Our dedicated trustees.
Inspiring hope and enabling Heart Heroes to reach their potential.
Inspiring hope and enabling Heart Heroes to reach their potential.
The Board of Trustees is drawn from a background of health care staff, parents of Heart Hero children and professionals. To find out more about each of our wonderful volunteer Trustees please click below.
I am a Healthcare Development Manager, originally from Essex, but have lived in the North East since 1993.
I became involved in CHUF the day our son Seb was born (11th January 2009).
I was asked to join the Board of Trustees in the Summer of 2012 (In fact to be specific, it was whilst Nadine and I were at Wimbledon for the Olympics).
Between 2009 and 2017, Nadine and I organised numerous charity balls, 7 Ultra-Endurance C2C Challenges, I ran 100 miles in 24 hours, friends organised cake sales, Baby and Toddler Nearly New Sales, many Great North Runs, Junior Great North Runs, I burned 10,000 calories in 1 very long training session and even skied 10km down a mountain in a mankini! All of this culminated in my final and toughest challenge to take us past the £500,000 mark - 'Half a Million Half a Country; where I cycled 268 miles and then ran 52 miles (in 1 go) from London to the doors of the Children's Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital and finished our fundraising journey where it began.
As a Trustee I offer support using my background in fundraising, understanding of PR, Comms, strategic planning and providing the perspective of a heart parent.
Ivan Hollingsworth
Chair of the Board of Trustees
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I am a partner in a national law firm and have lived most of my life in the north east.
I am delighted to have become part of the CHUF family. My father was a consultant cardiologist at the Freeman and was part of the team that helped establish cardiology services at the Freeman so it means a lot to me to continue that family connection. I have always been impressed with the impact CHUF has in so many ways and the benefits it brings to so many families and am excited to be given the opportunity to bring my legal and commercial expertise to the CHUF board.
I enjoy sport, although I now tend more to watch my kids play a variety of sports rather than participating myself.
Duncan Reid
Vice chair
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I work on the Children's Heart Unit at Freeman Hospital as the hospital play specialist and oversee the play team in the unit. I have worked on the ward since November 1999 and have witnessed many changes over the years.
I became involved with CHUF not long after starting work at the unit, at first through finding about CHUF and going to see the children at the Christmas party. I have been an active Trustee for 8 years after being approached by Dr Kirk to be a representative on the board who has every day experience of the unit so that I can help to improve things on the ground floor!
My role on the ward leads me to naturally offer support to children and families providing the opportunity to talk about CHUF and listen to ideas for future help or activities.
I have lots of memorable moments over the years nothing beats the annual Toddle and Christmas party, an amazing opportunity to see the children well and enjoying themselves!
A great plus for myself and the children is our Clown Doctor programme which is amazing, I sometimes think I would love their job for a day!
Joanne Moore
Trustee
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I have been involved with the charity since our youngest son, David, was admitted to Ward 23 in July 1983. I joined the fundraising committee in December that year. I am a retired Design Engineer and have been a member of the board of Trustees for 28 years.
My support of the charity goes back many years, in 1984, I was involved at my work place in a 48-hour snooker marathon at Swan Hunter Shipyard in which the whole work force of 4000 raised a staggering amount of money. All the TV & Radio stations turned up as well as the cast from the Theatre Royal Pantomime and some football celebrities. This culminated in an evening concert with local bands such as, Zoots Navarro and Robson Green’s Theatre Group, the ‘Workie Tickets’ (Based on the group called the ‘Flying Pickets’). Robson was an apprentice draughtsman at the time, other members of his group went on to appear in The Bill, Emmerdale etc. As a direct result of this event we had people from the shipyard asking to run for us in the Great North Run, we ended up that year with 500 running for CHUF (our dining room full of running vests!).
The other major event after this was the Biggest Children’s Party in the world held on the Town Moor with thousands of children and families. This event was held in conjunction with Kelburn Holdings (led by Mr Brian Burnie of ‘Daft as a Brush’ fame). Its aim was to raise £500,000 to pay for a paediatric surgeon in perpetuity. It involved most of the schools in the North East completing various fundraising events. For publicity we had coverage on all the local media, open-top buses travelled through the streets of Newcastle, full of Heart kids and parents dressed up in super hero outfits. I was dressed up as Batman!
I now manage the CHUF Shop in the Freeman Hospital, which involves shift rotas, accounts, sourcing and ordering stock and standing in when others cannot make their shift. We ‘employ’ volunteers, who are parents like ourselves and others supplied through the NHS Voluntary Service. We have over 18 volunteers working 7 days a week, 50 weeks of the year. They are doing brilliantly and we receive a lot of positive feedback about their service.
