Meet the team

Meet the team at University Hospitals Birmingham Charity and find out what we all do. 

Mike Hammond, Charity Chief Executive

Mike joined the hospital charity in February 2009, following 12 years at Bradford & Bingley, where he was Head of Internal Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility.

Since 2009, Mike has led a successful relaunch and rebrand of the hospital charity which now works across four of the Midland’s busiest hospitals Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital.

Under Mike’s leadership the Charity has spent over £60 million supporting patients, families and staff at the hospitals.

Mike has driven many multi-million-pound appeals at the Charity including bringing the first CyberKnife cancer treatment machine in the UK outside of London to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, constructing Fisher House a “home away from home” for military patients and their families, the creation of the Centre for Rare Diseases and funding the AcceleraTED cancer drugs repurposing trial.

He is a member of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and the Institute of Fundraising. He is also a director of the Bradford & Bingley Pension Fund.

Married to Elizabeth, a pharmacist, Mike is a member of the Lords Taverners. He enjoys all sports, especially American Football.

 

Charlotte Schofield, Director of Fundraising

Charlotte joined the hospital charity in January 2020 as the new Director of Fundraising covering all four hospitals. Before joining the Charity, Charlotte was the Head of Fundraising and Lottery at Mary Stevens Hospice.

In her spare time, Charlotte loves spending time with her crazy three-year-old daughter and gorgeous four-legged pooch Archie!

She also loves going out with friends, eating chocolate and drinking prosecco. She is married to her husband, Chris, who runs a property and garden maintenance company bringing rented houses back to life!

Charlotte says her favourite food is raspberries because “I just love them!”

Charlotte said: “I’m looking forward to directly seeing the difference fundraising makes to staff, patients and families, and seeing all the different type of events the Charity hosts!”

 

Tom Joyce, Operations Manager

Tom joined the Charity team in November 2019, having spent 13 years in the Royal Air Force as an Engineer Officer. During this time, Tom worked with 99 Squadron and was part of the team that look after the C-17 aircraft which transported injured Service People to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

Tom said: “My time in the forces made me aware of the amazing work that takes place at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine here at QEHB, I’m really excited to be working at this great hospital.”

In his spare time Tom plays for Moseley Oak Rugby Football Club as a tight-head prop, and speaking of his team mates said: “Most of them weren’t born when I started playing!”

Tom’s dream holiday destination would be to Australia, and he hopes to go ‘down-under’ soon to visit his brother in Melbourne and watch the British & Irish Lions at the same time!

 

Gwen Eccleston, Office Manager

Gwen started working for the hospital charity in March 2015. She had previously worked at a small children’s charity for seven years in various admin and fundraising roles and prior to that she worked in customer support for an internet dating agency, which had its interesting moments!

Her favourite part of her job is the variety that each day brings. From answering the phones to visiting wards, manning stands and shaking buckets, there’s always someone new to meet or something new to learn.

Gwen absolutely loves pasta, which as a vegetarian is quite handy as it’s usually the only option. Her pet hate is poor punctuality.

In her spare time Gwen enjoys swimming, visiting scenic/historic places, photography and eating out. One thing that people are always surprised to learn about Gwen is that she used to have really curly hair until she got a bit too happy with the hair straighteners.

 

Laura Power, Deputy Head of Fundraising

Laura joined the hospital charity team as Fundraising Assistant in June 2012, having graduated from University College Birmingham with a degree in Events Management.

Her favourite aspect of her job is meeting lots of new and interesting people.

Laura’s favourite food is Chinese (especially Cantonese sweet and sour chicken), and her pet hate is untidiness. An unknown fact about Laura is that she can name the States of America in alphabetical order!

 

Mel Hancock, Communications Manager

Mel joined the hospital charity in August 2022 as the new Communications Manager covering all four hospitals. Before joining UHB Charity, Mel was the Regional News Editor for Global’s Newsroom Midlands for Heart, Smooth, Capital and LBC.

During her 20 year career in radio, Mel covered many stories from the Lozells Riots to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. She's interviewed a number of celebrities including Dame Judi Dench and Michael Bublé.

Mel is married and has two daughters and loves spending quality time with them. She loves all sorts of food but if she has to choose her favourite meal it would be a lasagne.

Mel said: “It brings me great joy to promote the fantastic projects the charity funds to help patients and their families as well as the fabulous staff that look after them!”

 

Elle Huguet, Assistant Fundraising Manager

Elle is part of the fundraising team and is based at Good Hope Hospital. Previously, she worked for the British Heart Foundation in their customer care department.

Elle has been going through the ranks to become a Brownie leader since she was 14 and is now training to become a full leader in her spare time.

The thing she enjoys most about working for the Charity is “learning about all of the different appeals and seeing the difference the Charity makes within the hospital, the Children’s Outpatients Department looks amazing!”

She loves fresh seafood and loves going to Devon, but she is really looking forward to exploring Cuba one day.

An interesting fact about Elle is that she loves vintage cameras, she owns six!

 

Sophie Westlake, Senior Fundraising and Communications Officer 

Sophie joined the team in March 2020 after graduating from the University of Bristol with a degree in Politics and International relations.

Her favourite part of the job is being able to work alongside our fantastic NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, and witnessing how they have gone over and above for their patients. Sophie said: "this past year it has been really amazing to see the wonderful work our NHS do first hand, and supporting them during a global pandemic!"

Sophie's favourite food is curry, and her dream holiday would be island hopping around Greece, so she can pretend she is in Mammia Mia!

 

Jane Redmond, Communications Officer

Jane joined the communications team in March 2023 and previously worked for a community arts centre as the marketing assistant. Before this she studied Media and Cultural Studies at university and then went on to complete a Masters degree in Film and Television at the University of Birmingham.

