.
![Tara Schrikker[10443]](https://www.stwhospice.org/app/uploads/2023/12/Tara-Schrikker10443-1.jpg "Tara Schrikker[10443]")
Associate Director for Quality and Governance: Tara Schrikker
Tara joined the hospice in 2003 as senior staff nurse on the IPU in Mill Gap Road, after moving into the area from the Midlands. In 2013, Tara was involved in the moving of IPU patients from Mill Gap to the new hospice in Broadwater Way.
Tara qualified as Registered Nurse in March 1995. Initially, she worked in general surgery and then oncology, before moving into palliative care. Tara’s first experience of working within a hospice was within an NHS run hospice on the outskirts of London. Tara has achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Palliative Care. Tara has always been passionate about patients safety to ensure care is delivered to a high quality standard.
Tara took over the role of the Registered Manager when she became the Associate Director for Quality and Governance in January 2023.
![Ruth Bacon[10392]](https://www.stwhospice.org/app/uploads/2023/12/Ruth-Bacon10392-2-scaled.jpg "Ruth Bacon[10392]")
Associate Director for Clinical Services: Ruth Bacon
Ruth joined the hospice in 1998 as the Ward Manager at the Mill Gap Road site. Over the years she had worked predominately leading the inpatient services, in January 2023 she took up the role of Associate Director of Clinical service.
Ruth qualified as a Registered Nurse in December 1989 at Stoke Manderville Hospital and went onto gain a degree in Oncology at The Royal Marsden Hospital in 1996. After working as a Team leader on an Oncology ward At Charring Cross Hospital, Ruth moved to Eastbourne to take up a post at St Wilfrid’s and work in the charity sector.
Ruth works alongside staff and volunteers who share the same values, and who work together to provide excellent care to the patients and carers during the most difficult times in their lives.
People Director: Georgina Chandler
Georgina became a member of the St Wilfrid’s Hospice team in 2018, initially serving as the HR Manager before advancing to the role of People Director. With an educational background, Georgina holds a degree in Human Resource Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Her experience in human resources spans diverse sectors, including the telecoms recruitment industry and educational institutions. This journey has equipped her with a sound understanding of HR complexities in regulated environments. A decade ago, Georgina made a transition to the voluntary sector, bringing with her a wealth of expertise and a passion for contributing to the community.
