I am a Community Hospice Nurse. I was born and brought up in Devon and I am married with four children and eight grandchildren. In 2006 whilst working on an Oncology ward, I helped to set up the charity along with another colleague and have been a Trustee since then. I have a particular interest in pre-bereavement work. During the last ten years I have volunteered in many resource-poor countries, working alongside palliative care providers sharing knowledge and best practice.

I was born in Essex and relocated to Devon 24 years ago. My association with Balloons started in 2005 after I lost my wife to cancer, she was just 39. Being left with my 2 girls then aged 8 and 10 was a very daunting prospect, my wife (Angie) and I had received tremendous support from the Cancer support team at Force and afterwards I was put in-touch with Balloons. I know from experience that support through tough times is vital so working with the Trustee’s is my way of saying a huge thanks to all at Balloons who helped me and my girls “dust ourselves off and get back on the horse” as my late wife would have said!

After working in a variety of fund management roles for over 30 years in 2017 I took the decision to buy a leisure business in Devon and find a series of non exec roles. I joined Balloons as a Trustee in June 2020 and sit on the Finance sub committee as well. I am a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst and have extensive financial and strategic planning experience.

Rob is the Director of Finance and Resources, and Company Secretary at the University of Exeter Student’s Guild. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has worked in a range of Finance and audit roles over the last 20 years in Charities, private practice and social enterprises. He graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury with a BA Honours degree in History and Classical Civilisation and has as MBA from Edinburgh Business School. Rob joined Balloons in 2016 and became Treasurer in 2020.

Originally from Cambridgeshire, I moved to Devon in 2018 after eight years in London. I have worked in the charity sector, specifically Fundraising, for over ten years. It’s all I have ever wanted to do. I am passionate about helping people, animals and the environment and want to make a difference. Wellbeing and Mental health are also subjects close to my heart. I am proud to be a Trustee for Balloons and admire the work they do in helping provide support to children and young people.

Amanda joined balloons as a trustee in 2013 and chairs the clinical governance and safeguarding committee. With over 20 years of experience as an educational psychologist Amanda now runs Sunrise Psychology, providing psychological services to a group of schools within Devon. Amanda has a strong interest in supporting children’s emotional well-being and is passionate about and committed to the work that Balloons does in enabling children and young people to have a space to communicate about their loss and grief. Amanda also teaches mindfulness to adults and to children.

I have been a trustee of Balloons since the beginning. I became involved due to my work in the criminal justice system, I came across  so many young people involved in drugs, alcohol abuse and violence. Many of these young people had been bereaved and there was no where to go in this area to get help.

I have lived in Devon for 24 years, having moved here from Hong Kong.

Steve is an accomplished executive operations director with over 20 years’ experience implementing business solutions, process improvements, and financial planning in the education, charitable and commercial sectors.

Steve has been working with Local Authorities, Education Trusts and commercial companies in the education sector, since 2003 as a trusted external advisor. Having been a Director of Operations and CFO of a growing MAT with several schools and having brought in a centralised finance and operational structure, Steve fully understands the challenges within schools, the young people agenda and has tested solutions to these.

Having held several interim senior posts both as director and CFO, he appreciates the need for first class communication and stakeholder engagement at all levels. Steve brings all this experience to the Board of Trustees at Balloons, as well as good humour and a penchant for good coffee!

Charles is a retired NHS Consultant Paediatrician who has been a Trustee of Balloons since the early days of the charity. His professional interests were in community child health, child safeguarding and the interface between Paediatrics and the  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). He has also served as a Magistrate in the Youth Court. Thoughout his career he has been well aware of the potential deleterious consequences of unresolved grief on the physical, mental and emotional development of children and young people and has sought ways to mitigate these ill effects.

Since retirement he has acted as a Trustee to various local charities and enjoys carpentry and singing in a choral society.