Arthur Campbell MBE
Trustee
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I was born in the Northeast and have lived and worked here most of my life, so far. I have lots of affection and love for the area.
I currently work as a Senior HR Professional and joined the Board of Trustees in March 2022. I decided to volunteer as a way of using my skills and experience for a charity that has been a huge help with my own family. My Sister is a Heart Hero and because of this, I was already very aware of the very meaningful and tangible work this charity does to support families.
My family has a particular love of the annual Christmas parties and the Clown Doctors. I personally love the Toddle, in particular. Even in the fundraising events, you can sense the fantastic culture and hard work of the team and volunteers. Rarely, have I seen such events that have a relaxed, exceptional family atmosphere and a no pressure approach. You get a feel good, family day out, all whilst fundraising at the same time.
I am proud to contribute and be a part of CHUF.
Amy Brook
Trustee
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Dr. David Crossland is a Consultant Paediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiologist at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. He graduated from Sheffield and his junior doctor posts were in Sheffield, Sydney and the North East of England. His training in congenital cardiology was at the Freeman Hospital with a year’s sabbatical in Melbourne (paediatric cardiology and surfing!).
He was appointed as consultant in 2008 with the majority of his work in the catheter lab and is clinical lead for Newcastle’s congenital interventional service. He also has a major interest in the assessment of adults and children with congenital heart disease for heart transplant as well as alternative conventional surgery and mechanical support.
He is active in trying to ensure there is adequate provision for services for congenital heart disease patients with heart failure. He has recently negotiated a change in the urgent heart transplant listing criteria for adults with congenital heart disease to allow more equitable access to donor organs for single ventricle patients.
When David is not working he enjoys running (slowly) and surfing (brilliantly!) at the amazing beaches in the North East.
Dr. David Crossland
Trustee
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Amy is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has enjoyed a long history with CHUF.
Amy qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2003 and began work at the Freeman Hospital (Newcastle) in 2006, working with children with congenital heart disease and their families, across the North of England. Amy left the service in 2016 and has been acting as an advisor to the CHUF Board of Trustees on psychological issues since then. Amy and the CHUF Board of Trustees are focussing on building and developing a network of psychologists to work with children and their families as close to home as possible.
Amy Fowler
Advisor to the Board of Trustees
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I am a chartered accountant and have lived and worked in the North East for most of my life.
I am married with two grown up children and two young grandchildren. Outside of work, we enjoy spending time with our family and friends and walking our two young dogs.
I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to join the CHUF Board as Finance Trustee in July 2020 and I am looking forward to using my finance and business experience and skills to help this wonderful charity.
Janice Lightley
Finance Trustee
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Having been born with congenital heart disease myself back in 1984, I was instantly connected to the work done by Chuf and Ward 23 and I have been under annual review ever since, picking up a couple of surgeries along the way. Growing up I remember my Dad doing fundraising for the charity so this coupled with my own personal experiences mean you could say that I was always destined to be involved with Chuf in the future and this has only been furthered when my own children were born with their own congenital heart conditions in 2019.
Professionally I am a qualified accountant and have had the opportunity to travel around the UK with my work although I am happily settled back in the North East with my wife and our 2 sons, both of whom are doing very well. I am excited to be involved with Chuf and hope that my professional, personal and parental experiences of the vitally important and valued work that the charity does every day to support Heart Heroes and their families will enable me to offer a rounded perspective so we can continue to help more and more people into the future.
Carl Johnson
Trustee
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I have been involved with Chuf since our oldest son Joseph was rushed to the Freeman at 3 weeks old in 2015. He has received (and continues to) life changing support from Chuf and as soon as we could, my wife Debbie and I wanted to give something back. Whether that was through volunteering at the toddle and Christmas parties, or through hosting various competitions, work events or persuading my various employers to make Chuf their charity of the year – over the 9 years since Joseph was born we have raised as much money as we can each year. When the opportunity to become a trustee came up, I was over the moon to be considered for such an important role. I try to bring my perspective as a parent of a child who is still being supported by the Freeman to ensure that Chuf continues to put patients and families at the “heart” of everything we do. I believe Chuf is one of the most important charities in the North East and it is amazing to see the real world change they bring to families like my own.
For my day job I am a Director at Accenture in Newcastle (also a Chuf charity sponsor!) and proud parent to two young but growing boys! In 2021 Joseph was very proud to receive the “Brave Heart of the North East” award and I hope I continue to do his bravery justice by giving something back.
Alec Berry
Trustee
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Children's Heart Unit Fund - Chuf
Designworks Business Centre
William Street
Gateshead
NE10 0JP
Tel: 0191 281 3166
Email: info@chuf.org.uk
Chuf is a registered charity in England and Wales No 1160831 © 2026.
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