In his early years with the charity, Hugh was closely involved with the creation of Revitalise’s Sandpipers centre in Southport. In the late 1980s Hugh also took on the management of Netley Waterside House in Southampton.

Hugh is a Chartered Surveyor by profession and a partner in the firm Matthews & Goodman, with offices in London, Manchester and Liverpool.

Hugh was awarded an OBE in 1999.

Richard brings over 25 years of London and international luxury hotel management experience to Revitalise. His expertise is in developing and driving a focussed team to deliver strong business revenues and exceptional guest services.

Richard’s career began with London’s famous Dukes hotel, and he has held senior positions at Grosvenor House, The Westbury, Royal Garden and IHG. Richard has managed businesses with turnovers between £5-£38 million and teams between 20 -300 employees. Over the last decade, he has worked on luxury projects, developing, leasing and managing a portfolio of ultra-high-end serviced apartments within central London and overseeing the management of a family office.

Richard’s ideal holiday involves sun and sea — being in a cottage on the coast by Bordeaux in early September, swimming and sunbathing during the day and barbequing and drinking some fabulous local wines in the evening.

Christopher’s career spans across various sectors including information technology, financial services and the automotive industry. He has worked for several multi-national companies, including International Computers, Lloyds Bank and the Volkswagen Group. For the past ten years, Chris has been running his business consultancy company specialising in strategic planning, leadership development and corporate compliance.

Chris has an adult daughter with severe learning difficulties and intractable epilepsy.  He was on the board of trustees at the Epilepsy Society for a six-year term and sits on various NHS Foundation Trust committees representing the patient experience.

Chris’s ideal holiday involves travelling around the UK and Europe, with Italy being his favourite holiday destination.

Cedric studied politics at Warwick University before embarking on a career in Human Resources. With over 30 years’ experience of working in the private, public (NHS) and voluntary sectors, Cedric has held senior HR roles in a variety of complex not for profit sector organisations: Mencap (learning disability), St. Botolph’s Project and St. Mungo’s (homelessness), the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Quakers in Britain. He has a particular interest in employment law and employee relations, having taken a master’s degree in this field.

In his spare time, he is an avid gardener, reads social history and is a supporter of the Clean Up Britain campaigning organisation.

Rebecca began her career in the hospitality sector, working for well-known national brands Oddbins, PizzaExpress and GAIL’s Artisan Bakery in marketing, brand and communications roles for over a decade whist at the same time completing her Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma in Marketing. From there, she moved into the charity sector, where she was able to diversify her experience to include corporate governance, research and impact, campaigning and advocacy work and commercial development. Today, Rebecca is responsible for the External Affairs division, acts as Company Secretary and develops and monitors the organisation’s corporate strategy.

Alex is passionate about increasing impact through effective fundraising collaborations. For 6 years, Alex served as Chair of Remember A Charity, a behaviour change campaign involving around 200 charities who work together to grow the UK legacy giving market. Alex also played a leading role in the ‘Good Lab’ project which brought charities together to scope and establish new businesses who were capable of delivering new and innovative sources of income to charities. These experiences have helped Alex understand the strengths and challenges of fundraising collaborations and the wider commercial opportunities and necessities for the UK charity sector.

Alex has also served as a judge on the CIOF awards panel and a speaker at various fundraising conferences. This includes co-delivery of a masterclass on supporter engagement at the 2019 International Fundraising Congress in Holland.

Showjumping star Nick was appointed an Honorary Ambassador for Revitalise in February 2017. Nick has had a long and very successful career in equestrianism and received an OBE for services to equestrian sport in 2012. Later, Nick won a team Showjumping gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics, and surpassed this with individual gold in Rio four years later – making him the oldest British Olympic gold medallist since 1908. For this, and in recognition of his continued service to equestrian sport, Nick was elevated to a CBE. Revitalise offered an Ambassadorship to Nick due to his incredible Showjumping achievements and his personal experience of disability caused by a neck injury in 2000, from which Nick subsequently made a full recovery. Nick now works tirelessly to support fellow injured equestrians in recovery from spinal injury.

His gold in Rio adds to the gold he won in Beijing and the silver and bronze he won in London. David is now the joint most successful British Boccia player in history. He developed his talent for Boccia as a student at Treloars School in Hampshire, of which he is now Patron. He became the youngest ever player to win the British Championships and went on to be crowned World Champion at the age of 18. On a recent visit to Netley Waterside House to show the guests his medal collection, David said: “Achieving gold is something I will never forget and it was great to see so many of the guests having fun and getting involved in a sport that I am so passionate about.” David famously played Boccia with Samantha Cameron on the occasion of Samantha’s appointment as Patron of Revitalise at Jubilee Lodge in 2013. Eastleigh-born David — who now resides in Swansea — was awarded an MBE for services to Paralympic sport in the Queen’s New Years Honours list in 2017, and later an OBE in 2022.

