Meet our trustees
Our board of 12 trustees ensures the hospice always serves its purpose of benefitting the community of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales. Each trustee brings unique experience and passion to help guide our work.
Chair – Jeanette Whitford
Jeanette worked in Probation all her working life, and ended her career as Chief Officer for Avon and Somerset Probation. She has been a trustee of several charities including the Butler Trust; Friends of Conakry Refugee School, and Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.
She returned to live in Shropshire in April 2019 and joined Severn Hospice Board in March 2020, and was appointed Chair in September 2020.
Read Jeanette’s thoughts on her role when she first joined – click here.
Dr David Northern
David worked as a General Practitioner in Telford from 1985 until 2015. Towards the end of his career he was able to start working at Severn Hospice as a Ward Doctor. He also took on the role of Macmillan GP for Telford and Wrekin. He retired in 2018.
He has been a trustee for The Shropshire Welfare Trust for several years.
Paul Gold
Paul as worked in Investment Banking and Wealth Management for over 46 years, holding senior positions throughout his career. He was educated at Shrewsbury School in the early 70’s and returned to live back in Shrewsbury in 2015.
He joined the Severn Hospice Board in 2022 and currently chairs both the Fundraising Committee and the Severn Promotions Board, and sits on the Audit & Finance Committee. He is also a trustee for The Humane Research Trust and volunteers at other charities.
Jacqui Casey
Jacqui moved to Shropshire with her family 25 years ago. With a professional background in town planning, she worked across the West Midlands, focussing on economic regeneration and project & programme management.
Jacqui retired in June 2022 and began volunteering with Severn Hospice. She joined Severn Hospice Board in November 2023 and supports the work of the Communications and Health & Safety Teams.
Prof Debra Towse
Debra has worked in healthcare throughout her career. Her clinical activities culminated in Advanced Practice, after which she moved into Higher Education. She retired from her role as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean in October 2021.
Debra has experience in governance spanning the last 25 years, initially as a school, then NHS Public, and NHS Partner Governor. She moved into Charity Governance in 2018, as Trustee within the Council of Deans for Health UK and was appointed to the Severn Hospice Board in Jan 2022. Currently she Chairs the Clinical Governance Committee And Property Estates and Facilities Committee.
Kathryn Downton
Kathryn spent her working life in health and social care, holding a range of senior management post in the NHS and local government. She has been a member of several boards including housing and advocacy charities.
Originally from London, Kathryn has lived in Shrewsbury for over 20 years. She joined the Board in September 2023
Andy Clarkson
Andy works in the fresh produce industry, with a number of personal links to Severn Hospice, over recent years, enjoys volunteering and making a difference in the community.
As a trustee, Andy wants to give help and advice as well as a commercial edge to this wonderful charity.
Nicola Crosby
Nicola has worked in customer facing retail throughout her working life. She has led operational teams in the delivery of exceptional customer service, income and profit generation. Her last role was as Head of Store Operations for Big Yellow Self Storage, overseeing 100+ stores throughout the UK, with a team of 2 Regional Managers and 10 Area Managers.
Born in Shropshire, lived in the south for most of her working life and now returned to Shropshire. Family connections with the Hospice date back to the late 1990’s. Nicola’s voluntary roles have included working with Young Enterprise and NCS, and Trustee roles with Relate and Age UK Berkshire. Currently a Trustee with Age UK Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin since 2021 and joined the Severn Hospice Board in September 2023.
Daniel Robinson
Daniel brings a wealth of experience from a diverse career path. Following his service in the British Army, both domestically and internationally, Daniel transitioned to the defense education consultancy sector in the Middle East.
Upon returning to the UK, he leveraged his passion for service and community by joining the healthcare sector, where he currently leads Shropshire Doctors Cooperative as Chief Executive Officer. This career shift reflects Daniel’s unwavering commitment to positive change, empowerment, and inclusion, along with his dedication to his local community.
