About Us
Meet the Team
Hope Against Cancer is run by a small, dedicated team with the support of some amazing volunteers.
Nigel Rose
Chief Executive
Barbara North
Office Manager
Tracey Hallam
Corporate & Community Partnerships Manager
Martin Robinson
Corporate & Community Partnerships Manager
John Nellis
Communications and Content Officer
Hope Founder's Story
Hope Against Cancer was founded in 2003 by Allison Wilson CBE who, having been diagnosed with cancer, was told by a consultant that local research facilities in Leicestershire and Rutland would help improve outcomes for local people with cancer.
Since then, we have been supporting research which directly benefits local people, families and communities. This knowledge is shared with the wider scientific community to help national and international efforts to overcome cancer which also increases the reputation of Leicestershire and Rutland as a centre for cutting edge research and care.
Our Vision, Mission & Values
“A Leicestershire and Rutland in which more people survive cancer."
Our vision is a description of the future we aspire to. It unites our organisation in a common purpose and identity, giving us a long-term view which we can communicate clearly to our internal/external stakeholders. It helps us create a sense of purpose from which our strategies can be developed.
Our Mission
Our Team Values
At Hope Against Cancer we are a team dedicated to achieving our goals. We have 7 core values that drive all we do.
We are: Committed to the Cause, Friendly, Positive, Open, Helpful, Flexible and Successful. These values steer how we work and help to keep us focused.
- Committed - We are passionate about the work that HOPE does funding cancer research. We put HOPE’s cause as our first work priority and we inspire others with our commitment and dedication.
- Friendly - We are enthusiastic about everything we do and try to see the good in everything. We make the most of every opportunity, work as a team and value everyone’s contribution.
- Positive - We are approachable and consider each other’s needs, creating a fun and enjoyable work environment. We care about our supporters, colleagues and researchers and celebrate each other’s success.
- Open - We communicate honestly with each other and we are straightforward and resolve issues by talking. We speak our minds, while always respecting other people’s opinions.
- Helpful - We can be relied upon and encourage and support each other at all times. We treat everyone as we would want to be treated.
- Flexible - We recognise that we often need to do things outside of our job description. We help colleagues when they need it and we ask for help when we need it. We go the extra mile to achieve Hope Against Cancer’s goals.
- Successful - We constantly aim to improve and are not afraid to make mistakes as we are committed to learning from them. We take responsibility and get things done.
Our Governance
Hope Against Cancer is governed by a Board of Trustees. Each of our trustees is a volunteer who give their time and expertise to benefit our charity.
Our trustees come from all walks of life, but what they have in common is a determination to improve outcomes for people with cancer here in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Our Research Advisory Panel is made up of experts from our local universities who closely follow trends in cancer research and who advise the board of trustees on where our funding is best spent to ensure the biggest impact.
Our Board of Trustees
David Wyrko
President (Former Chief Constable of Leicestershire)
Richard Moore
Chair of Trustees
As someone who is born, bred, educated and worked all of my life locally, the opportunity to be a Trustee and then Chair of such a wonderful Charity is an absolute honour.
I have been fortunate to be involved in many Charities and other outside Organisations in addition to my working life but what always called me was the extent to which HOPE “punched above its weight”- this idea is no better exemplified than in the wonderful work of the highly regarded Hope Cancer Trials Centre.
Prof Andreas Gescher- Co-opted Trustee
Emeritus Professor of Biochemical Toxicology, Department of Cancer Studies, University of Leicester
As a professor in what is now the Leicester Cancer Research Centre I have been privileged to be involved with Hope right from the beginning. I mentored the work of several medical fellows and research students who were supported by Hope. Since my retirement from the university in 2013 I have been a co-opted member of the Board of Trustees. My role is to assist trustees with the drafting of calls for research grant applications and the decision making concerning the selection of worthy recipients of Hope funds.