Chelmsford-born Dan Bentley is a Team GB Boccia Paralympian. He won a team gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and a team bronze at the 2012 London Paralympics. On a visit to Jubilee Lodge in 2013, to help celebrate Revitalise’s 50th anniversary and the appointment of Samantha Cameron as the charity’s Patron, Dan commented: “I was honoured to have been asked along today to play a round of Boccia with the guests and volunteers at Jubilee Lodge and also highlight the fantastic work that Revitalise excel at and help them celebrate their 50th year. When I was younger I used to have breaks away. Not only did it help me, it also gave my parents much-needed time to recharge their batteries.” Dan recently graduated from Portsmouth University with a Graphic Design degree and now works as a graphic designer.

David Gerald Brooks, 5th Baron Crawshaw, was born in 1934, the son of Gerald Beach Brooks, 3rd Baron Crawshaw and Marjory Sheila Clifton. He was educated at Eton then at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. He married Belinda Mary Burgess, daughter of George Burgess, in 1970.

Denis retired as Chairman of the Friends of Jubilee Lodge after 14 years service during which, under his leadership, the Friends of Jubilee Lodge raised almost a quarter of a million pounds to support Revitalise’s work at Jubilee Lodge. Denis’ passion for Revitalise, combined with his strong networking skills among Rotary Clubs and other influential groups in the region, meant he was instrumental in helping Revitalise through several stages of growth and development.

Sir Andrew was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge. He served in the Coldstream Guards and later in the Territorial Army. Sir Andrew was also High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire from 1976 to 1977. He and Belinda, Lady Buchanan, have four children. Sir Andrew and his family are farmers at Hodstock Priory, famous for its magnificent early spring snowdrops. In addition to running the estate in an environmentally friendly way, they are active volunteers and are involved in many aspects of local and regional community life.

John was educated at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh, then Trinity College, Dublin, where he obtained an Honours Degree in Economics, followed by a PMD from Harvard Business School in 1984. John joined Lloyds Bank in 1973 and had ascended to the position of Managing Director of Business Banking by 1996. In 1998 he was appointed Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland. In 2000 he became Director of the Lloyds TSB UK Branch Network, in charge of all branches, telephony, ATMs and internet banking. He received The Prince of Wales’s Business Ambassadors Award in 2005. Among other positions, John is currently a non-executive Director of HM Revenue and Customs, Deputy Chair of Business in the Community and a Church Commissioner for the Church of England. In recognition of his services to charity, John was awarded an OBE in 2006. He has been married to wife Yvonne for 30 years and has three adult children.

Tim was a Trustee of Revitalise for over 20 years and continues to be a Director of Revitalise Enterprises. He had a 35 year career with WH Smith and then worked for Business in Community where he was responsible for member companies in Surrey. He has been involved in the Surrey Community for many years; 25 years as a magistrate, eight years on the Police Authority and at various times Chairman of Surrey Community Action, Surrey Crimestoppers and the Independent Remuneration Panel of Surrey County Council. He is also a Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey. He is a Governor of Lord Wandsworth College and was Chairman of St Aubyns School near Brighton for 11 years. Tim has been married to Di for 45 years and has four children and eight grandchildren. Tim’s ideal break is fishing – closely followed by a day at Lords!

Arthur Smith is considered an elder statesman of the British stand up scene, performing since the 1980s. Arthur voiced the 2017 BBC Radio Appeal for Revitalise, saying: “After my father died my mother Hazel’s grief intensified as she began to feel the onset of dementia, a condition she’d always dreaded. In the difficult years that followed I learnt how hard and upsetting it can be to be a carer. That’s why I became Vice-President of Revitalise”. When sharing his story for Revitalise’s 50th anniversary, Arthur commented: “In 2006, not long after I became a Revitalise Vice President, I popped over to Jubilee Lodge to see for myself what Revitalise does on a daily basis. I went out with a big group of guests and volunteers on a day trip to London. My abiding memory of that day was of a big group of people having a whole lot of fun. Everyone was happy, everyone was laughing. As a carer, you couldn’t ask for better than that.”

She first sprang to fame as a presenter on BBC TV’s That’s Life, which succeeded in raising much needed public awareness for the need for child organ transplants. After a chance meeting with Joan Brander, the charity’s founder, Esther became a Vice President soon afterwards. Recalling their meeting, Esther said: “The more I discovered about her, the more impressed I was. I knew this was a charity I could support. I’ve had the honour of being a Revitalise VP to this day.” Esther supports a wide range of charities in addition to Revitalise, including ChildLine, which she set up in 1986, and The SilverLine, a telephone befriending service to help older people cope with loneliness, which she set up in 2012. Esther was awarded a CBE in 2006 for services to children.

Most recently, Dame Judi launched Revitalise’s Wish You Were Here Campaign in 2017, inviting celebrities to doodle or describe their most treasured holiday memories. In a Revitalise Christmas Appeal message, Dame Judi said: “Our guests can leave their worries behind them and draw strength from the warmth and companionship of a Revitalise break. Thanks to the expertise of our care staff and the dedication of our volunteers, our essential breaks are making a genuine difference to the lives of thousands of people with disabilities and carers each year.” She was awarded the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1988.

