Meet Our Trustees

The Charity’s Board of Trustees is chaired by Trustee, Anita Rose. They are legally responsible for the overall management and decision-making of The Sara Lee Trust and set the overall direction and monitor performance against our strategic aims.

All the Trustees are volunteers, giving their time and skills, free of charge. They meet regularly as a Board and attend other committee meetings and events during the year. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have a broad range of individuals, who between them bring a great many skills and experiences to The Sara Lee Trust. 

Michael Lear  |  Chair

"The work of our therapists, staff, volunteers and my fellow Trustees inspires me in leading the charity into the future, building upon the hard work and achievements of all those who have put their time, energy and commitment to such great effect since its establishment in 1996, in the memory of Sara Lee."

Email Michael

Mike Morton  |  Vice Chair

Mike has lived in Bexhill for 12 years, he is a retired Magistrate but still currently works part-time as a consultant to an American engineering company, for whom he worked full-time for many years,  managing their European properties.  Mike has been a Trustee since 2017 and is very pleased be able to continue to support The Sara Lee Trust working alongside the team to provide and maintain their local high street properties to provide a number of retail outlets for the charity in the area.

Marcus Baughurst

"Having previously volunteered for Charity Retail within The Sara Lee Trust, it’s clear to see how hard everyone across the organisation works to make a difference. Having worked across  DWP I see day to day how invaluable charity work is to society and specifically the work the Trust does for our community. I hope to utilise my experience within digital, leadership and well-being to support the Trust in continuing to deliver a great service. "

Annie Cryar

"As a local complementary therapist, Qigong and Yoga teacher I knew about the work of The Sara Lee Trust. When my sister, Joanne was diagnosed with cancer she took full advantage of the therapies, counselling and days of space and peace offered by the Trust. Even now, years after her death, words cannot express the depth of the level of the support she received, and what a difference it made to her life and to her death. Becoming a Trustee connects me to her, allows me to give a little something back and sends a message to all those people who have helped, from the person in the street who buys a raffle ticket to the therapists, founders, fund raisers and managers, that their work is truly and deeply significant and appreciated."

Debbie Hargreaves FCA   |  Treasurer

"Becoming a trustee of The Sara Lee Trust has been a rewarding challenge and my experience as an accountant has been put to great use within the Trust, which I will continue to do as long as the Trust requires me to do so."

Tim Lee

Tim is CEO at Mindful Chef, the UK’s leading healthy recipe box business, on a mission to make healthy eating easy. A creative and practical business leader with a passion for building businesses he has experience from start-ups to large PLC’s and the Charity sector. Prior to joining the founding team at Mindful Chef, he was responsible for digital and strategy within the food division at Marks & Spencer. Before this he spent 15 years at Tesco in senior food roles in commercial and marketing in the UK and overseas.
Tim is one of the founders of The Sara Lee Trust which was set up in memory of his sister. He also sits on the advisory panel for IntoUniversity, a leading educational charity that provides access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK.
He holds a 1st class degree in Marine sciences. When not working he loves to fly fish and this has taken him to some of the remotest parts of the world from Cosmoledo Atoll in the Indian Ocean to the rivers on the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Peter Matthews

"I formed the GRC Group in 1999, of which GBS Insurance Services ('GBS') is part of, after working for London Market Brokers, together with specialist Consultancy firms for over 15 years’.  This has given me a wealth of knowledge and helped me to provide specialist services to local and global insurance markets.  GBS have a lot of charity clients and this has given me valuable insight into how charities work.   I have a wide range of business contacts throughout East Sussex and becoming a trustee of The Sara Lee Trust, I hope to add value in my area of expertise and to continue the valuable work The Sara Lee Trust is doing in the local community."

Mary Midgley

"I have lived in Rother for the last 20+ years. After taking a degree in law, I worked as an Insolvency Specialist before taking a 'career break' to bring up the children and run our small holding. I have more recently run a property management company and currently a lettings agent. My interest include gardening and walking. The Sara Lee Trust  is a charity close to our family's heart and I hope to add my knowledge to the team to assist where I can."   

Sue Morton

"I have been associated with The Sara Lee Trust since 2017 when I volunteered as Secretary to the Board of Trustees to take the minutes of the bi-monthly meetings and annual AGM.  Although as secretary I had no voting rights, I did become involved with the Project Board in 2022-23 during the construction of the new Hallspace in Sidley.  I was made an Honorary Trustee earlier this year and am now pleased to have been invited to the Board as a full Trustee."

Stephen Robinson

Stephen joined Buckinghamshire Mind as Director of Services (Deputy CEO) in May 2022.  Stephen has worked for over 30 years in the health and social care field in both the voluntary and private sector, supporting mental health service developments from community based services to psychiatric hospitals. Stephen has a psychology background and trained as a psychodynamic counsellor, which has been a foundation to his drive to support services that reach out to people recovering from health issues.

Anita Rose

"I was appointed in January 2023 having served as a Trustee and been a member of the Service User Group. I experienced first hand the difference the Trust makes to the lives of those affected by cancer and other life threatening conditions.  It is the amazing work of the therapists, staff and volunteers and this inspires me to leading the Charity forward into the future.   As we all work together building upon the determination, hard work  and achievements of the Trust since it was established in 1996, in the memory of Sara Lee,  we strive to ensure all those affected by cancer and life threatening conditions in Hastings and Rother have free and easy access to our services and support.  In the words of Sara Lee, we strive to support our service users, 'To live life to the full, in spite of the cancer within'."

Connor Winter

"As a lifelong resident of Rother, I am proud to serve my community through elected positions on both Rother District Council and Bexhill Town Council. My deep-rooted commitment to local life is also reflected in my extensive charitable work, particularly with adults with special needs. I volunteer three times a week at a local special needs club, supporting inclusive activities and meaningful social engagement.
I currently serve as Chairman of a local not-for-profit community group, where I help organise events and initiatives that encourage connection and improve wellbeing across the area.
Professionally, I bring a wealth of experience in property lettings, building maintenance, and contract management—sectors where I thrive on problem-solving and delivering quality outcomes.
I’m excited to join the Board of The Sara Lee Trust and look forward to contributing my community insight and charitable experience to support the Trust’s important work."

Become a Trustee

We are always looking for confident friendly people willing to support the aims and values of the Trust with good communication and interpersonal skills. Any skills are appreciated, although we are keen to hear from people with either a medical or therapy background, experience in retail, fundraising or the charitable sector. 

If you would like to join our team, please email Dan Redsull, Chief Executive, [email protected]. 

Other ways you can support us