Our Board of Trustees

Behind every moment of care at Trinity Hospice is a team of dedicated volunteers who guide and support everything we do.

Our Board of Trustees is made up of local people who share one passion: making sure everyone in our community can access outstanding hospice care when they need it most.

The Trustees bring expertise from all walks of life, such as healthcare, business and law, and give their time freely because they believe in the difference Trinity Hospice makes. They don’t just sit in meetings, they help shape our future, champion our values and make sure we’re here for generations to come.

What does the Board do?

  • Sets the vision and direction for Trinity Hospice and Brian House Children’s Hospice
  • Ensures we use every penny wisely and stay financially strong
  • Keeps us accountable to the highest standards of care and governance
  • Supports our leadership team and staff to deliver compassionate care every day

Their role is vital, but their motivation is simple: to support patients with palliative illness, providing dignity and compassion at the end of life across the Fylde coast.

Together, they help us stay true to our mission and respond to the changing needs of our community.

Click here to contact our Trustees.

Meet our Trustees

Tracy Dewhurst

Tracy Dewhurst
Chair

Tracy has lived on the Fylde coast all her life and is excited to be joining the Board of Trustees. She has worked at Trinity Hospice as a volunteer since 2007 and has seen how it has grown and developed over the years. A keen tennis player she is a Trustee and Vice Chairman of St Chad’s Tennis Club in Poulton.

Tracy has over 35 years of working in variety of senior roles across several Government departments, with significant experience of leading Internal and External communications teams and campaigns within Government. She has real energy and passion for communications and is looking to share this enthusiasm and her experience to help the Hospice with the challenges ahead.

I am proud to donate my time not only as a hospice volunteer but also as a Trustee, supporting the governance of our area's largest charity and helping to lead it through one of its toughest financial challenges in its 40 year history.
Jean Hunter

Jean Hunter
Co-Vice Chair

Jean has recently retired after holding a number of senior positions in local government, including more than twenty years as a Chief Executive.  She has also held a number of Board positions in various sectors, including national and regional government, sport, health, crime, infrastructure and the economy.

Phillip Smith

Phillip Smith
Co-Vice Chair

Phillip moved to Lytham in 2019 having spent 25 years working in finance for blue chip companies Asda Group and National Power in senior executive roles.

An experienced international non-executive director, he was awarded an MBE in 2016 for his contribution to business and the community of Milton Keynes. Phillip Is currently the president of the Rotary Club of Lytham, Vice Chairman of the Oaklea Trust based in Kendal and a trustee of the Dunstone Education Trust.

Peter Akroyd

Peter Akroyd

Peter was born and brought up on the Fylde Coast.  He worked as a geologist and as a banker in the City of London before retiring back to the area in 2017.  He is also a Trustee of the Grand Theatre, Blackpool.

Stephen Doel

Dr Stephen Doel

Stephen has lived and worked on the Fylde coast since 1978. He was a GP at The Village Practice in Thornton Cleveleys, developing interests in GP training, clinical governance and health service commissioning.

Daren Guite

Daren Guite

Daren has lived and worked on the Fylde Coast throughout his life.  From 1997 to 2013 he was a Blackpool solicitor.  He was called to the bar in 2013.  He remains involved in family legal work.  He has been interested in the work of Trinity and Brian House for many years.

Tony Naughton

Dr Tony Naughton

Tony is a GP who has worked in Thornton for 25 years, and continues to do so. He has trained and mentored a wide variety of clinical professionals. From 2012 to 2019 he was the Chief Executive of Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group which purchases and organises clinical services in Fylde and Wyre, with a budget of £300 Million. He has been made an Honorary Fellow of Lancaster University for his outstanding contributions to the University and the region.

Andrew Farnworth

Andrew Farnworth
Fundraising Champion

Andrew has lived and worked on the Fylde coast all of his life. An Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, he has worked in the insurance industry for since 1984 and has been a director of his own brokerage since 1992.

Away from work his interests are mainly of a sporting nature, especially cricket, and he is a Trustee and President of Fylde Cricket Club in Poulton.

Julie Huttley

Julie Huttley

Julie joined the Board of Trustees in June 2022. She became a Trustee because she passionately believes in the importance of her local hospice and the care and support of current and future patients in the hospice, community and hospital.

Julie brings a wealth of experience in palliative and end of life care; she joined the hospice when it first opened in 1985 ending her career in 2018 as the Clinical Director and Registered Manager leading the wider hospice team to achieve an overall Outstanding rating with the Care Quality Commission.

While Clinical Director she oversaw the development of new patient services including Hospice at Home, implementation of electronic patient records and the refurbishment of both the inpatient unit and Brian House.

Julie is also a volunteer with Blackpool Healthwatch, supporting engagement with local residents and patients about their experience with health and social care ensuring their voice is heard.

Steve O'Keeffe

Steve O'Keeffe
Fundraising Champion

Steve has lived on the Fylde coast all his life and is thrilled to be joining the Board of Trustees.

Steve was a Senior Civil Servant, holding a variety of Senior roles mainly in the IT Sector of government, until his retirement in 2017. He then spent some years as an IT consultant performing reviews on major government projects and programmes.

Before becoming a Trustee he was a keen fundraiser for the hospice, and was awarded a BEM in 2012 in recognition for his achievements. His interests mainly revolve around sport and he admits to being a Blackpool Football Club season ticket holder, and is a past captain of Herons’ Reach Golf club .

He has real energy and passion for public service, good communications, and delivery through well motivated people, and is looking to share his experience to help the Hospice with the challenges ahead.

Our President

Click here to read more about our President, Sir Bill Beaumont, and our Vice Presidents.