OUR TRUSTEES

The role of Trustee is to give guidance and advice to the Directors with regard to the management and operation of the Counselling Centre, first of all in contributing to good governance by reviewing and challenging the operation of the centre, and secondly in contributing to future success by adding creative ideas.



 

Andy Birtwell

Andy Birtwell was born in Lancashire in 1945. He was educated at Marlborough, where he specialised in science and Keble College, Oxford where he read Philosophy and Psychology. He then trained in business by spending 5 years in Brand Management at Procter and Gamble after which, in 1975, he set up his own business (a small engineering business which builds water treatment equipment) which he still runs today. In 1993 he started to train as a psychotherapist having done a little therapy over the previous 5 years and started practising in 1998 and continues to do so today working with private clients on a one to one basis. He is an enthusiastic amateur vintage car owner and mechanic. In 1998 Andy and his wife Sally bought a building site and built a large new house, which took 5 years and strained their physical, mental and financial health. This house is used as a conference centre for small groups meeting at weekends to do training in (almost anything including) things like Yoga, Dancing, Singing and Therapy.

 

 Gail Thomas

As a health professional with many years experience in both care delivery and in education, I am really interested in seeing the development of the Banbury Therapy Centre, as a Trustee. It is an exciting and important venture and I think that all of the Trustees are flattered to have been asked to participate and are keen to contribute to the Centre's success.
Professionally, I began my career as a nurse in Montreal, Canada in 1972. I settled in London in 1977 and worked clinically as a nurse and then a midwife until moving into education in the late 1980’s. In September 2006, I moved to Bournemouth University taking up the role of Dean of the School of Health and Social Care in order to continue to develop my expertise as academic leader, manager, practitioner and researcher. I met Gareth Chick when he very expertly facilitated some team development and have been very pleased to since meet Rachel and become involved in the Centre.
Personally, I am a wife to Bill, mother to Ben and Sam (who are now 27 and 25 years old so tower over their mother, and of whom I am very proud). Our family home is in West London but we also have a little place in Bournemouth where I am based during the week.