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We are delighted that HRH The Duke of Gloucester is our Patron and plays an active part in the Charity’s life. Our Trustees are selected for the specific expertise that they bring to Canine Partners along with their enthusiasm and vision for the Charity’s continuing growth and success.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, please email volunteer@caninepartners.org.uk for more information.
We are honoured that HRH The Duke of Gloucester has been Patron of Canine Partners for many years and holds our charity close to his heart, regularly supporting a variety of events. His Royal Highness officially opened our Southern Centre in 2005 and visited our Midlands Centre in 2014, when the project was still in its development stage. He is an active supporter of the cause of Canine Partners and particularly enjoys meeting our partners and their dogs.
Clive was appointed as Chair of the Trustees in May 2021. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge University in 1989 and became a specialist in Internal Medicine following a postgraduate degree at The Royal Veterinary College. In 1998 he joined the private referral practice Davies Veterinary Specialists, becoming Managing Director in 2010. Clive brings veterinary expertise to our trustee board whilst also bringing experience of managing a complex organisation. Clive is also Treasurer of the British College of Veterinary Specialists.
Gideon joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2018, becoming Vice-Chair in 2021.
Gideon is currently the Chief Executive of a business services company following a twenty-year career as a senior international HR professional. Gideon is Chair of Stanmore College and is a Patient Advocate on the NHS Neurology Clinical Reference Group. He has previously been a trustee at the MS Society and ShiftMS, in addition to having sat on the people advisory committees for two welfare charities.
Gideon has a Rabbinical ordination, holds an MA in HR and is a Fellow of the CIPD, CMI, IoL and RSA. He is learning to play the trumpet and lives in London with his wife, daughter and two Siamese cats. He is also on the waiting list for a successor Canine Partner.
Jo joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2018 and has been using a wheelchair since being in an accident in 2006. She was partnered with Derby in 2014 and has been involved with the Charity since then as a speaker and supporter. She is delighted to be able to further this involvement by joining the Trustee Council. Her current partner is Barrington (known mostly as Barry).
Following her degree from Oxford, Jo worked in brand management, including time at Unilever and Superdrug, before setting up her own business development company specialising in challenging paradigms and looking creatively at strategy. She has also led and worked within, various voluntary organisations including community ventures and in schools.Jo lives in rural north Buckinghamshire, and has four children, three of whom still live at home. She enjoys various consultancy and voluntary commitments. Outside of these, Jo and Barry love mooching, exploring the countryside, going to concerts, the theatre, the cinema, music and yoga.
Gill joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2022, and has worked with the charity as an occupational therapist since 2007, as well as recently assisting with impact and strategic projects.Prior to this Gill worked as an OT in the NHS in both inpatient and community rehab settings.
Gill is keen to bring her practical experience of enabling clients to support the work of Canine Partners.
A keen gym enthusiast, Gill lives in Wiltshire and is married with two sons. She enjoys walks with her two wayward Welsh springer spaniels, Sybil and Daphne.
Nick joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2022 and is a retired Business Continuity and Crisis Management consultant who has provided continuity advice to many ‘household name’ organisations in the UK and across the world. He lives close to Canine Partners’ Midlands Training Centre and, since retirement, has supported the charity as a volunteer in many areas, including community talks, dog fostering and event support. He also advised the senior management team during their response to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently supported a number of post-Covid-19 strategic projects.
Nick became a Trustee in 2022, bringing his experience of organisational risk and the development of operational strategies to support Canine Partners’ continuing growth and success.
James joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2022, having been a supporter for over ten years. In particular, he’s supported Canine Partners’ fundraising efforts. James is a partner at HarknessKennett, a communications consultancy and leads projects for a diverse range of UK and global clients. Prior to that he worked in communications and marketing and was Head of Internal Communications at The Body Shop. James lives in Suffolk, in a busy house, with four kids currently at home and loves walking Nelly and Chase in the glorious Suffolk countryside.
Agnes became a Trustee in 2023. She qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Liege, Belgium in 1990 and specialised in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA in 1996.
She practised in a tertiary referral centre for 10 years in the US and the UK, then moved to the pharmaceutical industry. After completing her MBA at the Cranfield School of Management, Agnes took up various senior commercial leadership roles in sales and marketing at local operational and international strategic levels. Agnes recently transitioned to the Medical Technology industry working with the NHS. She hopes to combine her veterinary expertise with her commercial experience to bring value to the board of trustees.
Richard joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2023, having supported them for over five years. He has recently retired from corporate life, having spent the last 30 years working in the property development sector, most recently from a leadership role within one of the country’s largest housebuilders.
He is a qualified accountant and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and will bring both financial and leadership experience to the trustee board.
Richard grew up in Berkshire surrounded by Labradors, although he now lives in Derbyshire. He is married with two grown-up daughters and two young grandchildren. When not gardening, he enjoys walking in the fabulous Derbyshire Dales, as well as cooking and playing golf.
Miriam joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2023. She acquired her disability in 2014 and has partnered with canine partner Laurel for five years. Over that time, she has been a regular speaker and advocate for the charity.
Miriam has spent over 30 years working in the Equality sphere, holding lead roles in many sectors, including education, private, public and the charity sector. Currently, she is the National Strategic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at The Wildlife Trusts and chairs the Wildlife and Countryside Link EDI Working Group. Miriam has also worked in academia, most recently studying Hate Crime at The University of Leicester.
As a disabled female leader, Miriam has faced many challenges and is passionate about ensuring the voice of lived experience informs her work. Her drive to make a difference to people’s lives shines through her award-winning work.
Miriam has five older children and enjoys getting away in her caravan or campervan with her husband and Laurel.
Brendan joined Canine Partners as a Trustee in 2023. He is an Investment Manager at Rathbones Group Plc, which provides investment management services to private clients, charities, trusts, and professional partners. In addition to his trustee role at Canine Partners, Brendan is fundraising for the charity via various events across Scotland.
During his free time, Brendan enjoys travelling with his wife and keeping his dog (a Dalmatian called Spot) entertained.
