Our team

Meet the Winston’s Wish Patrons, Trustees, Ambassadors and Senior Leadership Team.

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PATRONS & AMBASSADORS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

YOUTH FORUM

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Our President

Duchess of Richmond and Gordon

President

Duchess of Richmond and Gordon

Bereavement strikes a very personal chord with The Duchess of Richmond and Gordon– when she was four years old her father died suddenly of a heart attack. She says, “I think that once you have experienced the death of someone close to you, it’s as though you have crossed a river and you can’t go back. It doesn’t matter if it happens to you when you are four or forty. Suddenly you find yourself in new territory, and however well-meaning the people left on the other side, they don’t really know where you are”.

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 Stokes, founder of Winston’s Wish was born in 1961 and educated at St. Michael’s Convent Grammar School in London. Julie received a 1st class honours degree in Psychology and in 1987 went on to receive a Masters in Clinical Psychology.

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

Randolph was born in January 1965 shortly before the death of his great-grandfather, Sir Winston Churchill. After attending Harrow, Randolph undertook a short service commission in the Royal Navy and served as Gunnery Officer of HMS Alderney in the coastal protection squadron. On completion of the Navigating Officer Course he was appointed Navigator of HMS Swallow in the Hong Kong Squadron and promoted to Lieutenant. Subsequently, Randolph attended Buckingham University where he was awarded a degree in Financial Management and Accountancy, before joining Deloitte and Touche where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

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

Glastonbury Festival organisers, Emily Eavis and her husband, Nick Dewey, became patrons of Winston’s Wish in March 2019. This is the first time the festival organisers and married couple have become joint patrons of a charity together.

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

Baroness Fritchie, DBE (known as Rennie Fritchie) was born in Fife, Scotland and has enjoyed an extensive career specialising in training and development. Currently a ‘portfolio’ worker, Lady Fritchie holds various positions including United Kingdom Commissioner for Public Appointments and President of the Pennell Initiative for Women’s Health in Later Life.

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

Barbara is a writer and broadcaster. Since her husband’s death in 2006, she has commented on a range of social and family matters such as bereavement and mental health. Winston’s Wish supported her and her twin sons when her husband died.

Our Ambassadors

Gary Andrews

Ambassador

Gary Andrews

Gary is an animator, illustrator and film-maker who lives in Surrey. He has illustrated many books, his work appears regularly in Private Eye and for several years he directed the popular kid’s TV show ‘Fireman Sam’.

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

Kate is a secondary teacher and best-selling author, from North Wales. Kate has authored five books, written for teachers and leaders in education, with more books set for publication in the near future.

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

Mark Lemon is an award-winning children’s author, publisher, and most recently, podcaster. Mark lives in Bristol with his wife, Simone, and his two children, Otis and Thea.

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

Liz is an experienced Customer Services and Marketing Director. She worked for over 20 years in the retail banking sector and was part of the early leadership teams at First Direct in the early 1990’s and the world’s first internet bank, Egg, in the late 90’s until its sale in the mid 2000’s. At that stage Liz decided to change sector completely and, after a period of working for a number of start-ups set up by her and her husband, eventually joined the charity sector, where she was Director of Fundraising and Marketing for a children’s hospice in Staffordshire for almost 10 years.

Grace Horton

Youth Advisory Trustee

Grace Horton

Grace was first supported by Winston’s Wish in 2009 after the death of her father. Since then, Grace and her family have supported the charity in numerous ways, most recently as a Young Ambassador before being elected to the Trustee board in November 2022. As Youth Advisory Trustee, Grace is keen to ensure youth-led participation and decision making runs through the heart of Winston’s Wish. Grace currently lives in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire and loves all things books, baking and swimming.

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

Huxley worked for over 30 years as a teacher and school leader in both urban and coastal communities, some with high levels of deprivation. Until recently he was the CEO of a multi academy trust comprising primary and secondary schools, and has experienced the positive impact of Winston’s Wish on children and families.

Neil Musgrove

Trustee

Neil Musgrove

Neil is an experienced commercial Finance Director with a career spanning a number of senior finance leadership roles at Experian. Neil trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

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

Dom

Youth Advisor

Dom

Dom’s mum died when he was 15 years old having been diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was three. He joined the Youth Board in January 2023 hoping to share his perspective of loss as a teenager and the experience of falling through the gaps in the support net. He is excited by Winston’s Wish eagerness to listen to and be led by young voices and is interested in exploring how to make sure the right support reaches all young people who need it.

