Meet The Team

Our Team

Our Board of Trustees

Peter Armstrong | Chair of Trustees

It gives me great pleasure and pride to be a Trustee of FACT. I was in the privileged position of being headteacher to Joanne Smith's children and have been fortunate to follow FACT from its infancy. When they first came to discuss what they were planning with the charity I was struck by their enthusiasm and passion and the belief that they were going to fulfil a need. As a result of this first meeting, our school has had a close association with FACT. I firmly believe that our community has benefitted enormously from this association. The charity has enabled us to tackle a wide range of issues, from sun safety awareness to anti-smoking education. Every event they have organised has engaged our children and had a positive impact on their attitude towards the issues covered. It has also allowed parents/carers to be involved and as a result benefit from the services FACT can provide. In any school community cancer will affect directly or indirectly some of its members, FACT provides a support network that embraces the whole family at a time of need. I wholeheartedly support FACT and hope you will too.

Diane Searle | Trustee

I have worked in sales across retail, marketing and tech sectors for over 20 years and so I try to bring that commercial point of view to the FACT team. I am also a qualified sales trainer and coach and hope my experience with people development and management offers some benefit also.

I had the privilege of meeting Joanne several years ago when FACT was in its infancy and was immediately moved and inspired by her personal journey and the action she took when starting the charity. I was extremely honoured to be asked to join the board of trustees.

FACT offers an incredible and unique service to the people of the North East who are affected by cancer.

Caroline Brown | Trustee

I am a qualified accountant and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Through my work I have been involved with FACT from its very early days. It didn’t take long for me to realise what an amazing lady Joanne is, as well as how she, along with her team have developed FACT into a truly unique charity, that everybody needs to know about.

From the first day I was introduced to Joanne and FACT at work I instantly felt part of a family and I knew then I wanted to be part of FACTs journey. I was delighted when Joanne asked me to be a trustee, and I consider it the upmost honour to be part of this organisation. I’m excited to be part of it all and looking forward to seeing FACT grow from strength to strength and reach out to more people.

With my financial experience I bring an extra attribute to board which I hope will be an asset. It’s a privilege to be part of the FACT family.

Paul Hopkinson | Trustee

I was delighted to be approached to serve as a trustee for FACT and had no hesitation in accepting the invitation. I have always been a keen supporter of local concerns and have followed the progress of FACT, giving support where possible, since its inception. From a professional perspective, I have skills in law and finance that I can bring to the position of trustee to enhance the operation of the organisation. In my private capacity, my family, like too may others, has had to deal first hand with cancer and the issues associated with this terrible disease. I believe that the attitude the founders of this organisation bring to FACT, deserves any support I can provide to make it even more successful and to help it spread its operations.

Steve Haigh | Trustee

I am Chief Executive Officer at Whickham School. FACT has been a part of my professional and personal life for a number of years and it has influenced me in many positive ways. I use my 25 years of senior leadership experience in schools across the North East to support the amazing FACT team in delivering wonderful care and understanding for service users and their families.

It is an honour and a privilege to serve as a trustee of FACT. I am humbled every time I meet supporters, staff and service users. Cancer will touch the lives of all of us at some point and it is vital that there is someone to turn to when you need them most. So, our drive and our passion is to keep FACT strong and resilient and ensure that we can be there for everyone.

Stephen Cleland | Trustee

I am Deputy Director at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead with lead responsibility for finance, HR, building services, IT, retail and catering. Like most people I have been indirectly affected by cancer and therefore have first hand experience of the impact this can have on individuals and their families.

I was first introduced to Joanne and FACT by a colleague in late 2017 and was inspired by the work that she and the extended team of staff and volunteers carry out to support cancer sufferers, survivors and their families. I was delighted to be able to join the Board of Trustees and offer any assistance I can as they seek to continue this work and deliver the ambitious plans they have for the future to extend their facilities, support and activities to the people of Gateshead, the North East and beyond.

Alan Redman | Trustee

I am a Consultant Radiologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, and I specialise in breast imaging and assessment. I first became aware of FACT when, along with members of our Breast Unit team, I attended one of FACT’s fundraising functions.

As a Radiologist the majority of the time I spend with patients is at the point of diagnosis. Nonetheless, on both a professional and personal level I am well aware that diagnosis is only the beginning of a long and at times very difficult road for each and every patient. I am also well aware that many patients struggle to access services which could potentially significantly improve their journey; and this failure to access services can have devastating and far reaching consequences for the both the patient and their family and friends.

Hence I was delighted to discover that FACT exists both to coordinate the services available to cancer patients, and to help patients access these services more effectively.

I was also delighted when I was recently approached by Joanne Smith to become a Trustee of FACT. I am in awe of the energy, drive and enthusiasm demonstrated by Joanne and her colleagues, and I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to support them in their work. I have no doubt that Joanne and the team will continue to make a great success of FACT, and through this they will continue to enhance and improve the cancer journey for numerous patients and their families.

Christine Scholfield | Trustee

I have known Joanne for over 20 years and she is my oldest and closest friend. We have gone through so much together, throughout work, marriage, and having our children, and not so long ago her battle with breast cancer. She has always had such a positive and caring attitude towards everyone and everything in her life.

When she decided to set up the charity FACT, I couldn’t begin to realise how successful it would become, and became in such a short length of time. But along with Judith and Lesley, and all the FACT volunteers, it has grown into such a fantastic and worthwhile cause. FACT reaches out to everyone who has been affected by cancer, providing support and awareness to all who need it.

I have been a volunteer from the beginning and have enjoyed every minute of my journey with FACT so far. I am looking forward to being a part of such an inspirational organisation in the future too. FACT is already a huge success and I feel proud and honoured to be a part of the team as a Trustee.