Our staff
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Chris ChaneyChief Executive
READ MOREChris joined CW+ as Chief Executive in July 2016 and leads the charity to raise funds to provide new facilities, deliver our unique arts and health programme, and identify and embed next generation systems and technologies to support patients and staff. In addition to his charity role, Chris is strategic communications lead at the Trust and sits as a member of the Trust board.
Prior to CW+, Chris was Head of Major Gifts at the University of Cambridge and spent over 10 years at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. Chris is currently a Trustee of Newlife – The Charity for Disabled Children, and sits on grants committees at the True Colours Trust and the National Institute for Health Research.
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Trystan HawkinsDirector of Patient Environment
READ MORETrystan is responsible for leading the vision for arts and design for CW+ in order to provide a first-class environment for everyone using our hospitals. He advises nationally and internationally on the built environment and the impact of excellent design on patient experience and clinical outcomes.
Trystan has led numerous visual arts organisations, most recently the Royal Academy of Art (Bristol). In Plymouth, he initiated and led a ground-breaking art and design programme for the NHS, which received acclaim from the Department of Health. Trystan was founder Director at Wysing Arts, which was selected as a model of excellence by Arts Council England, was voted best place to enjoy the arts by ITV, and where he won a RIBA prize for his capital development of the centre.
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James PorterDirector of Campaigns and Major Programmes
READ MOREJames leads many of CW+’s integrated care programmes which operate at a regional and national level as well as supporting some of our emerging international partners. These include work around mental health, digital inclusion, palliative care and volunteering. He is also responsible for the management of CW+’s Thirty at Thirty campaign.
Prior to CW+ James spent his career in the NHS leading a number of programmes and operational functions. He was Director lead for Bedford NHS Trust in their merger with Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust as well as running the strategy and transformation teams. Prior to that he spent a number of years at Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust were he held numerous positions including Programme Director for North Central London STP, Network Director for Clinical Pathway Redesign in Barnet and Enfield and was part of the leadership team for the redesign and build of Chase Farm Hospital. James started his career at Great Ormond Street where he held various roles including setting up and running the North London Paediatric Haemophilia Network.
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Safi SchlichtDirector of Communications and Marketing
READ MORESafi joined CW+ as Director of Communications and Marketing in August 2022 and leads the communications and marketing function with the aim of spreading the incredible work the charity does to a wide - and growing - range of audiences and stakeholders.
Safi has a background in the performing and visual arts and spent many years producing and directing documentaries and corporate films, before moving into a communications role in a criminal and social justice charity. Prior to CW+, Safi was the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Royal Academy of Music for five years, where she helped to develop and implement the Academy’s bicentenary celebrations and a major fundraising campaign.
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James VarleyFinance Director
READ MOREJames in charge of the financial and investment affairs of the charity and also leads the innovation and grants teams. James is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Warwick University MBA, where he focused on Mission Investing in NHS Charities.
James left KPMG for the charity sector, where he has since worked for more than 20 years, principally with major funding charities including Trust for London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity. James is Treasurer and Trustee of the Royal Society of Sculptors and Trustee of the Harrow Academies Trust.
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Polly FoxHead of Communications and Marketing
READ MOREPolly is responsible for the delivery of the CW+ Communications and Marketing strategy, including digital and printed communications, PR and media, donor stewardship and marketing collateral, and events support.
Before joining CW+ in January 2023, Polly spent five years as Senior Content and Publications Manager at the Royal Academy of Music, where she oversaw the production of a wide range of print and digital content. Her background is in publishing, having worked for over a decade as a sub editor and content writer for a wide range of lifestyle magazines and brands.
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Andrew HallHead of Impact and Evaluation
READ MOREAndy oversees the charity’s strategy for evaluating the impact of its work, working closely with our Trust and key partners to measure and articulate the effect of our programmes within the hospital community.
He has worked with CW+ since 2016, when he joined the charity as a member of the arts team. With a background in both music and academic research, Andy has led collaborative projects with clinicians from both hospital sites investigating the effects of music and arts participation on patients and staff. This work has led to peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations across the country, including at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare and the Manchester Science Festival. He is also a regularly performing musician, composer and bandleader, whose original music has been performed around Europe and featured on BBC Radio 3.
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Christina PeumaluHead of Participation
READ MOREChristina is responsible for the charity’s creative engagement and participation projects. She trained at Winchester School of Art in Fine Art (Painting) and then went on to work in the community arts sector where she used her range of art skills, particularly working with people with mental health and learning disabilities. Christina then went on to complete her MA Art, Health and Wellbeing and has since led several ventures to introduce a programme of Art and Health for various projects and charities.
Christina has exhibited her own artwork as well as being commissioned to create artwork for organisations such as Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
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Tom CarlisleDigital Innovation Fellow
READ MORETom’s role as Digital Innovation Fellow is part-funded by grants from the European Regional Development Fund and Rosetrees Trust. He works with partners across the NHS, industry and charity to identify digital innovations to support patients and the delivery of healthcare services.
