Chief Executive Officer

Michelle Kabia

Michelle has over 30 years’ experience of working within health, social care and the charity sector and joins us from Mind where she has been supporting mental health and wellbeing in East London.

michelle.kabia@ellenor.org

Director of Care

Linda Coffey

Linda Coffey has been a registered nurse for 25 years, and has worked in Healthcare across a variety of settings, both acute and community. Working predominantly in community around rapid response services, focusing on prevention of hospital admission and has an extensive background in service development. She has 13 years senior management experience across both the NHS and charity sector. 

Linda says "I want to ensure patients and families have the best experience of care possible. People will remember how you make them feel". 

linda.coffey@ellenor.org

Director of People and Development

Jacquie Hackett

Jacquie is a Registered Nurse and nurse educator who has specialised in palliative care for the last 30 years. She has extensive experience in hospice care and has worked in several hospices in senior leadership roles. She is currently working as the Director of Operations, HR and Education supporting Organisational, team and individual development.

“ Caring for patients and families at the end of life is a privilege, we have one chance to get it right and it is so important that we do. “

jacquie.hackett@ellenor.org

Director of Finance and Resources

Tim Hammond

Tim Hammond leads on the Finance, IT of the charity. Tim oversees the governance and stewardship of the charity in his role as Company Secretary. Tim has over 20 years senior management experience in both the charity and commercial sectors.

He started his career in hotel management, before moving into commercial retailing and then gaining experience in the charity sector, working in a diverse range of national and hospice charities. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration specialising in Retail.  

tim.hammond@ellenor.org

Director of Income Generation

Sue Piper

Sue is a fundraising professional and strategic leader within the charity sector with 23 years’ non-profit experience in both charities in the UK and internationally. With a broad range of skills, experiences and a track record of success across income generation and marketing, Sue is purpose driven in helping to create a positive impact in society. With a real passion for the hospice sector, landing her dream role at ellenor Sue is committed to contributing to their future success. 

sue.piper@ellenor.org

Director of Operations

Liam Stone

Liam has over 20 years experience in retail and operations, working in various size organisations. He has a proven track record of growing business and supporting company wide initiatives. Working for the ellenor has always been a dream job for him.

liam.stone@ellenor.org

Chair

Mac Cheema MSc BEng

Mac Cheema currently leads a real estate organisation in the UK, an internationally experienced business executive with progressive supply chain and procurement experience. Mac has over 30 years of experience with large global organisations at the executive level in property, automotive, aerospace, and medical devices. Mac became Chair of Trustees in December 2022.

Manjit Atwal

Manjit Atwal is a Chartered IT Professional with over 35 years’ experience within finance and insurance, running large-scale IT service management change management programmes and functions.

Manjit has delivered complex global change management, regulatory risk, and process transitions in challenging environments. 

Shaminder Bedi

Shaminder Bedi spent over 25 years of his career working in Social Services for Kent County Council specialising in developing day centres for older people. He has also served as Chairman for The Police Liaison Group, is an executive member of the charity Mind, and held a position on the Southeast Arts Board. Shaminder is the co-founder and ex-Chairman of the Jugnu Bhangra Group founded in 1970. Jugnu are Europe’s most established Bhangra group, performing all over the world and supporting the youth of Gravesham’s community.

In recognition for his services to the community, Shaminder was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Honours list in 2005.

Karen Griffiths

Karen Griffiths is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and has 40 years’ experience working in various hospital trusts and GP practices.

Karen currently works in a GP surgery where she works with GP’s, nurses and health care assistants to ensure that National Service Frameworks are being delivered. Karen works within a multi-disciplinary team within the Practice, and across the wider CCG, to promote integrated and seamless pathways of care.

Victoria Heath

After achieving her chartered accountancy qualifications with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vicky has had a varied career within finance covering a number of different industries including charities, manufacturing, retail and construction.

She was head of external reporting at Laing O'Rourke, for 8 years , up until July 2024, where she was responsible for all compliance and guidance relating to new accounting standards, reporting to lender groups as well as managing a group wide audit reporting process.

Most recently she has joined Arup as the regional head of financial accounting for UKIMEA and Europe.

Vanessa Jeans

Vanessa is Dartford born and bred.  Working as a biology and chemistry teacher at Dartford Girls Grammar School before retraining as a medical doctor, she has worked at Gravesend North Kent, Joyce Green, The Brook, Greenwich District and Stone House hospitals, before becoming a GP partner at The Orchard Practice, West Hill, Dartford in 1991. As part of that practice, for several years, she helped provide medical cover for in-patient care at ellenor. 