Samantha Cameron is the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron. Samantha’s interest in Revitalise came about as a result of her hosting a successful fundraising dinner for Revitalise at Chequers in November 2012. Revitalise gratefully accepted Samantha’s subsequent offer of patronage and she was officially announced as the new Patron of Revitalise at Jubilee Lodge on 2 July 2013. During her visit to the centre, Samantha joined Paralympic medal winners David Smith and Dan Bentley, as well as guests and volunteers for a game of the Paralympic sport, Boccia. Samantha supports a number of other charitable causes including Contact a Family and the Big Splash Trust. A former Creative Director of the luxury accessory brand Smythson Bond Street, Samantha has strong links with the fashion industry. She is a dedicated ambassador for British designers and works closely with the British Fashion Council.

Kevin spent much of his early career with KPMG, working with clients on large business transformation projects in Europe, New Zealand and Asia, and ran their Telecom Consulting practice in Hong Kong.

Since leaving KPMG, Kevin has had a varied career including senior roles for Verizon Business in both Asia Pacific and EMEA; COO for a fast-growing consulting business; Commercial Director for a highly leveraged private equity owned SME; European CFO for a medium sized multi-layer marketing organisation based in the Netherlands; and, CFO of The Kennel Club in London.

Kevin is a keen hiker and tennis player.

Deborah trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, spending her clinical career in orthopaedic nursing before moving into nursing management. She has been director of nursing at several NHS trusts in London and became Deputy Regional Chief Nurse for NHS England South Region. More recently she moved back to a Director of Nursing post at the North Middlesex Hospital in North London, before retiring from full time work at the end of 2019.

She is a Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholar and received the Chief Nursing Officer’s Gold Award for lifetime achievement in 2019. Deborah has two adult sons and lives on the London/Essex border. She is a Non-Executive Director of East London NHS Foundation Trust (a mental health and community trust), and is a Trustee of the charity Epilepsy Society, in addition to Revitalise.

Deborah is churchwarden for her local church, where she is also a service leader. In her spare time, she is an avid crafter, making handmade cards which she sells to raise funds for the church.

George began working life as an adventure playground worker before establishing his career in the banking, investments and insurance sectors where he has held a number of senior executive and non-executive positions including with Warburg Securities, Union PLC, AllianceBernstein and Beazley plc. He has a long association with the housing and care sectors in particular, having held a number of non-executive positions whilst working in the City, including as Chair of an alms-houses group in the 1980s, Chair  of Southern Housing Group from 1992 – 2006 and Chair of Stonewater Housing Association from 2010-2019. He was Chair of Charity Bank, the specialist retail bank which lends to charities and social enterprises for nine years until 2019.

As well as chairing Revitalise he continues as a non-executive director of the UK subsidiary of Beazley and chairs The Housing Finance Corporation, which funds social housing.

George has a flat in Venice and likes to escape there whenever he can, to enjoy the most extraordinary city in the world.

She is also Chair of the charity Access Your Right to Care, working to secure access to justice for people with social care needs. Jan started working with disabled people at the age of 15 when she volunteered at St Laurence’s Hospital, and loved it. She saw Mencap change beyond recognition over a period of 36 years, and felt privileged to sit with families and listen to their stories, giving her heart and soul to make the world a better place for people with disabilities.

Jan is married, lives in North London and has six children and two dogs.

Her ideal holiday is an escape to rural Cornwall, where she can spend time with family and escape the hustle and bustle.

Before that, she had a long career as a finance professional in the Investment Management industry and latterly in the charity sector, where she was CFO at the Royal Mencap Society. Kate balances her role at Revitalise with several non-executive roles, including Chair of a housing association and Governor of The Charterhouse. She is involved in local campaigning in her home town in Buckinghamshire where she lives with her husband. Kate loves to spend time in the south west of France.

Between 2005 and 2019 she set up and was Managing Director of the award-winning social enterprise HR consultancy, Real People, providing HR and transformation support to SME organisations. She joined Revitalise in 2021, having formerly worked as Executive Director of People and Governance for St Mungo’s the homelessness charity. Helen is a former Personnel Today HR Director of the Year and has been awarded the MBE for services to homeless people. She has been a frequent speaker at conferences and has had many articles published in HR and broader press. In 2015 she was listed as one of HR Magazine’s Top 10 Most Influential HR Practitioners of the Decade. Helen’s passion is the promotion of great standards of leadership and management in not-for-profit organisations working to support people who have stood up to major difficulties and disadvantage in their lives. She believes that all employees should enjoy a great place of work so they can give their very best to the people they support. She is a dedicated advocate of diversity and inclusion. Helen says she loves working for Revitalise because the staff team is made up of such a committed and inspirational group of people who go so much more than the extra mile to deliver truly transformational holiday experiences to our disabled guests and their carers.