We have a wide variety of professional experience and expertise on our board of trustees. When appointing the trustees, we felt it was important to have a strong team of medical professionals given that our work supports families in hospital but also advocating to improve training of health professionals on childhood cancer.
Karen has been qualified as a paediatric and adult nurse for 20 years.
She has worked as a sister in the Emergency Department at Portsmouth Hospital and Southampton General Paediatric Cardiothoracics and PICU (Paediatric Intensive Care). For the last 4 years, she’s been working in a primary care GP practice as an Advanced nurse practitioner/prescriber.
Karen is mum to Summer-Rose (Sophie’s best friend) and Harrison.
Fred served in the Royal Navy from 1992 on various vessels and locations including Gibraltar, the Middle East, and the Falklands. After leaving the Navy in 2000, he settled in Fareham with his family, where Fred has been a Borough Councillor for 7 years. He works as the Programme Manager at L3 Harris ASV, building Autonomous vessels
Sophie’s Legacy was one of the charity’s Fred supported during his Mayoral term within Fareham Borough (2022-23), and where he very much fell in love with the charity’s work, dedicated team and difference it makes to so many people.
Ed has worked in the charity sector for the last 5 years having spent two decades in the private sector. He knows first-hand what it’s like to be a parent of a child in hospital as his 7 year old has spent over a year in various hospitals. He has a wealth of experience acting on behalf of charity committees.
Away from work he is a devoted husband to Fiona and a father to 3 young sons. He plays golf to a relatively good standard and has recently taken up the hobby of metal detecting where he finds a sense of solitude in the beautiful Sussex countryside.
Ed is eager to bring his lived experience of having a child in hospital as well his extensive trusts and foundations experience to Sophie’s Legacy.
Maria qualified as a Doctor in 1992. Initially she started training as a GP and then fell in love with Paediatrics in New Zealand where she lived for a couple of years. Maria completed her postgraduate exams and became a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 1998. She then worked around Wessex area – including as a Registrar in Oncology in 2001.
Maria has worked as a community paediatrician including child protection for Solent NHS trust since 2004. Charlotte met Maria when she was Adoption Medical Advisor for Southampton which she did until 2016.
Maria was also the doctor that brought Sophie’s first ceramic in hospital for £10 which gave her the idea to start selling them.
Clare brings a rich background in clinical nursing and research. She trained at Barts Health NHS Trust and has worked in Neurology, Neurosurgery, and General Medicine. Her career also took her to Nigeria, where she managed a Leprosy Hospital and a Motherless Babies Home for four years.
Her interest in research began while working with injecting drug users on the streets of Oxford, leading to a funded study on mental illness in the homeless population, alongside an MSc in Clinical Education.
Most recently, Clare served as Director of Nursing at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, where she met Charlotte through the Nutrition and Hydration Steering Committee.
Now retired, Clare is proud to be a Trustee for Sophie’s Legacy. A mother of two and grandmother of two, she spends her time volunteering at the RNLI shop in Littlehampton, singing in a choir, and enjoying trips in her campervan.
Karyn joins Sophie’s Legacy with extensive experience in business and charity work. Having run several successful hospitality ventures, including Lilly’s in Wickham for 11 years, Karyn brings strong leadership and organizational skills to our team.
Her commitment to supporting families during challenging times is deeply personal, shaped by her own experiences as a mother and grandmother. Karyn has also contributed to international charitable projects, most recently with the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.
With three adult children and two grandchildren, Karyn is passionate about creating positive change for families in hospitals and beyond. We’re delighted to have her as part of our journey.
Matt has worked in the catering industry for over 15 years, with experience across large private-sector organisations before joining the NHS in 2023. He is currently Group Head of Catering at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Passionate about the role food plays in patient recovery, Matt was keen to support Sophie’s Legacy to help improve children’s hospital menus and their overall food experience. Matt is also treasurer of the Hospital Catering Association Yorkshire Branch.
Outside of work, he can usually be found in the kitchen experimenting with new ideas and the latest kitchen gadgets.
Emma-Louise has worked in finance for over 15 years and is currently working as a Finance Business Partner. She is proud to bring this experience to her role as Treasury Trustee at Sophie’s Legacy.
As a trustee, Emma-Louise supports sound financial decisions and is excited to use her financial skills to help the charity remain financially stable and continue its important work. She takes a practical and responsible approach to financial oversight and enjoys working collaboratively with fellow trustees and the wider team.
Outside of her professional life, Emma-Louise has two children and enjoys spending time with her family. She loves family days out, travel, and exploring different cultures
