Our team

Our Board of Trustees

Forest Holme Hospice Charity (No. 1038021) is an independent registered charity and is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board’s role is to set the Charity’s strategic direction, monitor the delivery of the Charity’s objectives, uphold its values, undertake governance and advise and support the Charity Manager towards achieving the organisation’s vision and purpose. The Board of Trustees is led by the Chairman, Dr Stephen Kirkham.

If you would be interested in becoming a Trustee, please contact the Charity Manager for further information.

Stuart Bradford, Trustee and Governance LeadStuart is Head of Coles Miller's Private Client department. He is a member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly. He has been a Trustee since 2014 and continues the long association with Coles Miller since the Charity's formation, Having lost his father to cancer, Forest Holme's work is a cause dear to his heart. The majority of his time outside of work is spent running around after his three children. Stuart enjoys watching most sports, going to the cinema and reading.

Valerie Horn, Vice Chair of TrusteesVal qualified from nurse training in 1983 at St James University hospital. She met Howard in 1984 and moved to Poole. Her first ward sister’s role was on a care of elderly ward and then part of the leadership team that set-up the stroke unit at Poole Hospital. In 2005 Val was successful in attaining the Matron role for Older Peoples Medicine, her passion for nursing older people serviced her ideology to completely redesign the pathway for caring for older people in hospital. The Medicine for the elderly department was nationally recognised for “cutting-edge” transformation in 2010 when the RACE unit opened. Val retired in 2016, but has remained actively involved in the Dorset health and social care system. She’s passionate about supporting improvements in End of Life and delighted to be actively supporting the Charity's initiatives.

Karen Johnson, TrusteeKaren was born in Winchester and spent her childhood in Germany, South Africa and Hong Kong. She completed her schooling in Germany and then moved back to the UK where she achieved a first class honours degree in Fashion Management from the London College of Fashion. She went on to complete a graduate training programme with the Aracadia Group culminating in a 5 year period working within the fashion industry for Arcadia and Oasis. She then returned to university as a mature student completing an MA in Human Resource Management at Bournemouth University. Karen has since worked at Dorset Police for 13 years in various HR roles encompassing both generalist and specialist HR activity, and is currently employed as an HR Project Manager. Her role is responsible for the management and delivery of local, regional and national Projects on behalf of the Director of People, and following a Strategic Alliance collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police, she now also covers the HR project remit for this Force. Karen is a Chartered Member of the CIPD as well as a Prince2 practitioner and is fluent in German. Karen lives in Corfe Mullen and has two sons. She is a keen runner and also enjoys walking, theatre and travel.

Roger King, TrusteeRoger is married to Gerri and they have two daughters and two grandchildren. He is an accountant and has spent much of his career with Bourne Steel in the construction industry. His roles included Finance Director, with HR, and Managing Director for ten years. He is a non-executive director of Forelle Estates. For ten years Roger was Chairman of Governers at St Edward's School and he is also sport mad.

Dr Stephen Kirkham, Chair of the TrusteesStephen is married to Maureen and with three children. He was Medical Director of an independent charitable hospice in Kent from 1982 to 1991, then came to Poole Hospital as Consultant in Palliative Medicine, to commission Forest Holme and develop the new department. In his time at Poole he held a variety of management positions, including Clinical Director of Oncology, and the Associate Medical Director for the medical division. Outside Stephen's mainstream medical career, he was a founding member of the Editorial Board of the journal Palliative Medicine, and was Editor-in Chief for ten years. He retired in June 2012.

Dr Beverley Lee, TrusteeDr Beverley Lee qualified from UCL Medical School in 1996. After obtaining an MRCP in 2000, Dr Lee started as an SPR in palliative medicine, Wessex Deanery, and gained her CCT in 2007. She originally worked as a consultant in palliative medicine at Great Western Hospital, and Prospect Hospice, Swindon, before moving to Forest Holme, at Poole Hospital, in 2012. She has an interest in Education and chairs the Forest Holme Education Group. Her specialist clinical interest is in palliative advanced neurological conditions, working collaboratively with neurological and community services to support individuals with MND and Parkinsons-plus conditions and their families. She has been a trustee for Forest Holme Hospice Charity since 2018. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, singing in a choir, learning the piano and spending time outdoors.

Rosemary Lewis, Trustee and TreasurerRosemary is a qualified accountant. She worked for many years at Hamworthy Engineering becoming Company Secretary before leaving in 2002. Prior to her retirement, Rosemary worked for Humphries Kirk Solicitors in Wareham where she held the role of Practice Manager. She is a Governor of an independent school in Dorchester and a secondery school in Wareham. Rosemary's interests include walking with friends and birdwatching.

Angie Smith, TrusteeAngie Smith was born in Poole and attended Parkstone Grammar School. She achieved a degree in English at University College London and, after a year teaching abroad, started work with Dorset County Council’s Children’s Services. As a qualified social worker she had a career of nearly forty years in health and social care working mainly with children and adults with disabilities and life limiting conditions and older people. Her passion has been for high quality, person centred care especially at end of life. Her interests are travelling, gardening, reading theatre and cinema. She is currently lives in Westbourne.

James Smith, TrusteeA retired accountant having spent the majority of my career in defence, initially specialising in mergers and acquisitions, mobile communications and most recently in financial services, in a range of roles, from Management Accountant to CFO. My wife and I retired to Dorset in 2006, my wife spent the last eight months of her life in Forest Holme in 2016. Interests include reading, economics and current affairs mostly, music of all kinds, dog walking, sailing, visiting friends and family, cycling, watching rugby, volunteering at Swanage Lifeboat Station, looking after some of the administration and Swanage Sailing Club where I’m a safety boat team member for adult training.

Our Ambassadors and Patron

Our Ambassadors and Patron play a key role in helping the Charity to raise awareness of, and funds to support, the life-enhancing work of Forest Holme Hospice Charity within their local communities.

Dame Annette BrookePatron

Stephen Young, Lord of WestburyCorporate Ambassador

Our Staff

There are seven members of staff who undertake the Charity’s day to day activities. Our office staff can be found on the 1st floor or Forest Holme Hospice. You can read more about the clinical teams here.