Prior to joining CW+, Tom was an NHS Navigator for the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, an award-winning programme aimed at supporting the adoption of digital technologies in London’s NHS.
Tom has a PhD in sleep and respiratory physiology and has worked in research, clinical and informatics roles since joining the NHS in 2008.
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Christina SothinathanInnovation Business Partner
READ MOREChristina joined the CW Innovation team and supports the Trust to deploy digital solutions including AI which improve patient pathways and reduce clinician burden. She is interested in improving digital inclusion to ensure high quality care is accessible to all.
Following a successful career as a Physiotherapist, Christina worked at NHS England as a Clinical Transformation Fellow and completed the Digital Pioneer Fellowship Programme at DigitalHealth.London. She continues to work as an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (MSK) and facilitates leadership training at Health Education England (HEE). She has also presented poster abstracts at National and European conferences.
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Mike WrightInnovation Business Partner
READ MOREIn Mike’s primary role as Innovation Business Partner at Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, he leads CW Innovation, a collaboration between the Trust and CW+. He works collaboratively with the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator to support innovations into the CW Innovation programme, and ultimately bring them into the hands of patients and staff more quickly.
Prior to his current role, Mike was Programme Director for long-term conditions at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, building new approaches to tackling the social determinants of ill health. Prior to that he was Head of Health Investment at the charity, leading the establishment of the NHS’s first Investment Fund (the Bright Ideas Fund), Health Foundry, one of the UK’s first dedicated digital health co-working spaces, and investing in Europe’s first digital health accelerator, Healthbox.
Mike has supported the development of innovation support programmes within public sector organisations since 2001, including at the Centre for Applied Microbiological Research, the Harwell Research Centre, and Culham Fusion.
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Laura BradshawArts Project Manager
READ MORELaura joined CW+ as Arts Programme Manager in November 2023. She works across the arts programme, with responsibilities including managing collection activity and delivering art commissioning within the capital projects portfolio.
Laura recently completed the MASc in Creative Health from UCL and her arts in health career began as the first NHS Arts Apprentice in 2019. Laura is especially passionate about the role of creativity for improving healthcare staff wellbeing. Prior to joining CW+ Laura worked as Assistant Arts Curator at UCLH NHS Foundation Trust and brings her experience of hospital arts programming to the role.
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Seán ButtnerSenior Innovation Manager
READ MORESeán works as part of the CW Innovation team and supports the delivery of key innovation projects across the Trust.
Following a successful clinical career as a Physiotherapist, Seán moved into service management and operationally ran a number of NHS MSK Physiotherapy services across London and nationwide for a private healthcare provider. After delivering a number of key innovative service improvements during that time it gave Seán a bigger appetite to support patients at a wider level.
He took at role with UCLPartners and DigitalHealth.London in supporting the adoption and spread of digital health technologies regionally across London for a number of years before a stint in industry at a Health-Tech start up before joining the CW Innovation team in May 2023. Seán uses the mantra ‘Innovation without results is just creativity’ to make sure supported projects have clarity on delivering success clinically and operationally while delivering excellent patient care.
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Saskia DelmanDesign Manager
READ MORESaskia joined CW+ as Design Manager in 2019, coordinating our programme of major design improvements at both hospital sites. Saskia works with the wider arts team to devise projects that achieve the best possible built environments, to improve patient experience.
In her previous role at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, Saskia ran the Arts Connect the Trusts Arts Service. Saskia led on the design and delivery of an extensive patient-facing programme of visual arts, music and theatre arts while working with PFI and Estates Teams to make improvement to clinics and departments across the two acute south London Hospitals. Saskia has also worked as a freelance arts consultant delivering a portfolio of cultural built environment and events projects.
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Maria Esteller GonzalezGrants Manager
READ MOREMaria joined CW+ in August 2021 and is responsible for the CW+ grants programme, supporting staff from the Trust with their grant application process. The grants programme aims to fund projects that help staff to deliver better patient experience and care.
Maria graduated from the University of A Coruña in 2016 with a BSc in Sports. She went on to work in the Swiss Alps and Italy for a few years before moving to London in 2019. While at university, Maria volunteered at several sports events, and she continues to do so in London as well as in some local charity shops.
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Nicola JayawardeneCommunications Manager
READ MORENicki joined CW+ in March 2021 and her role involves communicating with our internal and external audiences to raise the profile of our work and to engage with our communities, existing and potential supporters. She leads on writing, editing and publishing content across various channels.
Nicki has a variety of experience in charity communications, previously working at Barnardo’s and Age UK.
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Annabel RoseEngagement and Digital Content Manager
READ MOREAnnabel joined CW+ in October 2021 to work on communications and digital content for Best For You. She’s passionate about the role of digital communications in breaking down stigma around mental health and making it easier for young people to access the right information and support.
