Trustees of Lupus UK

What is a Trustee?

Charity Trustees are the people who share ultimate responsibility for governing a charity and directing how it is managed and run. Trusteeship is an unpaid, voluntary role.

Trustees use their skills and experience to support their charities, helping them achieve their aims.

According to the Charity Commission, the six main duties of a Trustee are:

Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit.
Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law.
Act in your charity’s best interests.
Manage your charity’s resources responsibly.
Act with reasonable care and skill.
Ensure your charity is accountable.

You can read about what each of these duties means in more detail on the Charity Commission website.

Trustees of Lupus UK

Lupus UK’s Board of Trustees is composed of up to twelve members, appointed for terms of up to three years. They have responsibility for the legal and financial oversight of the charity, meeting regularly with the Chief Executive to review the finances, set strategic direction and make funding decisions.

If you have any comments or questions for the Board of Trustees, you can contact them using our online form HERE

Elaine Holland

Chair / Trustee – appointed until May 2027

Hi! I’m Elaine Holland. I was diagnosed with lupus in 1998, when I was 24 years old. Over the years, I have had several major flares that have required aggressive treatments. Despite being diagnosed with lupus while I was training, I was able to fulfil my dream of being a teacher for five years and I have also worked in IT within the NHS. The information and support from Lupus UK has been invaluable to myself, family and friends over the years and I am glad that I am able to give something back by volunteering for the charity. I live with my husband, Scott, who I married in 2007 and we have a crazy Patterdale Terrier called Prince, who we adopted.

Ricky Chotai

Vice Chair / Trustee – appointed until May 2029

I’m Ricky. Lupus is nine times more common in women than it is in men and it is because of this overwhelming predominance in women that men tend to be rather forgotten about. At the age of 25, I was diagnosed with lupus. My mother also was diagnosed with lupus in her mid-twenties and Lupus UK has supported my family since its inception. It is a real honour to volunteer for the Board of Trustees. From 2015 to 2021 I was a patient collaborator (one of 18) on the MASTERPLANS study.

During my career I have spent most of the time working at National Union of Students (NUS). I am based in Manchester and outside of work, you can find me visiting local eateries in Manchester, watching Netflix and spending time with my niece and nephews.

Kevin Weston

Treasurer /Trustee – appointed until May 2028

I Joined Lupus UK and the North Wales Group in 2001, when my eldest daughter was diagnosed with lupus.

I was elected as a Trustee of Lupus UK from September 2014. It was a privilege to have been elected Chair in 2015 for two terms. Over the six years the Trustees worked together to prepare the charity for the next 25 years. I am pleased as Treasurer that I can continue to support the work of Lupus UK.

Sue Grewcock

Trustee – appointed until May 2027

Hi everyone, my name is Sue Grewcock. My daughter Megan was diagnosed with lupus in 2016 at the age of 20. She has been fortunate in finding a treatment that suits her, allowing her to graduate from university and work as a Merchandiser. I am a very proud Mum and live with my husband, Mark. I currently work as an International Trade Training Manager supporting companies that import and export goods. I changed my career 6 years ago as I wanted to help people, have a better work life balance and spend more time with my family. The role of trustee means I can continue to help people as well as raise awareness of lupus.

Jolene Cheung

Trustee – appointed until May 2027

Hi, I’m Jolene Cheung and I have over 10 years experience in finance, project management and strategy. In addition to my corporate experience, I also have over 10 years of lived experience with lupus, where Lupus UK has been a cornerstone for information and support during the entire journey. With my background, I hope to bring my experience, knowledge and respect for the charity to help the team at Lupus UK to continue to inform the public and enhance the lives of those with lupus. Outside of work, I enjoy pottery (I am enthusiastic rather than competent) and hanging out with my miniature schnauzer, Gilbert (who is similarly enthusiastic rather than competent at times).

Colin Da Silva

Trustee – appointed until May 2029

I was diagnosed with lupus in 1992 at the age of 27 and had never heard of the condition before then. My mother was diagnosed 10 years later, in her fifties and sadly passed away in 2015 from complications of the condition. I have recently finished a 39-year career in the RAF and am delighted now to have been selected as a trustee of Lupus UK. I look forward to working with everyone and using the experience I gained as a member of the RAF Board to help Lupus UK raise awareness of the condition and support the lives of those living with it.

Matthew Stinchcombe

Trustee – appointed until May 2029

Hi, I’m Matt Stinchcombe. I was diagnosed with lupus 18 years ago when I was 29. It was a scary time for myself and my family and something that is still fresh in our minds. It was also a massive learning curve as there was very limited information available on lupus and especially with men.

I live with my wife, Vanessa and have been married for 12 years. We also have a lovely Cavapoo who rules the house. I work for an Asset Management company as a Sales Director and have been working in London since my early twenties. I hope that the skills that I’ve learnt in my career can help build on the great work that Lupus UK already does.

