Who are we?

FND Hope UK is managed by its board of trustees who have experience of Functional Neurological Disorder and its impact.

As a board of trustees, we plan the strategic development of FND Hope UK (Registered Charity England & Wales 1173607 and Scotland SC048333) and are responsible for its policies and work of the charity. We have a range of business, financial, management and legal experience.

Our Legal duties are to:

Act in our charities best interest
Manage our charities resources responsibly
Act with reasonable care and skill

Trustees are elected by FND Hope UK and serve for a minimum of 3 years.

If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, please contact FND Hope UK for further information

fndhopeuk@fndhope.org

Welcome FND Hope UK’s New Patron, Lorraine Kelly!

Lorraine Kelly, OBE is an avid Dundee United supporter as well as host of her own ITV show “Lorraine”. Born in Glasgow, Lorraine joined her local weekly newspaper The East Kilbride News aged seventeen. In 1983, she joined BBC Scotland as a researcher, and a year later she became TVam’s Scottish correspondent covering stories like the Piper Alpha disaster and the Lockerbie bombing. She went on to co-host TVam and GMTV. In 2012, Lorraine was awarded the OBE by HM The Queen for services to charity and the armed forces at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. She was Hon Colonel of the Black Watch Cadets and a former Rector of Dundee University. She is a patron of Help For Heroes. Lorraine lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Steve, daughter Rosie and their dog Angus.

MEET OUR TRUSTEES FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND

Cindy Smulders - CHAIR

Cindy has been an experienced Global Training Consultant for the past 27 years and helps people improve how they present and communicate within the corporate world, she brings with her professional expertise as a Professional and Motivational Speaker, Sales and Management consultant and works for some of the top Fortune 500 Companies in many different industries from banking to pharmaceuticals.

Cindy is a wife and mother to 2 children and joined our Board of Trustee on the 3rdOctober 2018 after one of her children received a diagnosis of FND. Cindy is very keen and passionate in helping to support all the parents and carers within our community under the age of 18 years old, and challenge the lack of treatment protocols in place for our young adults.

Abigail Bishop-Laggett

Abigail is a public relations and government affairs professional who is experienced in supporting healthcare organisations raise awareness of complex or lesser-known conditions. Abigail works with a range of organisations from international pharmaceutical companies to local charities, with particular experience in neurological conditions and improving care for the thousands of people in the UK impacted by conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Abigail specialises in government and NHS engagement, making the case for policy change to improve care for these often under-prioritised conditions.

Abigail joined our Board of Trustees in November 2020, after learning about the impact of FND through our online community and website. Abigail is passionate about increasing understanding and awareness of FND and achieving greater recognition in the health system so that individuals, families and carers can feel better supported and heard.

Bridget Mildon

Bridget Mildon, is President and Founder of F ND Hope. FND Hope is the first non-profit organization specifically for those diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder and related illnesses. A proponent of FND patient rights, Bridget is an active voice for FND patients. Her diverse experience and knowledge have cultivated into a unique perspective for those facing medical uncertainty and battling the challenges of living with Functional Neurological Disorder.

Robert Wilson Thomas

Robert is a proud Welshman, something he rarely lets people forget. He has been a practicing barrister-at-law since 1977, before which he read for a degree in chemical engineering. His legal practice started in intellectual property (on which he is the co-author of a number of reference books) then developed into licensing technology, mostly in a hi-tech environment, complex international commercial contracts, international law, telecommunications and data protection.

He developed Functional Neurological Disorder, rapid onset, following a major chemical clash and two cardiac arrests, after an operation to remove a tumour on his kidney, in late 2016.

Robert is no stranger to long-term and life-changing illness. He is not ashamed to admit that he has been bipolar, probably since his mid-teens, although he was formally diagnosed only in 1989. He also has lived with Type 1 diabetes since 1996. Both these conditions are well controlled. He survived major surgery for neck and throat cancer in 2006 and was pronounced cancer free in mid-2018.

Joyce Davies

Joyce had completed a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool and worked as Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS until she became ill in her late forties. Joyce was diagnosed with FND in 2017 by Professor Jon Stone, including Complex PTSD. Joyce is a mother to 3 daughters, one a Staff nurse in Haematology, one a junior doctor and the youngest a medical student. Joyce has been married for 25 Years and has held many positions in her career as Head of Services and at Consultant level.

Joyce is actively involved in Politics and is now the Neurodiversity Education Officer within the SNP Executive Disabled Members Group. Joyce has previously been a Trustee at the Shetland Arts and has exhibited art within Scotland and Internationally. Joyce is currently studying Art at university of the Highlands and Islands and is qualified in both mental health nursing and also learning disabilities.

Joyce joined our Board of Trustees in September and is very keen to make a difference to those diagnosed with FND, by raising awareness in Scotland

Richard Newland

Richard is the CEO and founder of AIMCommunity, a Creative Arts Education and Mentoring charity working in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) and Dorset providing creativity based learning opportunities for young people aged 8-19 who are struggling in, or no longer attend, mainstream education. Previously he has worked in a variety of youth work roles including as Social Inclusion Manager for The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland as well as Homeless Services Manager in Bournemouth. He also has a Masters Degree in Youth and Community Work in which he researched the impact of Positive Youth Development Models on young people.

Richard is married to Alison, who has had FND for the last few years, and they have a daughter and two sons. He is a photographer, digital artist and also does a bit of animation when he gets the time. A huge AFC Bournemouth fan (despite relegation), he has been involved in local grassroots youth football and was the Dorset FA Manager of the Year in 2019 for his work with his Longfleet Youth Football Club Under 14s.

Dr. Chris Symeon

Chris is a consultant neuropsychiatrist at St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He undertook his undergraduate medical training at St Bart’s and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry; followed by his specialist training in adult psychiatry on the South London and Maudsley training scheme and MSc in Neuroscience from Kings College London.

He is the clinical lead for the multidisciplinary FND rehabilitation programme within the Wolfson Service. He has an interest in digital health, leading to the creation of the myFND App, aiming to support patients with understanding and self-management of the condition. He understands the issues that so many patient’s face with access to appropriate healthcare resources, and he is passionate about developing services to allow patients with FND to access high quality treatment in a timely way.

Who Are We -FND Hope UK

Who are we?

Welcome FND Hope UK’s New Patron, Lorraine Kelly!

MEET OUR TRUSTEES FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND

Cindy Smulders - CHAIR

Abigail Bishop-Laggett

Bridget Mildon

Robert Wilson Thomas

Joyce Davies

Richard Newland

Dr. Chris Symeon

Related

Who Are We -FND Hope UK

Who are we?

Welcome FND Hope UK’s New Patron, Lorraine Kelly!

MEET OUR TRUSTEES FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND

Cindy Smulders - CHAIR

Abigail Bishop-Laggett

Bridget Mildon

Robert Wilson Thomas

Joyce Davies

Richard Newland

Dr. Chris Symeon

Related

Meet More Team Members

Robert Wilson Thomas

Bridget Mildon

FND Hope Board Members

FND Hope Research Board Members

REGISTERED CHARITY ENGLAND & WALES

REGISTERED CHARITY SCOTLAND