Duncan Green - Trustee
Managing Partner of Pick Everard, the national architecture, engineering and construction industry consultants and long-time supporter of Hope Against Cancer
Ian Guyler - Trustee
Business Consultant.
Prof Ian Lauder- Trustee
James Greenlees - Trustee
Executive Chairman and Owner, Grahame Gardner Ltd and Gymphlex Ltd.
I am the nephew of the founder of Hope Against Cancer, Mrs Allison Wilson CBE, and joined the Management Board when her husband, Jim Wilson, took on the role of launching the charity following Allison’s death to cancer in 2002.
It has been a privilege to be involved with HOPE since its launch. The charity has grown and evolved to become a fantastic local institution that provides so much support and hope for local people with cancer in Leicestershire, Rutland and beyond.
The research and trials we make possible through funding are truly world class and none of this would have ever been possible without the efforts of the Trustees and the many volunteers and staff.
I will do my best to ensure that HOPE continues its great work for many more years and gives the people in our local counties something that they would otherwise not have had access to, namely local cancer research and trials that they and their families can benefit from directly.
Prof Nigel Brunskill
Group Director of Research and Innovation at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.
Nigel Brunskill graduated from University of Leicester School of Medicine in 1984. He has held research fellowships from both MRC and Wellcome Trust and gained a PhD in Renal Cell Biology in 1997.
Nigel has been an Honorary Consultant Nephrologist for University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust since 1997 and University of Leicester Professor of Renal Medicine since 2006.
He is currently the Director of Research and Innovation for UHL NHS Trust and University of Leicester Lead for Clinical Research. He is Co-Chair of the UK Kidney Research Consortium Chronic Kidney Disease Clinical Study Group and serves on the National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine-East Midlands Management Executive Committee. He is Director of the NIHR Leicester Clinical Research Facility.
Rob Marsh - Trustee
Group Managing Director, Marsh & Co
Kishani Navin - Trustee
Solicitor/ Director at K4 Law
I am a solicitor in a niche local law practice, specialising in Probate and Property. I came to Leicester 30 years ago to complete my legal training and have enjoyed supporting the local community - through business and charity connections - ever since. It is a privilege to be involved with Hope Against Cancer, supporting its essential work.
Research Advisory Panel
Prof Nigel Brunskill (also a Trustee)
Group Director of Research and Innovation at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.
See Trustee section above for Nigel Brunskill's bio.
Prof Paul Lambert
Reader in Medical Statistics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester
Prof Raghu Raghavan
Professor of Mental Health Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University
Prof Simon Oldroyd
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) and Dean of Health & Life Sciences, De Montfort University
Simon leads the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences at DMU and is responsible for the DMU’s activity and strategy related to sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), DMU’s role as the UK SDG16 hub and all sustainability-related engagement with the UN.
Simon is active on regional and national committees concerning education in biosciences and NHS England education commissioning/funding. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and continues to be involved in the teaching of biosciences, PhD student supervision and is an external examiner.
Hope Patrons
Martin Johnson CBE
Martin Johnson CBE is an English retired rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester in a career spanning 16 seasons.
Raised in Market Harborough, Martin has been a patron of Hope Against Cancer since 2004. He has joined us on our cycle fundraisers including the ‘Wild Atlantic Challenge’ – a demanding 570-kilometre route around the beautiful peninsulas of South-West Ireland and in 2012 he opened the first Hope Clinical Trials Unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Matt Poole
Matthew David Poole was born in Leicester, he is a former rugby union lock who played 223 games for Leicester Tigers from 1988 to 1998
On becoming a Hope patron in 2009 Matt said, “It is a great honour to be asked to be a patron of Hope and one which I was more than happy to accept. For me it is a foundation which stands out as one whose ambitions are to make a real and lasting difference.”
Lars Tharp
Hope Location
Opening Hrs:
Monday-Thursday: 09:00 - 17.00*
Friday: 09:00-16.00
*Our opening hours may vary according to staff availability.
If you are planning on visiting us, we recommend that you call ahead.