Jard

Youth Advisor

Jard

Jard experienced bereavement as a child and wants to now use his experience to help others and ensure that everyone can access the necessary level of support. Jard hopes that in the future no one will struggle alone, and that Winston’s Wish will be able to reach all of those in need.

Grace Horton

Youth Advisory Trustee

Grace Horton

Oyinkan

Youth Advisor

Oyinkan

In 2018, Oyinkan’s brother passed away and she joined Winston’s Wish as a Youth Ambassador in 2023 while seeking a charity to support in honour of her younger brother. Although she did not receive support from Winston’s Wish during her bereavement, she later fundraised for the charity and joined the Youth Advisory Forum in January 2024. As a Forum member, she is eager to actively contribute to advancing the charity’s vision by offering strategic support and fresh perspectives, aiming to expand their reach and enhance the nuanced, efficient support provided to young people in need.

Ghislaine

Youth Advisor

Ghislaine

Ghislaine lost her dad when she was a week old when he was killed in a car accident.  She joined the Winston’s Wish Youth Board in January 2023, wanting to speak about her own experiences from losing someone before she was able to remember them.  Her aim is to raise awareness on how people can grieve differently when they have no memory of their person; and how it is okay to not have the same grief experiences as others who have lost people under different circumstances.

Meher

Youth Advisor

Meher

Meher lost his mum when he was four years old, with her passing away in her sleep. He joined Winston’s Wish Youth Forum in January 2024, driven by a desire to share his perspectives on grief and emphasise the importance of accessible support. He is committed to making sure that every young person facing loss of a loved one can find the help they need. Meher aims to highlight the significance of reaching out and ensuring support systems are within reach for those navigating their way through grief.

Daisy

Youth Advisor

Daisy

Daisy was 12 years old when her dad died from alcoholism. She joined the Youth Advisory Forum because she wanted to share her experience and raise awareness of grief. Having been supported by Winston’s Wish, she wanted to make sure the charity was talked about and heard.

Alex

Youth Advisor

Alex

Alex’s dad died of a heart attack when she was 11 and had just started secondary school. She joined the Youth Forum in January 2024, after working with Winston’s Wish for a couple of years. She decided that she wanted to be part of promoting our services, because she thinks it is so important that young people feel comfortable talking about their grief, and don’t feel that death is a taboo subject. Especially as this can be so detrimental to mental health and can make the grieving process even more painful than it already is.

Nell

Youth Advisor

Nell

Nell was 21 when her dad died suddenly from cancer. She joined Winston’s Wish as a Youth Ambassador in 2023, seeking to make a positive change for others after the death of her dad, and gain more autonomy over her grief. Nell joined the Youth Forum in January 2024, with the aim of making a real and lasting change for other young people experiencing grief. Nell’s dad passed away just before she graduated University, so she is particularly focussed on speaking about the difficulties of losing a parent amidst navigating adulthood and the world for the first time, too.

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

Winston's Wish practitioner with two young boys

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Our team

Our President

Duchess of Richmond and Gordon

Duchess of Richmond and Gordon

Our Patrons

Julie Stokes OBE

Julie Stokes OBE

Randolph Churchill

Randolph Churchill

Emily Eavis and Nick Dewey

Emily Eavis and Nick Dewey

Baroness Fritchie

Baroness Fritchie

Barbara Want

Barbara Want

Our Ambassadors

Gary Andrews

Gary Andrews

Kate Jones

Kate Jones

Mark Lemon

Mark Lemon

Our Trustees

Liz Gratton

Liz Gratton

Grace Horton

Grace Horton

Zoe Jones

Zoe Jones

Huxley Knox-Macaulay

Huxley Knox-Macaulay

Neil Musgrove

Neil Musgrove

Lucy Clements

Lucy Clements

Rob Harper

Rob Harper

Tim Ramskill

Tim Ramskill

Youth Forum

Dom

Dom

Jard

Jard

Grace Horton

Grace Horton

Oyinkan

Oyinkan

Ghislaine

Ghislaine

Meher

Meher

Daisy

Daisy

Alex

Alex

Nell

Nell

Strategic Leadership Team

Fergus Crow

Becky Harding

Grace Lee

Letizia Perna

Julia Jones

More about Winston’s Wish

Careers

Youth Team

Our impact

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