After retiring in 2007 she started hosting annual ellenor Open Garden events and remains actively involved.  She is also a long-standing member of the charitable organisation Dartford u3a, of which she is currently chairman.

Vanessa joined ellenor's Board of Trustees in November 2022 and is a member of ellenor's Care Committee.

Jess Kuller

Jess has been resident of Gravesend for many years and currently runs his own HR consultancy business.

Jess is a HR professional with executive level experience with international financial services, Consulting,Professional services, Technology and Third sector.

Jess is a strategic &  trusted business partner and advisor to Boards, Chair, NED’s, REMCO and Executive teams.

Strong background in Business & People strategies, Organisational change, business transformation, Employment & Employee Relations, Organisational engagement and culture.

Additionally, Jess is a leadership coach, mentor &  facilitator.  

Jess joined the ellenor board in November 2022 and is currently Chair of the People Committee.

Peter Shotter

Peter spent the last 22 years of his executive career in healthcare, with Boots the Chemists Ltd as Director of Healthcare Businesses and subsequently Director of Stores; and with Merck, as Managing Director of Seven Seas and then President/CEO of the global over-the-counter medicines Division, based in Germany. Since 2012, he has been non-executive Chairman of BioFilm Ltd, a Scottish B2B supplier of thin, dissolving film products.

Peter joined ellenor’s Board of Trustees in September 2019 and sits on the Finance and Income Generation Committee and the Property Committee.

Nigel Springhall

Nigel has had a varied career in business. After graduating, he started work in in the Abbey National Building Society as a trainee manager in Liverpool in 1977 before becoming an Assistant Manager in St Helens, then Kirkby and finally Ipswich which was one of the largest Branches at that time.

Nigel joined IBM in 1986, working on designing, building, marketing and selling computer solutions to Banks, and Building Societies in the UK and Ireland. While at IBM Nigel won a prize for leading the campaign that led to the largest sale of AS 400 machines in Europe.

In 1993 Nigel Joined BT and worked in the international division for 10 years, in a role that included buying and selling companies for BT and developing its international partnerships in Europe and occasionally other parts of the world. In 2004 Nigel moved to the Mobile Phones part of BT Global Services and ended up running the UK Corporate Mobile business, providing Mobile services to a large business in the UK, looking after 100000 end users and responsible for the P&L. Nigel retired from BT in December 2014.

Outside of BT Nigel was a School Governor at Crook Log School for 8 years and he was a Non- Executive Director of Queen Mary’s Hospital Trust Sidcup from 2006 until 2009 when the Trust merged with the PRU Bromley and QE Woolwich to form the ill-fated South London trust. Nigel was also Chair of the Audit Committee from 2006 -2009.

Nigel was Treasurer of Dartford CAB from 2014 until its merger with NW Kent in 2017 and is currently Treasurer of Bexley CAB. Nigel is also a volunteer adviser at Swanley CAB.

Duncan Holt

Duncan owns a local marketing company, having worked for Australia and New Zealand Bank as an FX trader for over 30 years. He is also currently a non-executive director of a Pension fund in Canary Wharf.

Duncan has a keen interest in local sport and was chairman and a director of Ebbsfleet United FC as well as a volunteer for Medway Street Angels for almost 5 years as part of the Wednesday night Soup Kitchen team.

Duncan joined ellenor’s Board of Trustees in November 2023 and sits on the Finance and Investment Committee and the People Committee.

Christina Dianellou

Christina Dianellou is a Senior Solicitor of 18 years and runs her own law firm Themis Solicitors covering all areas of private practice, helping individuals and companies solve their legal issues.

For 20 years, Christina ran her own dance school, where she taught people to dance and trained others to become qualified dance instructors. She brought together individuals of all ages and abilities to enjoy and learn the art of dance.

Christina was appointed a trustee of ellenor in May 2023.

Graham Perolls

Graham Perolls founded ellenor back in 1985 and the charity takes its name from his parents – Ellen and Norman. He was inspired by a vision that those facing the end of life should have only the best care possible either at home or as close to it as possible.

Graham’s vision was to help others who find themselves on the same journey that he had travelled with his parents; and to do everything in his power to make the journey the best it could be. He remains committed to pioneering the work of hospices both here and overseas.