Jacqueline Coulton

Trustee – appointed until May 2028

I was formally diagnosed with lupus in November 2020 having been symptomatic for quite some time previously. As a trustee, I want to support all people with lupus to seek and receive the best care on their individual journey and to feel safe when they respectfully challenge their treatment options. I would also like to support the organisation when speaking to our clinical community, to understand and interpret the complexities our clinicians face when dealing with such a myriad of symptoms and what they mean.

My day job is as a Chief Nurse working in a commissioning organisation, so it’s safe to say that I can navigate my way around our wonderful but very complex healthcare system. Despite this, I struggled to feel as though I could question the treatment plan offered. This has made me realise that we all need to be our own wellbeing advocates, but that is not an easy journey and we all need some support.

Fiona Browne

Trustee – appointed until May 2028

Hi, my name is Fiona Browne and I’m delighted and humbled to have been appointed as a trustee and board member for Lupus UK to serve the wider lupus community. Lupus UK is a charity close to my heart as a person who lives with lupus (systemic lupus, lupus nephritis and lupus profundus).

I’m interested in patient partnership and patient safety, health inequalities and inclusion, engagement, support and community in health care and supporting behaviour change and professionalism. My background is in law, and I have published in areas related to how patients and clinicians make decisions together and professionalism.

In my day job, I am a senior manager in a health professional regulator and charity which is responsible for protecting the public and so I have experience of the governance of a charity and an understanding of how health professionals (and particularly osteopaths) are trained and keep up to date. I also hold a role in local government on a Standards (Advisory) Committee which promotes high standards and ethics in local government.

I’m also a former trustee of the Patients Association which is a national charity focusing on patient partnership held previous roles in other health professional and other sector regulators and in postgraduate medical education.

Namywa Hutchinson

Trustee – appointed until May 2028

Namywa is an international recording artist, cultural leader, and founder of two impactful ventures. With a decade-long career in music, she’s shared stages with icons like UB40, Beverley Knight, and Lola Young, using her voice to tell raw, honest stories rooted in lived experience across soul, R&B, and country-Americana. As founder of Girl Grind UK CIC, an award-winning organisation recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Arts and Culture, she champions equity for Black and diverse women in the creative industries through nationally celebrated programmes and events. Namywa’s latest startup, My Hood Estates, reflects her deep commitment to social housing, reimagining property investment as a vehicle for humanity, stability, and community change. Since being diagnosed with SLE Lupus in 2019, she leads with a soft resilience, redefining what it means to thrive as a black disabled creative and changemaker.

Edwina Wheeler

Trustee – appointed until May 2028

Hi, I’m Edwina and I’m extremely proud to have recently been appointed as a Trustee of Lupus UK in 2025.

My 30 year career background was in Banking as Mortgage Director, and after early retirement, I became a Magistrate in the Criminal Courts and eventually specialising in Family Law cases which although challenging, was also rewarding. I continued to be involved in Management Consultancy contracts which I still do occasionally today.

Since being diagnosed with lupus and other related auto-immune conditions in 2015, I have been on a passionate journey of health, wellness and fitness. My inquisitive nature has led me to explore holistic wellness in the search for supporting my life living with lupus so that I can live my best life.

I live in Cheshire with my newly acquired Toy Poodle puppy, Coco, who is my therapy on bad days!

I also have an amazing adult son who lives and works on the South Coast as a Patent Attorney.

I hope that my life and career skills together with my Lupus journey will add to the existing Trustee Team.

Shadow Trustees

We are delighted to be introducing a trustee shadowing scheme at Lupus UK and to introduce our first two Shadow Trustees.

The aim of the programme is to strengthen trustee recruitment, improve diversity, and enhance board effectiveness. The scheme enables a prospective trustee to observe board meetings, participate in induction activities, and receive mentoring, without voting rights or decision-making authority. We will recruit a maximum of two shadow trustees per year and each Shadow Trustee will join for a 12-month period.

Melissa Chieza

Shadow Trustee – Appointed until May 2026

Melissa Chieza is an occupational therapist by background, currently working in primary care mental health. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and lupus at age nine, Melissa has been a passionate advocate for people living with long-term health conditions ever since. She has contributed her insights as a member of panels such as the Versus Arthritis Young People’s Panel, helping to amplify the voices of young people managing chronic illness. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spin classes and spending time with friends, and remains dedicated to raising awareness of the organisations and support networks that empower individuals to thrive despite health challenges.

Katie Pickard

Shadow Trustee – Appointed until May 2026

Hi, I’m Katie, and I was diagnosed with lupus six years ago when I was 18.

I was thrilled to be offered a place as a shadow trustee on the Lupus UK board, as I wanted to find a way to give back to this amazing organisation. When I was first diagnosed, I had never even heard of lupus before, let alone met anyone who had it. Lupus UK was a great way to learn more about my illness and understand what to expect.

I have two years of board experience and enjoy contributing and advocating for young people, and I hope to continue to do that on the Lupus UK board.

What is involved in being a Trustee of Lupus UK?

The Board meets four times a year, typically in February, May, August and November. These meetings last most of the day and are a mixture of face-to-face and virtual meetings. The Board also has sub-committees including the Finance Committee and the People & Resources Committee that Trustees have the option to join and participate in.