Our team
Meet the Winston’s Wish Patrons, Trustees, Ambassadors and Senior Leadership Team.
Our President
Duchess of Richmond and Gordon
President
Duchess of Richmond and Gordon
As well as being a parent of four children herself, The Duchess is also active in running the Goodwood Estate.
Our Patrons
Julie Stokes OBE
Founder Patron
Julie Stokes OBE
Julie started her career with the NHS in 1984 and was instrumental in establishing one of the first hospital-based teams focusing on palliative care. Her desire to involve children before and after a parent’s death and to support parents led her to apply to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. In 1992 she was awarded a Fellowship and travelled to America and Canada to better understand the services provided in these countries for bereaved children. Inspired by what she had experienced, Julie founded Winston’s Wish in September of that year. After just 3 years the grief support programme was well established and Julie won the BT/Childline award ‘for providing outstanding services to children’.
Julie continues to lecture both nationally and internationally, is an established author and has contributed to 11 documentaries including the ground breaking Mummy Diaries series in 2007.
In December 2006, Julie received an OBE for services to children and families. She is currently Vice Chair of The Childhood Bereavement Network. She now works as an Executive Coach.
Randolph Churchill
Patron
Randolph Churchill
In 1995 Randolph joined Lazard Asset Management, becoming Director of the Charities Division. In 2000 Randolph joined Schroder Private Bank and in 2003 he moved to Rathbones where he is an Investment Director.
Randolph is a Trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, Honorary Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge, Director of the Armed Services Charities Advisory Company (that oversees the investment for over 100 service charities) and Trustee of the Churchill Centre UK and US. He is also a Patron of JAGS and Winston’s Wish. Randolph is a regular speaker at Churchill conferences and dinners. Randolph and his wife Catherine have four children and live close to Sir Winston’s home at Chartwell in Kent.
Emily Eavis and Nick Dewey
Patrons
Emily Eavis and Nick Dewey
Emily, daughter of Glastonbury Festival founder, Michael Eavis, knows first-hand how devastating losing a parent can be in adolescence and she connected strongly with Winston’s Wish after volunteering as a practical helper on a residential weekend.
Emily says, “We’re honoured to have been invited to become patrons of Winston’s Wish. Nick and I have huge respect and gratitude for the work that Winston’s Wish does to support children and young people who have lost a parent or sibling, which I experienced first-hand after losing my mum.”
Baroness Fritchie
Patron
Baroness Fritchie
In the 1970s, she was one of the first full-time women’s training advisers and pioneered the training of staff in what was then the new Equal Opportunities Commission. Using a German Marshall Fellowship awarded in 1985 she initiated programmes to improve the status of women which she has written about and spoken extensively on for television and radio.
Baroness Fritchie holds an honorary Professorship in Creative Leadership at York University and is Pro-Chancellor at Southampton University. A Civil Service Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Stroud and Swindon Building Society, she also sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords.
Barbara Want
Vice Patron
Barbara Want
Our Ambassadors
Gary Andrews
Ambassador
Gary Andrews
He met Joy at a local Amateur Dramatics company where they had a shared passion for Shakespeare. They fell in love and spent 19 years together, marrying in 2004. But, in 2017, Joy died unexpectedly as a result of sepsis, aged just 41 and leaving him the sole parent to their two children Lily and Ben, who were just 10 and seven at the time.
For about a year and a half he had been keeping a Doodle Diary online, documenting everyday life and he continued to do this after Joy’s death, using it as a way to explore his (and the family’s) grief and to process the feelings, as well as observing the highs and lows of single parenting. These Doodles have since gained a huge online following leading to several TV, radio and podcast appearances where Gary talks about the importance of being open and honest about the whole grieving process.
This has also led to being invited to be an ambassador for Winston’s Wish. He is hugely honoured to be asked to take on this role, especially as he has seen first-hand just what a huge impact losing a parent can have on children. He hopes that he can help with encouraging the healthy dialogue about death and maybe raise the odd smile along the way.
Kate Jones
Ambassador
Kate Jones
When Kate was a student studying for her A Levels, someone very close to her, James, died at the age of 16 in a tragic car accident. This was a difficult time in her life and Winston’s Wish were able to support her with regular bereavement counselling and support.
After her A Levels, Kate studied History in University and became a teacher. During her teaching career Kate has worked alongside many students and colleagues that have experienced loss. Kate is very keen to share the work of Winston’s Wish to support children and teachers in schools in her ambassador role.
In addition to teaching history, Kate works with schools around speaking at high-profile educational events including Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and across the UK. Kate has her own podcast ‘The Love To Teach Podcast’ and hosts a weekly radio show on ‘Teachers Talk Radio’.
Kate wrote about her experience of grief and loss in her first book: Love To Teach: Research and Resources for every classroom. Her follow up books, the Retrieval Practice collection, have all been Amazon best-sellers in various education categories and Kate is a regular writer for The Times Educational Supplement (TES).
Kate is excited to be an ambassador for Winston’s Wish, so that young people can receive the same help, support and guidance that she did, as well as supporting teachers to feel more confident and prepared when talking about grief.
