Providing support and promoting respect for everyone with a visible difference

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Our Board of Trustees

Find out about our Board of Trustees – the governing body of Changing Faces and the people who ensure the smooth running of our charity.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall control and strategic direction of Changing Faces.

They meet regularly during the year to consider, determine and review the charity’s strategies and policies, and to receive reports from senior managers.

Our Trustees work for Changing Faces voluntarily to make sure we’re doing all we can to reach and improve the lives of people affected by visible difference.

We are always keen to hear from people who could add skills and experience to our Board – please email [email protected] to find out more.

Meet our Trustees

David Clayton (Chairman)

David Clayton, Trustee, portrait photo

David joined the Changing Faces Board of Trustees as Chairman in April 2015. He is a non-executive director of RWS Holdings, a global provider of language translation services and software solutions.

Until July 2012, David was an executive director of the main board of the Sage Group plc, with responsibility for strategy and corporate development. Prior to joining Sage, he was a managing director at Credit Suisse.

David is also a Trustee of Dixons Academies Trust, which seeks to challenge social and educational disadvantage in the North.

Bridget Gardiner (Honorary Secretary)

Bridget Gardiner, Trustee, portrait photo

Bridget started her career in commercial marketing, followed by many years at a senior level in charities. This included Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Richard House Children’s Hospice, and Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Epilepsy Society.

Bridget retired from her role as Executive Director at youth development charity The Brokerage in summer 2019. She is a member of the Institute of Fundraising and has previously been a Trustee of The Directory of Social Change (DSC) as well as The Camden Society.

In addition to her role as Trustee of Changing Faces, Bridget is currently a Trustee of Thomas Cook Children’s Charity.

Elissa Holme (Honorary Treasurer)

Elissa has over 25 years’ experience in financial services, in trading and treasury roles, and is a fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. She currently heads the treasury and liquidity management team for LCH Ltd, which is part of the London Stock Exchange Group. Elissa has responsibility for investment and liquidity management across London and New York.

John Ashcroft

Headshot of John Ashcroft, Changing Faces trustee

John is currently National Director – Eye Care at NHS England. He also sits on national boards connected to ophthalmology and dentistry. John has held a number of posts in both the NHS and private sector healthcare and was previously Chief Executive of Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and University Dental Hospital of Manchester Trust. He has also worked at Great Ormond Street and the Royal Free London hospitals. John has expertise in leadership, strategy and operational delivery both within and across organisations in health and care.

Tiwonge Chipeta-Cohn

Headshot of Tiwonge Chipeta-Cohn, Changing Faces trustee

Tiwonge brings a wealth of experience from the public, private and charitable sectors both in the UK and abroad. Her passion and expertise is equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in which she’s held strategic and operational roles. She enjoys making the complexities and sensitivities of EDI simple.

Tiwonge has been a long-time supporter of Changing Faces, having experienced a facial trauma following a road traffic accident. A former skin camouflage volunteer, she has a keen interest in organisational development, mental health, maxillofacial surgery and scar maintenance. She says, “Changing Faces has the power to save lives: it saved mine.”

Monica Gizzi

Headshot of Monica Gizzi, Changing Faces trustee

Monica has nine years of experience in professional services, initially training as a chartered accountant (ICAS) within audit before moving into strategic consultancy in London. She currently supports CEOs of high-growth businesses on key topics such as opportunity analysis, transaction execution and strategy planning. Monica received an MBA from EDHEC Business School in 2020 and has a LLB (Hons) degree from University of Aberdeen.

Monica was born with a birthmark on her right cheek and says, “My parents were put in touch with Changing Faces for support when I was a baby, probably around the time that the charity first started.” She has taken part in various events and fundraising initiatives in the years since, and became a Trustee to provide support at a strategic level.

Susan Harrison

An older woman in a lilac top outdoors

Susan has over 35 years’ experience working in operational and strategic roles in health, housing and social care in London and the South-East. Retired from full-time employment, she offers her time and skills in governance roles and project work.

Susan is committed to the development of social science research evidence to support her practice and role as a charity trustee.

Victoria Hunt

Victoria Hunt, Trustee, portrait photo

Victoria is a digital product manager at Croydon Council. Prior to that she worked for NHS Digital for 10 years with a focus on public health and digital technologies.

Victoria has long been interested in Changing Faces’ work, having been born with Goldenhar syndrome. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2015 and has a special interest in digital and social media.

Nicholas Lee

Nicholas Lee, Trustee, portrait photo

Nicholas is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a consultant maxillofacial surgeon at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He trained in oral and maxillofacial surgery in London at St George’s Hospital, Northwick Park Hospital, University College Hospital, Eastman Dental Hospital, and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

Nicholas completed an NHS Training Group Interface Fellowship in Cosmetic Reconstructive Surgery. He has a sub-speciality interest in facial reconstruction with a practice that includes orthognathic (jaw) surgery, facial implants (patient-specific), and patients’ management following facial trauma. Other interests include improving patient care through quality improvement and health leadership.

Andrew Thompson

Andrew Thompson, Changing Faces Trustee, standing outside building on lawn

Andrew is a consultant clinical psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working in the NHS. He is currently the Director of the South Wales Clinical Psychology training programme, which trains clinical psychologists in collaboration with Health Boards in South, Mid and West Wales.

Andrew is a professor of clinical psychology at Cardiff University and a visiting professor in clinical psychology at the University of Sheffield. He is dually registered as both a health psychologist and a clinical psychologist. As well as working in the NHS, he also conducts research and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

Andrew has supported the work of a number of skin and burn care-related charities both internationally and within the UK. He is also a lead author of the Wiley clinical psychology textbook on working with appearance concern.

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Our founder

Learn about James Partridge, the founder and former Chief Executive of Changing Faces from May 1992 until September 2017. James passed away in August 2020.

Our leadership team

Find out about the Changing Faces leadership team, which is made up of our Chief Executive, Heather Blake, and two directors.

Volunteer for us

Our volunteers work with us to ensure a future where everyone with a visible difference has the confidence, support and opportunity to lead the lives they want.