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

Appointed: 2019

Jean has extensive experience in both the private and public sector in a variety of senior roles, including 25 years as a local authority chief executive.​ 

This experience includes non -executive roles in the charity and voluntary sector in health, social care, government, business, sport economy and infrastructure. 

On retirement, Jean was keen to use her skills and experience to support local charities and to help make a difference within her own local community. 

​​I live on the Fylde Coast and have seen at first hand the wonderful contribution that the Hospice makes. It is a privilege and incredibly rewarding to be involved with such a great team of staff and volunteers.​
Phillip Smith

Phillip Smith
Co-Vice Chair

Appointed: 2022

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.

Subcommittees: Audit Committee (Chair), Governance Committee (Vice Chair), Finance & Investment Committee, Trinity Trading Committee

Since retiring early some twenty five years ago I have spent my time giving my knowledge and experience to the local community both here for the past five years and previously in Milton Keynes. I have been involved as a trustee in the hospice sector for over ten years and with Trinity Hospice for the last three. I feel privileged to help support such a worthwhile organisation.
Stephen Doel

Dr Stephen Doel

Appointed: 2016

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.

Subcommittees: Clinical Governance Committee (Chair), Brian House Children's Committee

It’s a privilege to serve as a trustee of Trinity Hospice. As a retired GP, I’ve seen how vital compassionate, dignified end-of-life care can be. I’m proud to support a charity that stands beside local families on the Fylde Coast with such warmth, expertise and humanity.
Tony Naughton

Dr Tony Naughton

Appointed: 2019

Tony is a recently retired GP who worked in Thornton for 30+ years. 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. 

Subcommittees: Clinical Governance Committee (Vice Chair), Our People Committee

​​During my professional career I came to admire the hospice for its values, the skill and professionalism of its staff, and the great comfort it brings to people when they need it most. Being a trustee helps me to ensure that the team here can continue to do such outstanding work.​
Andrew Farnworth

Andrew Farnworth
Fundraising Champion

Appointed: 2022

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.

Subcommittees: Health & Safety Committee (Chair), Finance & Investment Committee (Vice Chair), Trinity Trading Committee

​​I became a Trustee because I believe every community deserves a hospice that offers comfort, compassion and choice. I wanted to ensure that this vital support is available to every family who needs it. ​
Julie Huttley

Julie Huttley

Appointed: 2022

Julie is a retired Registered Nurse and Registered Manager.

She has been associated with Trinity Hospice since it opened in 1985 and been witness to its expansion and development over the years.

While working at Trinity Hospice, Julie understood the value that volunteers add to the care and support of the patients and families. So, a few years after she retired, she applied to become a Trustee, using her valuable professional experience to guide the board in ensuring that Trinity Hospice remains in our community supporting patients and families for many more years.  ​ 

Subcommittees: Our People Committee (Chair), Clinical Governance Committee

Trinity Hospice has been a huge part of my life and I am humbled to continue to support patients and their families.
Ian Warren (2)

Ian Warren

Appointed: 2024

Ian recently retired from a career working in a variety of roles in the financial services industry for a multi-national investment company.

Ian has been involved with Trinity as a volunteer for the fundraising team for a number of years and felt that by becoming a Trustee he could further continue with his support to Trinity.

It is a true privilege to help support in any way the vital work that Trinity continues to provide to all of our local community
Ian Fogg

Ian Fogg

Appointed: 2024

Ian is a sand grown 'un, living in Thornton-Cleveleys and joined the Board in 2024.  He retired in late 2025, from a forty-year long career in the Civil Service having worked in a number of areas with HR as his profession. 

Ian has a long association with Trinity via family and has been a school governor for over 25 years and enjoys volunteering and supporting the community.  

Ian's other interests are family, travel and photography as well as trying to learn a bit of Spanish.  

Subcommittees: Our People Committee (Vice-chair), Governance Committee, Trinity Trading Committee, Brian House Children's Committee

It is incredibly rewarding to contribute to such a fantastic organisation, and to feel able to get involved so quickly.
Dawn Hodgkins

Dawn Hodgkins

Appointed: 2025

Dawn is a Registered General Nurse and works in healthcare management.

As Dawn has more time, she wanted to support Trinity as best as she could so that the staff can continue to do what they do best – which is prove exceptional care.

Subcommittees: Clinical Governance, Brian House Children's Committee

The hospice is an incredible charity that supports our people and communities at times that really matter in a wide range of ways. I am proud to be a Trustee and hope that I can make a positive contribution to our Hospice.
Steve O'Keeffe

Steve O'Keeffe
Fundraising Champion

Appointed: 2024

Steve was a Senior Civil Servant for many years, holding a variety of senior delivery roles mainly in the IT Sector of central government. After taking semi-retirement he then spent some years as an IT consultant leading reviews on major government projects and programmes. 

Steve has lived on the Fylde coast all his life and before becoming a Trustee he was a keen fundraiser for the hospice, and was awarded a BEM in 2012 in recognition of his achievements.  

Away from work Steve’s interests are mainly around sports. He is a Blackpool FC Season ticket holder, and a past captain of Herons’ Reach Golf Club.

Subcommittees: Governance Committee, Audit Committee, Our People Committee

I have been a keen supporter of Trinity Hospice and Brian House for many years. I have seen first hand the amazing services which the hospice delivers, and I hope that I can use my experience and enthusiasm to help the Hospice in facing the challenges ahead. I feel honoured and privileged to be a trustee of Trinity Hospice. I hope that I can help Trinity in responding to the many challenges facing us.
Graham Wilkinson

Graham Wilkinson

Appointed: 2024

Graham is a qualified accountant, having trained at Ernst & Young. He worked for a period in HSBC Bank in their internal audit team before moving to the North West with a role with PwC. He now works for Ribby Hall Village as Director of Finance & IT with responsibility for all aspects of Finance, IT, as well as Data Governance.

Graham sees his role as a Trustee as an opportunity to give back and use his skills to help the hospice take advantage of the developments in technology to enhance patient care.

Subcommittees: Audit Committee, Finance & Investmetn Committee, Trinity Trading Committee.

I feel privileged to be part of a longstanding and vital part of the Fylde coast community, and hope that my contribution to the board will help the hospice continue its excellent work into the future.
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.

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.

Our President

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