Mark Lemon
Ambassador
Mark Lemon
Disillusioned with the lack of diversity in children’s books, Mark (with two mixed-race children of his own) decided to create a series of exciting story books with non-white characters. With thrilling tales and beautiful adventures, the Otis and Thea Lemon series have become a firm favourite in family households.
Mark is now using his success to help bereaved children cope with their grief and loss. At just 12 years old, Mark’s father was murdered and this sudden and unexpected loss turned his family upside down. Mark drew on his childhood trauma to publish his fifth children’s book ‘The Magical Wood‘. Published on the 26th anniversary of his father’s death, it has been praised by families who are coping with grief, or anticipating the death of someone they love. ‘The Magical Wood‘ was awarded Bronze in the Best Designed/Illustrated Book for Children category at the Junior Design Awards 2018.
Mark has recently launched his new podcast, Grief Is My Superpower, in support of Winston’s Wish. Mark has now dedicated his time to helping young people and adults suffering through grief. This has led to being invited to be an ambassador for Winston’s Wish. He was delighted and honoured to be asked and is very much looking forward to working with the charity going forward.
Our Trustees
Liz Gratton
Chair of Trustees
Liz Gratton
Grace Horton
Youth Advisory Trustee
Grace Horton
Zoe Jones
Trustee
Zoe Jones
Zoe has over 20 years of charity fundraising experience and is currently the Head of Membership at Imperial War Museums (IWM). Zoe lost her mum to cancer just before her eighth birthday and has experienced first hand how having the right support at the right time can make all the difference to young lives who have been bereaved. Zoe lives in Devon with her husband and two children and is committed in her role as a trustee for Winston’s Wish in helping support as many children as possible to lead happy and fulfilling lives as they navigate their childhood and become adults.
Huxley Knox-Macaulay
Trustee
Huxley Knox-Macaulay
Neil Musgrove
Trustee
Neil Musgrove
Neil has experienced first hand the impact losing a parent had on his three children after the sad death of his wife Rachael in 2019.
Lucy Clements
Trustee
Lucy Clements
Lucy has worked for the NHS and Local Authorities across London and the South East for the past 16 years. She has led clinical services in acute healthcare organisations and more recently worked as the Director of Children’s Commissioning and Transformation across Surrey.
Her experience in the public sector, and specifically across health and care organisations, supports Winston’s Wish to deliver services which always have the child at their heart. Having lost her father to cancer at the age of 6, Lucy knows first-hand how complex the grieving process can be, and how important the work of Winston’s Wish is in supporting children and young people in managing their grief in a way which is individualised for them.
Rob Harper
Trustee
Rob Harper
Rob is an accomplished Commercial Leader with a distinguished track record across the payments, e-commerce, and retail sectors, notably with global market leader PayPal. Renowned for his innovative and collaborative approach, he has consistently helped organisations and customers realise their potential through pioneering digital solutions.
Having experienced the profound impact of losing his sister at 14 and his mother at 18, Rob understands first-hand how bereavement can shape a young person’s journey. As a dedicated trustee, he is committed to supporting Winston’s Wish in providing essential guidance and support to children and young adults during life’s most challenging times.
Tim Ramskill
Trustee
Tim Ramskill
Tim has over 25 years experienced in the financial services industry and is currently Global Head of Product Management at UBS, having originally qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Aged eight, Tim lost his father to suicide after a two-year battle with depression following a stroke in his late thirties. Now living in Surrey with his wife and three children, Tim has a strong desire to support Winston’s Wish in helping the thousands of children who each year experience the loss of someone special in their lives.
Youth Forum
Troy
Youth Advisor
Troy
He is motivated and inspired to make sure every young persons’ voices are heard in bereavement and that they get the right support after loosing someone, and to create better services that amplify their voices and needs.
Jard
Youth Advisor
Jard
Grace Horton
Youth Advisory Trustee
Grace Horton
Yasmin
Youth Advisor
Yasmin
Daisy
Youth Advisor
Daisy
In January 2024, she joined Winston’s Wish as a Youth Ambassador to support other children navigating grief. Since then, she has represented the charity at the Cheltenham Running Festival, raising nearly £2,500, and shared her journey on the radio to raise awareness.
She is passionate about helping others because, when her dad passed away, she longed for a young person she could relate to—someone who truly understood. Being part of Winston’s Wish allows her to ensure that no young person feels alone in their grief.
Meher
Youth Advisor
Meher
Abigail
Youth Advisor
Abigail
Alex
Youth Advisor
Alex
Eden
Youth Advisor
Eden
Iman
Youth Advisor
Iman
Strategic Leadership Team
Fergus Crow
Chief Executive
Becky Harding
Director of Corporate Services
Grace Lee
Director of Marketing and Communications
Letizia Perna
Director of Services and Service Transformation
Julia Jones
Strategic HR Lead
More about Winston’s Wish
Careers
We’re always looking for amazing people to join our team. View our current job vacancies and all you need to know about working here.
Youth Team
Our Youth Team is a group of young people helping us to change the future for other grieving young people across the UK.
Our impact
Find out how we supported grieving children, young people and their families last year and how your support helped.
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