This Trustee’s Week (6 - 10 November 2023) we’re delighted to announce three new Trustee appointments.
We welcome Lord Sharkey, James Lee and Gerry McMenemy, who will join our existing Trustees to set our strategic direction, monitor the delivery of our objectives, uphold our values to governance and guide, advise and support us in achieving our overall vision and purpose.
Meet our Trustees
Lord Sharkey
John Sharkey has spent most of his commercial life in communications businesses. He was joint managing director of Saatchi and Saatchi UK, founded and ran his own advertising agency and was chair of various other communications and recruitment enterprises. He became strategic communications advisor to Nick Clegg in 2007 and was chair of the Liberal Democrat’s General Election campaign in 2010 and of the 2011 Fairer Votes campaign.
A former chair of the Association of Medical Research Charities, which he chaired for seven years, he is now a member of the House of Lords and of its Science and Technology Committee.
Gerry McMenemy
Gerry became involved with the charity shortly after his son was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He and his wife appreciated the support of the charity, so they joined as a member, launched the family fund ‘Muscle in with Somhairle’ and Gerry became a member of the charity’s Scottish Council. He brings his lived experience as a parent and ambassador of a child with a muscle wasting condition, and his skills as an accomplished communicator and negotiator from his role as a Scottish Police Officer working through a variety of front line, operational, critical, and specialist policing fields in both management and leadership roles.
James Lee
James was diagnosed with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA type 3) as a small child and has both volunteered and worked at Muscular Dystrophy UK. He is currently Head of the Bridge Programme at the City Bridge Trust and a former Chair of the Grants Committee at BBC Children in Need. He also sits on the Disability Advisory Group working with Transport for London and is a member of the London Recovery Board for the Greater London Authority.
A warm welcome
Chair of Trustees, Professor Michael Hanna said:
It’s a pleasure to welcome our new trustees, who join us with a wealth and breadth of experience, knowledge and expertise.
Our Chief Executive, Catherine Woodhead, said:
The support that Muscular Dystrophy UK receives from our dedicated Trustees is paramount in helping us to make great advances, which would have been unthinkable just 10 years ago.
Trustee’s Week is an opportunity to give a warm welcome to Lord Sharkey, James Lee and Gerry McMenemy and thank our existing Trustees for playing a vital part in supporting the muscle wasting and weakening community. Together we are stronger.
A special thanks to Marcus Brown, Tanvi Vyas and Michael Armstrong, who’ve recently stepped down from their role as Trustee. We wish them all the very best.
Interested in becoming a Trustee for us? Find out how you can apply and help make a difference to the muscle wasting and weaking community.