Our Executive Leadership Team & Governing Body
No one understands more about putting people at the heart of everything we do than our Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Their combination of skills, knowledge and personal experience has been vital to our success.
They are supported by a diverse Board of Trustees who help steer our direction as an organisation with their wide range of skills and high level experience. As an organisation that champions diversity and inclusion, we ensure there is a permanent position on the board for a person with learning disabilities. We were delighted when Richard Keagan-Bull became the second individual with disabilities to be appointed to our board in 2013.
Executive Leadership Team
Holly Spiers
Chief Executive
Holly joined Walsingham Support as Chief Executive in September 2022, bringing wide-ranging expertise in Health & Social Care leadership from over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across the not-for-profit sector.With lived experience of…
Tom Sharples
Director of Operations & Engagement
Tom joined Walsingham Support on 17th October 2022 as Director of Operations and Engagement. Tom has had a career in social care spanning over 20 years starting as a support worker in learning disabilities and fell in love with the work.Since then, Tom…
Brian O'Donoghue
Director of People & Engagement
Brian joined Walsingham Support on 3rd October 2022 as Director of People & Engagement. Brian has had a career in Human Resources spanning over 30 years with a number of Director roles across multiple sectors. Brian brings a wealth of experience…
Jerome Walls
Interim Director of Finance
Shona Beaton
Director of Quality and Experience
Shona is the Director of Quality & Experience. She has had a long career in the health and social care field, starting off working with drug addicts in prison, and moving through various roles and organisations. She has gained experience and knowledge…
Governing Body
Robert Longley-Cook
Chair of Trustees
Robert joined the Walsingham Support Board of Trustees as Chair Designate in May 2022, and took on the role of Chair in September 2022. Robert has a wealth of experience in both the commercial and third sector, where he has successfully held a number…
Mark Best
Trustee
Mark joined the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2017. He is a founding Partner and Director of Midtown Capital Ltd who are responsible for the delivery of major development projects across the wider South East. He holds a number of directorships and…
Lal Heaton
Trustee
Lal joined the Walsingham Support board in December 2017.Lal originally trained as a Speech and Language Therapist, and holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Organisation of the Public Sector.She has over 20 years’ experience in the public sector,…
David Walji
Trustee
David joined the board in 2021 with a wealth of international, strategic, digital communications and stakeholder management experience. David's lived experience positions him as an ideal addition to the board of trustees. His vision for Walsingham Support…
Nikki Craig
Trustee
Nikki Craig was a trustee for Walsingham Support Community Solutions, and became a trustee for Walsingham Support in September 2022. Nikki is Head of Community Engagement at Amazon. For many years prior to that she was SVP HR UK and Ireland at DHL Supply…
Tracy Cox
Trustee
Tracy has been a Registered Learning Disability Nurse since 1985, working in the NHS, in the long stay hospitals before developing and leading community intensive response teams across the Bristol and surrounding areas and within social care for a local…
Paul Marchant
Trustee
Paul joined the Walsingham Support board of trustees in November 2023. Paul has wide-ranging industry experience including the political sector, rail sector (where he was CFO for the RSSB) and the wider health sector. Paul is currently the Executive…
Ferelith Gaze
Trustee
Ferelith joined the Walsingham Support board in September 2024.Ferelith is head of policy and public affairs at NHS Providers, identifying and taking forward policy and legislative priorities and ensuring a strategic approach to parliamentary and stakeholder…
Seb Skinner
Trustee
Seb joined the Walsingham Support Board of Trustees in November 2024. He has over 20 years of experience in business transformation, programme delivery, and digital consulting, with a strong focus on technology and strategy. Seb specialises in driving…
Richard Keagan-Bull
Co-opted Trustee
A Walsingham Support trustee since July 2013, Richard is now a co-opted trustee and Chair of the People Parliament. He brings his personal experiences of services for people with a learning disability to the board. He attended a residential college in…
“My personal experience enables me to understand what other people with learning disabilities may want from their service which other Trustees may not be aware of.”
Richard Keagan-Bull - Co-opted trustee for Walsingham Support