Annabel graduated from Durham University in 2017 with a BA in Combined Honours Social Sciences. Prior to joining CW+, she worked for education and youth charities, and in her spare time, she volunteers with Girlguiding.
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Brianna ScottDesign Project Manager
READ MOREBrianna joined CW+ in August 2023 from Sydney, Australia. She leads on a portfolio of capital projects, using creative ways to integrate art and design into clinical environments using 3D modelling. She also oversees cross-team project management and engagement with internal and external project stakeholders.
Brianna has a BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture from the University of New South Wales and a Diploma in Project Management from the Australian Institute of Management. Prior to CW+, she worked as a Project Manager at Standards Australia, leading on the development of several high-profile building and construction standards. Brianna also worked as an interior designer specialising in retail fit-outs.
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Cerys ThomasOffice Manager
READ MORECerys joined CW+ in August 2018 as Office Manager, ensuring the smooth running of our small but professional office. Before joining the charity, Cerys worked for HENI, a Soho-based international art services business offering publishing, print-making, digital solutions and art research, as well as a film production arm and a gallery space.
Previously, Cerys has worked for a number of high-profile creative companies, including The Guardian News & Media Group and Christie’s. Cerys graduated from Nottingham Trent University and prior to this attended Norwich School of Art and Design.
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Abigail BalkitisArts Officer
READ MOREAbbie joined CW+ in January 2020. Supporting the Arts Team, Abbie assists with management of the hospital sound systems, and organisation of the regular lunchtime performances and ward visits. She works closely with the fantastic artists in the Arts For All programme, delivering musical and creative interventions as part of the CW+ focus on arts for health and wellbeing.
Abbie graduated from the University of Leeds in 2015 with a BA in Art & Design. She went on to work at the university, in the Schools of Medicine and of Fine Art; here she was involved in programming Undergraduate Medicine, and the administration of AHRC funded arts projects, respectively. Since moving to London in 2019, she has worked within the arts sector, including holding a role with the Royal Collection Trust.
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Tharsan GnanachandranFinance Officer
READ MORETharsan joined CW+ in January 2020 as Finance Assistant. He assists with ensuring all expenses and income are accurately processed and recorded. He also supports with other financial and other general inquiries.
Tharsan graduated from Middlesex University in 2017 with a BA in Business Management and Finance. He previously worked for a marketing company, where he analysed data in an account assistant role.
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Jack George SmithCommunications and Content Officer (Photography and Videography)
READ MOREJack joined CW+ in summer 2021 as a Communications Assistant. He supports the Comms Team in a wide variety of tasks including videography, video editing, photography, graphic design, website management and a plethora of other administrative tasks.
Since moving to London in 2016, Jack has regularly produced music videos, concert posters and album covers which have been featured in So Young Magazine and physically distributed by concert venues, artists and record labels. In 2017, Jack spent several months studying Documentary Filmmaking at the Open City Documentary School, based in the UCL Centre for Public Anthropology. In 2020, Jack graduated from King’s College London with a 1st Class BA (Hons) in Film Studies.
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Alex WardDigital Communications Officer
READ MOREAlex joined CW+ as a Digital Communications Officer in January 2023. Alongside other digital comms priorities, Alex leads the social media content planning and analysis for the charity's social channels with the aim of driving donations to the website and raising the profile CW+.
Alex has a background in Graphic and Communication Design, using her design skills to create imagery and short-form videos for social media and printed collateral. Before working for CW+, Alex worked as a Content Manager in e-commerce and art publishing.
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Holly NicholsonEA to Chief Executive
READ MOREHolly joined CW+ in January 2023 and is the Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Chris Chaney.
Holly graduated from the University of the West of England in 2012 with a BA Hons in Business Studies. She went on to work in marketing and events for 10 years before joining the charity.
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Rhian StantonFundraising and Front of House Assistant
READ MORERhian is our Fundraising and Front of House Assistant, who joined CW+ in April 2023. Day-to-day, she supports the Fundraising Team, especially in community fundraising, as well as providing office administration support and being the first point of contact for all guests entering the CW+ office.
Rhian graduated from London Southbank University in 2021, with a BA Hons in Events and Entertainment Management. Prior to CW+, she gained extensive customer service experience working in the Hospitality and Events industries and enjoys attending all kinds of events in her free time.
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Emily ThomasArts Coordinator
READ MOREEmily is our Arts Coordinator for CW+, based at West Middlesex University Hospital. After graduating with a BA in Illustration from the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, she pursued an artist residency based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Following the exhibition of this work in the Saatchi alongside other Drawn in Residence Artists, she was appointed Artist in Residence at West Middlesex University Hospital for our Heritage Exhibition. In this role she created drawings of staff across the site to celebrate 100 years of the hospital. Her time as a reportage artist has shaped her current role as Arts Coordinator for the charity, and she uses drawing-led practice to inform her work on site.