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Say Hello to Our Team
Meet the People Behind the Work
Gill Castle
Founder and Chair
Gill is a committed and established campaigner for childbirth injuries/trauma and stomas, dedicating the last few years to raising awareness and funds for both causes, with more than £21,000 raised through her efforts – including spending the winter of 2020-21 wearing only a bikini to swim in the open water!
Gill is a member of the Council for the MASIC Foundation, an advocate for the Birth Trauma Association and a volunteer writer for Colostomy UK’s award winning Tidings magazine. She has a passionate belief in the ability of people to adapt to changes in their life, and is determined to share her positive outlook with those who are struggling.
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Fun Facts about Gill! Gill had her first tattoo at the age of 38, and now has 2 – both of her cat, Dave. Her cat Rocky is a Twitter viral star, whose picture is often seen on cat groups all over the world. Yes, Gill loves cats! Gill loves all animals, and even rescued a duckling when out cycling who she called Quackers.
Charlotte Watson
Treasurer
Charlotte is a local Alnwick businesswoman and organiser extraordinaire. She loves to contribute to her community and helping raise money and awareness for worthy causes. With her straight talking no nonsense approach, she certainly gets the job done.
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Fun facts about Charlotte! She was chosen for England's U16's England rugby team, but glandular fever prevented her from playing on the squad. In true Charlotte style, she organised her wedding in Thailand in under 24 hours notice, and has NEVER had a cup of tea!
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Janet Hood
Peer Support Volunteer
Janet lives in the Alnwick area with her husband, stepson and daughter, and has worked in care for all of her working career. Firstly childcare, and then moved towards care of the elderly, more recently undertaking her degree to become a registered mental health nurse.
Janet has an interest in holistic care, understanding that physical and mental health go hand in hand.
Janet wanted to come on board, not just because she is a good friend of Gill's, but to offer any emotional support in particular anxiety management techniques using a mindful approach.
Emma Phelan
Fundraising Co-Ordinator
Emma has been a passionate fundraiser for a number of causes. She is organised and adventurous, and loves coming up with new ideas to inspire people to hand over their cash!
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Fun facts about Emma! You'll normally find Emma surrounded by children or dogs, and her favourite time of the year is Halloween. Emma was also once an extra in Australian soap Home & Away, so we are lucky to have a celebrity in the mix!
Louise Percival
Peer Support Worker
Louise moved from Yorkshire to Alnwick in 2020. Within 3 weeks the entire country went into lockdown, but she is confident that those two events are not connected! So she is still settling into life in Northumberland, getting involved in local groups, making new friends and loving walking on the beach with her dog.
She has been an acupuncturist for 10 years and is passionate about the power of Chinese Medicine in helping our bodies, both physically and emotionally.
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Fun facts: Louise is a member of rock Choir, featured in Spamalot on the Broadway stage, is a huge fan of Eurovision and loves all animals except snakes….and moths!
Claire Ryan
Stoma Specialist Advisor
Claire lives in the North Eastern seaside town of Whitley Bay, and is the mother of 3 grown children. She has been nursing for 29 years, and has specialised as a stoma nurse for the last 15 years. Claire says "I am lucky enough to have presented and taught stoma care across the world, sharing best practice and experience to clinicians and patients."
Fun facts! Claire loves music, fims and yoga
Claire is coming with us to Kenya in November 2023 to run the stoma clinics
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