Derek Bodell - Chair

Derek qualified as a Social Worker and worked for 10 years in Newcastle upon Tyne before taking a post as a Programme Director at the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Centre, Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service(BBCS) in New York in 1986. Whilst there, he became a volunteer with the Gay Men's Health Crisis running weekly support groups.

He returned to the UK to work on the national AIDS public education campaign at the Health Education Authority. He subsequently worked as Regional HIV/AIDS Programme Manager,South-West Thames and South Thames Regional Health Authorities in London before becoming Chief Executive of the National Aids Trust(NAT). At NAT he established the Diana, Princess of Wales lecture on AIDS in memory of NAT's Patron, which has so far been delivered by Kofi Annan, President Bill Clinton and Elton John.

After leaving NAT he became a freelance consultant on HIV working with UNAIDS, the World Bank, the BIll and Melinda Gates Foundation and a range of NGOs and government agencies. More recently he has worked across Europe for the International Partnership for Microbicides(IPM) supporting their work in gaining support and funding for the development of a preventative tool for women. He was a member of the Department of Health's Sexual Health Independent Advisory Group and former Chair of HIV Scotland.

Alan Brooks - Treasurer

Alan was brought up in Zimbabwe. He completed his tertiary education in South Africa and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1977. He emigrated to the UK on qualification and after working initially in the accounting profession, he worked for a multinational in the textile industry,followed by employment in trade finance and mining sectors. He has close family that live in Zimbabwe. Now retired, he holds various voluntary positions in sport and recreation and in the charity sector. He joined the Island Uk board in 2008, was its Chair for a period and now serves as Treasurer.

Rutendo Gambe - Board Member

Rutendo is a general practitioner trainee living and working in Sheffield, with a research background in the molecular biology of cancer and palliative care. Growing up in Zimbabwe, she saw first-hand how the combination of limited resources and the heavy burden of chronic disease left many without access to medical care. Her childhood experiences gave her the motivation to show compassion, ask questions and understand health in the context of a whole person. Prior to commencing her clinical career, she carried out research trying to understand the role of driver mutations in the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It was during this time that the necessity  of a holistic approach to care for all patients with a life limiting diagnosis became clear, and she developed her passions around understanding and addressing health inequalities, especially at the end of life. Identifying the merits of combining research with her clinical work, she went on to complete a postgraduate certificate in research methods  which have enabled her to conduct high-quality research and systematic reviews. Through this, she was able to publish a systematic review and critical interpretative analysis of the roles and experiences of informal carers to people with advanced cancer in Africa. She finds great satisfaction in advocating for her patients,having the privileged position of treating them and being able to emphasise dignity and empathy in her practice as a physician.

Anne Lloyd Williams - Board Member

Anne has been involved in international relief and development for most of her career. She spent 18 years with OXFAM working on programme development and oversight of work in various regions of Africa. She also spent a number of years as International Grants Officer for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. In this capacity, she helped initiate and develop the Fund's palliative care grants programme in Africa. She visited a wide range of palliative care programmes in Africa and came to know about and admire the work of Island Hospice in Zimbabwe.

Dermott McDonald - Board Member

Dermott is a Netherlands- based consultant with 20 years experience working on institutional,trust and corporate donor funding acquisition and has led institutional funding teams at a range of INGOs, including Mildmay International,VSO and Trocaire.

As a consultant, Dermott has undertaken assignments for NGOs, networks and donors, supporting on funding, strategy and programme development with expertise in HIV,UHC,migrants,key population health access and rights and palliative care. In the Netherlands, Dermott works with Dutch INGOs:AFEW International, Dokters Van De Wereld and War Child Holland supporting participatory learning on grant writing, funding strategy development, Theory of Change and consortia building for INGOs.

Dermott has partnered with the international development palliative care sector over many years,including as a strategic consultant for OSF's palliative care programming and fund raising and donor engagement support for the Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance,APCA,KEHPCA,Hospice Ethiopia and Island Hospice.

Dr Charles Mazhude(FRCP) - Board Member

Dr Mazhude is a senior NHS Consultant Physician who has extensive specialist experience in the management of HIV in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. A keen advocate for access and equity of healthcare, he has been on the boards of various healthcare charities. Amongst other initiatives, he has also created a platform that enables Zimbabweans living abroad, support the healthcare needs of their families back home.

Val Maasdorp - Board Member

After working with Island Hospice for 37years, Val recently retired from her position as the Counselling& Support Services Consultant. As well as counselling in the areas of Palliative care and bereavement, Val has extensive years of experience in training and capacity building of diverse participant groups.

Now living in Dublin she is committed to helping Island as a Trustee of the IHBS Board.