Her favourite part of the job is seeing the difference the charity makes to patients and staff, and speaking to the charity’s amazing fundraisers.

In her spare time Jane is a keen runner and she has taken on several half marathons. She spends a lot of time these days running after her young son!

 

Gemma Hackett, Senior Stewardship Officer

Prior to her role at UHB Charity Gemma worked as a Supervisor of a wholesale warehouse specialising in floral supplies and previously studied Forensic Psychology at university.

When asked what she was most looking forward to about working for the hospital charity Gemma said: "Definitely Christmas time! I can't wait to help the charity spread some christmas cheer to patients and staff!"

Gemma's favourite cuisine is Greek and would love to visit the island of Santorini in the future. She enjoys eating out with friends, days out with her three boys and is always keen to learn new things. An unusual fact about Gemma is she recently donated 20 inches of hair to The Little Princess Trust after growing it out for over 4 years!

 

Joshua Wilks, Stewardship Officer

Josh graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2021 with a BA in History and Political science, and previously worked in HR for colleges within Birmingham.

His favourite part of the job is the potential to try and help people each day in a different way.

When asked what his pet hate was Josh replied “Probably my Cats Elika and Affie. They are little tyrants, but I love them really”

Josh enjoys spending time either LARPing, or crafting towards those ends, which can mean anything from sewing to woodworking to embroidering.

 

Jonathan Burch, Fundraising Officer

Jonathan has been working in the charity sector since he was 19. His previous work involved dealing with donations administration.

When we asked him what his favourite part of the job is he replied: "I’m excited about being able to raise funds for UHB Charity. Wills and In Memory Gifts are a growing area of giving and I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge in my new role."

Jonathan enjoys both playing and watching cricket and football. He's currently the fixture secretary and a captain for his village cricket team in Warwickshire (Great Alne CC). He's also newly married and learning Mandarin Chinese.

 

Philippa Preston, Grants & Fundraising Officer

Philippa joined UHB Charity in September 2022 after completing a Masters degree in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. Prior to this, she graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a First Class degree in Ethics, Religion and Philosophy.  During her time at Manchester Metropolitan she was the Chair of the Philosophy Society. Philippa developed a love for Manchester during her studies so she frequently returns.

Her favourite part of the job is being able to help patients and staff across the hospital sites by being a part of various projects and delivering things that go over and above what the NHS can provide.

In her spare time, Philippa loves to spend time with her family and friends and regularly attends concerts.

 

Richard Mitchell, Grants Officer

Richard joined the charity grants team in September 2022 after 16 years in electronic and second hand retail management.

A proud Brummie, he is passionate about local charities and has spent time working with St Mary's Hospice and Focus Birmingham.

He is a keen gamer and sci-fi lover, but spends most of his time running around with his 4 year old daughter.

His favourite food is chilli followed by cheescake and his dream holiday would involve travelling to Norway to see the northern lights.

 

Laura Stanley, Fundraising Officer

Laura joined the charity fundraising team in January 2023 after completing a Masters degree in Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. Before this, she graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in English with Creative Writing. She previously worked as a student ambassador for the University Graduate School at the University of Birmingham, as well as a customer service assistant for a children’s charity.

Her favourite part of the job is finding out information about the charity’s many amazing appeals and then writing a case study of support for them.

Laura likes spending time with her one-year old miniature poodle, visiting museums and going to the theatre.

 

Timothy Ese, Fundraising Officer

Timothy embarked on this remarkable journey in the world of fundraising with a deep passion for making a difference. Starting as a dedicated volunteer some years ago, he quickly realized the power of effective fundraising and its ability to transform lives. 

Timothy is a graduate of Birmingham City University and recently completed his masters in Cybersecurity.

Timothy honed his skills in donor engagement, grant writing, outdoor / event fundraising, and campaign management and says he's thrilled to be on the  hospital charity team.

Apart from fundraising, he loves listening to music and even plays about six instruments with piano as a major.

 

Erika Mamalias, Fundraising Officer

Erika joined the hospital charity in September 2023, after having graduated with a degree in Economics with French from the University of Nottingham. She is based at Heartlands Hospital, to which she is particularly drawn to due to her mum having been a nurse there for 20 years.

During her studies, Erika spent a year in Toulouse in the South of France. Her dream is to complete the East Coast of Australia, before backpacking across Southeast Asia. Erika also volunteers for the British Asian Collective in her spare time.

Erika enjoys powerlifting, going to festivals, and trying restaurants that have (at least) 4.5 stars!

 

Karen Jones, The Giles' Trust Brain Tumour Fund

Karen is a fundraiser for The Giles’ Trust Brain Tumour Fund.

Initially joining as a volunteer, Karen now works part time for the charity and devotes her time to raising much needed funds and increasing awareness of the charity.

Seeing the difference The Giles’ Trust makes at the hospital motivates Karen to strive to do more.

In addition to photography, musical theatre, dining out with friends and dancing, she also enjoys travelling and eating Italian food. Cape Town and Italy are her two favourite destinations.

 

Dave Watson, Charity Fundraiser

Dave joined the hospital charity in February 2016. As an ex-resident of Fisher House himself, Dave enjoys talking to others who have had similar experiences to himself, and bringing smiles back to their faces.

Dave’s favourite food is lasagne, and when asked about what his pet hate is, he revealed that he does not have one.

In his spare time, Dave enjoys fishing. An unknown fact about Dave is that he owns not one Olympic Torch but two, after being selected to carry one in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2016!

 

© 2024

University Hospitals Birmingham Charity is a company limited by guarantee in England (No.10004003) and a charity registered in England and Wales (No.1165716).Registered Office: Fisher House, Mindelsohn Way, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2GN

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