Our Trustees
Chair
Karen Holdsworth-Cannon
Karen has been a carer for her husband for over 20 years. Karen previously worked in managerial roles in the civil service and NHS and has a variety of experience in corporate and clinical governance, as well as experience of numerous grant and tendering processes. She is currently a trustee of Surrey Heath Carers Support.
“As a carer myself I want to keep carers’ issues in the mainstream and make sure that we are not an afterthought. Carers do an incredibly difficult job and we need proper support to do that job to the best of our ability.
One of the most important issues for me is making sure that carers receive adequate help to prevent them from falling into financial hardship and social exclusion. Carers should not have to struggle to pay their utility bills and put food on the table. We should have the option to maintain our employment if we wish to. For many people, becoming a carer means losing status and becoming invisible. This can’t be right. But we shouldn’t suffer in silence. To make sure carers aren’t forgotten we need a strong voice that can champion and lobby on behalf of all the carers in Surrey. At Action for Carers we believe we have that voice and with your help it can be even stronger.”
Vice Chair
Sandra Pinole
Sandra is a parent carer for her teenage son who has cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, learning and emotional difficulties. After her son’s birth she gave up a long-term job to be his primary carer. Sandra became involved with ACS seven years ago after a referral to our Learning and Work service for training in personal development and new skills. Through this she became a co-facilitator for Because Carers Count, the ACS training for professionals. Sandra is involved with the Giving Carers a Voice steering group and is a Carer Ambassador for ACS. She recently started a part time job.
James Dadge
James is a carerand has worked in the voluntary sector in Surrey and central London since the age of 16. This frontline experience has provided him with a broad perspective of both the voluntary sector and local authority interaction with carers.
While studying for his degree, James researched and analysed the experience of parents of autistic children in Surrey, an exercise which brought him into contact not only with carers but also with a range of service providers.
Veronica Hastings
Veronica has been a carer since childhood and was a member of Surrey Young Carers for several years. This has given her a deep understanding of issues faced by young carers and more recently, the challenges of caring as a young adult. Currently combining caring with studying for a degree, Veronica enjoys participating in an organisation which has done so much for her.
Geoff Martin
Geoff is a graduate chartered accountant who spent 29 years with Shell in both Finance and HR. He retired in 1996 and has since worked part time for The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre (Frensham) as Administrator and then St Hilary’s School (Godalming) as Bursar. He is now fully retired. He has no practical experience of caring but recognizes the vital work ACS is doing and is delighted to be involved.
Carol Norris
Mother to two children, Carol cared for her daughter with ME whileholding down a teaching job and was the sole wage earner for the family for a number of years. She was also the main carer for her elderly mother for more than eight years. Carol has now retired from teaching and shares looking after her young grandson with his other granny while both his parents work full-time. She is increasingly interested in the support of Young Carers and continues to be involved in a variety of other organisations on a voluntary basis.
Tim O’Reilly
From a very young age Tim looked after his father and brother, who suffer from ME and depression, and helped his mother, who has other health problems.As a child he found it difficult to socialise and concentrate on school work knowing the troubles his family were having at home. Surrey Young Carers helped build his confidence, gave him a break and a listening ear and encouraged him to push himself a lot further than he ever thought possible.Tim became a trustee of ACS so he could put something back into the organisation that helped him and so many people he knows.
Sue Tresman
Sue cares for her mother and until recently, her father, who had Alzheimer's. A Carer Ambassador for ACS and Chair of Carers Support Waverely, Sue is passionate about giving carers a greater voice.
Currently working with Surrey County Council on a project to support carers who are looking after those with dementia near the end of life, Sue is the Lay Vice Chair of NHS Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group and also supports a variety of other charities and institutions.
Pat Adams
Pat has recently retired after a long career in education in which she was the Inclusion Manager for SEND (Special Education Needs and Disability) in a large Junior School. Pat worked with families and carers and became involved with Surrey Young Carers, setting up a Young Carers group in the school and promoting the work of Young Carers. She has wide experience of working multi agency working and safeguarding procedures. Pat is a school Governor at a Surrey Special Needs School and she also cares for her cousin who is blind.