Trustees

Ben is the Founder and CEO of multi award-winning social enterprise Oomph! Wellness.

Ben joined the Care Workers Charity as Chairman in November 2016 because he believes that care workers, who are looking after vulnerable people every day, should receive good quality support and representation.

As Chairman of the Care Workers Charity Ben hopes to support many more care workers through a variety of services.

Ben brings his entrepreneurial experience from launching and developing Oomph! Wellness as well as having an extensive network within the sector.

Vernon Baxter is Managing Director of Investor Publishing, a media company focused on the UK’s health and education investor communities. HealthInvestor is the health and social care sector’s leading source of news, analysis and comment and hosts a number of major events across the year.

Vernon joined the CWC as a trustee as he recognises the vital role carers play in the sector that HealthInvestor covers and believes that as a community carers deserve more support and representation. Vernon hopes the CWC will prove an effective and reactive benevolent fund to support the UK’s care workforce.

Kieran has worked in the care sector since 2007. He spent almost 7 years working as a care assistant until progressing to deputy management. His current role is admissions advisor at Hartford Care. Throughout his career Kieran has had first-hand experience of the level of knowledge, skill and dedication it takes to be a care worker. He knows equally well how little support was available to his colleagues when crisis hit.

Before being invited to join the board of trustees Kieran has been a CWC Champion and raised both money and awareness for the charity and in his own words, “will continue to do so”. His presence brings a care worker-specific perspective to our board of trustees.

Martin Jones is the Managing Director of Home Instead Senior Care UK, a highly respected home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing highest quality, relationship led care for older age adults.

Martin, who has extensive experience of multi-site operations in various industry sectors, is responsible for leading the entire UK operation. His role is to continue to develop the brand in the UK, helping to establish Home Instead Senior Care as the UK’s most admired care company and as an employer of choice within and outside of the care sector.

Alongside his passion to support families to enable their loved ones live independently at home, he is dedicated to providing job opportunities that are both fulfilling and which present opportunities for career development. He is an active member of Business in the Community’s Age at Work leadership team, championing the role of older workers.

Vic Rayner is Executive Director of the National Care Forum and has many years’ experience of working in the voluntary and community sector, with a particular focus on housing, care and support sectors. She spent the last seven years as the CEO of Sitra – a leading national membership body championing excellence in housing, health, care and support. As CEO, Vic sat on a wide range of governmental and sector wide bodies including DWP, DCLG, CQC and ADASS steering groups.

Vic is the independent Chair of the Brighton and Hove Fairness Commission, tackling inequalities and promoting social justice within the locality. She is also a Director of the London Housing Foundation, funding innovation and best practice in homelessness provision, and trustee of Hestia. Vic has an MBA (Distinction), MA and BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Mark Danis is the Commercial Director at Avery Healthcare and joined the company in 2014 to support planned expansion; he holds an MBA gained in 2000. A first career in property and finance in the UK then led on to IT and working for some of the largest global providers in positions of international management and responsibility for a range of business divisions, covering operations, sales and marketing. Mark now leads a team that ensures that the Avery homes and brand are top performers, a leader in digital channels, and promotes Avery qualities effectively into the sector.

Avnish is the Founder and Chairman of award-winning care provider Hallmark Care Homes, and has been involved in the care sector since 1997. He was initially attracted to the industry by his desire to make a difference.

Avnish was one of the founding members of the Care Workers Charity back in 2009, with the goal of giving care workers a safety net when they fell on hard times.

As Chair of Care England, the leading representative body for independent care services in England, and also Founding Trustee of his family charity, the Hemraj Goyal Foundation, Avnish brings a wealth of experience and influence to the Charity as Patron.

Richard was born in Kenya, educated at Rugby School and the University of Oxford reading Modern History. He switched to Medicine at St Thomas’ Medical School, London graduating in 1976. Richard specialised in surgery achieving FRCSE while working in the NHS.

In 1985 he co-founded Hawker Publications, a medical publishing company, and continued to practise surgery partime while growing the company which has expanded into childcare and black fashion. Through one of his publications, Caring Times, Richard became aware of the difficulties and challenges some care workers face and was therefore delighted to be a founder Trustee of the Care Workers Charity. Richard is married to a doctor, has three children and loves chess, collecting chess sets, reading historical biographies, playing golf and having fun.

Davina Ludlow is Chairman of carehome.co.uk, the leading care homes review website which helps people find the right care home. She was named as Care Personality of the Year 2013 at the National Care Awards, having been highly influential in the care sector for the last 20 years.

Davina is an advocate for good care and speaks on both TV and radio and is often quoted in the national newspapers on issues relating to the care sector. In addition, she regularly writes for HuffPost about care. She is a passionate supporter and founder Trustee of the Care Workers Charity as she believes care workers, who are invaluable in supporting vulnerable people, deserve their own support network to help them in times of need.

She is also Chairman of homecare.co.uk, the leading home care reviews website and daynurseries.co.uk, the leading nurseries reviews website.