Asthma UK trustees

Jos Belgrave

With a background in marketing, communications and technology relating to health, Jos Belgrave has worked both as an entrepreneur and in global pharma. His key area of interest is how to empower people to take more control of their lives through the provision of information and services. 

Richard Coombs

Richard Coombs is a project manager for the film industry in Wales. After gaining the first-ever UK postgraduate research degree in Cartoon Studies, he trained in film production in Denmark, and subsequently became a manager of a Film Commission region.

His primary area of interest is the use of communications in developing a stronger base for Asthma UK to reach both people with asthma and also to develop links with other interested groups.

He has had severe asthma since childhood, with over 100 emergency admissions to hospital, despite good asthma management. Living in North Wales, he is also keen to develop better care and support for people with asthma who live in rural regions, where access to primary care is vital.

Richard has been a member of the UK Strategic Advisory Forum since 2001, and a member of Asthma Cymru Advisory Group since its inception.

June Coppel

June Coppel has spent 19 years at the Bank of England working in the areas of Overseas Intelligence, Banking Supervision, and Equal Opportunities. She is currently President of her university graduates' association in London, and has also undertaken voluntary work as a school governor, a fundraiser for Save the Children Fund and Chase the Children's Hospice at Christopher's, and is acting as a Chair and Trustee of Victim Support in Surrey. Both of June’s children have asthma and she is keen to support Asthma UK's endeavours to understand more about the causes of asthma and ultimately find a cure.

John Griffiths

John Griffiths has had a career focused mainly in the media and the arts, including being Deputy General Manager of the Press Association, and Chairman of the Minerva Arts Channel since 1989. He has also been heavily involved with the Liberal party, initially as the Chairman of the National League of Young Liberals and later as the President of the Liberal Party from 1982-83. He has written numerous books, particularly on Afghanistan.

Despite having had asthma since the age of seven, John has enjoyed being both a successful athlete and county squash player.

Barbara Herts

Initially trained as a teacher, Barbara Herts worked as a senior manager for 20 years in local education authorities and the Civil Service. Her areas of expertise are national policy, fundraising, organisational development and direct work with children, young people and families.

Barbara has had asthma for many years and knows what a difficult condition it can be to control. Her particular interests include the management and care of asthma in children. 

Wendy Nganasurian

Many years after qualifying as a nurse, Wendy completed the Diploma in Asthma Care, which made her appreciate what improvements were needed in asthma management within the NHS and the benefits these would bring to people with asthma.

Wendy, who has had asthma since she was a small child, serves on a number of national and local healthcare-related committees and advisory bodies in Scotland, is a member of Asthma UK Scotland’s Advisory Group and is also Chair of Asthma UK’s Challenge Fund Panel.

Professor John Price

John Price is Professor of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at King’s College London, and until recently, Clinical Director of Children’s Services at King’s College Hospital. He was educated at Dulwich College and St. John’s College Cambridge and after training in Oxford, at the Royal Brompton Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He was appointed a consultant at King’s College Hospital where he established a specialist unit for children with respiratory disease and cystic fibrosis. He has published extensively on respiratory disease in children and particularly on the management of asthma. As Chairman of the Specialist Advisory Committee for Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, he established training programmes for respiratory paediatricians in the UK. He has been paediatric editor of the European Respiratory Journal and Respiratory Medicine and is a past Chairman of the British Paediatric Respiratory Society.

John became a Trustee and Member of Council of Asthma UK in 1990, was a member of the Research Committee for four years and was elected Chairman of the Council of Trustees in 2003.

Helen Ralston

Helen Ralston has had a varied background in electronics/telecoms and charities, with over 20 years experience in finance, communications, mergers and acquisitions and strategy. After qualifying as an accountant in Glasgow she became a corporate treasurer and gained an MBA from Cranfield.

Formerly a senior manager in an international quoted company and chairman of its pension fund, she then transferred into the voluntary sector as Chief Executive of a major national fundraising charity. She is also a trustee of a charity involved in the resettlement of ex-offenders in London.

Helen is based in West Sussex and has close friends and a sister-in-law with asthma. She brings her expertise from the charity and commercial worlds to help Asthma UK grow effectively, whilst widening its network of stakeholders and support.

Jo Revill

Jo Revill is a journalist with the Observer newspaper. She writes extensively on healthcare and medical issues, as well as looking at other areas of public policy. In 2007 she wrote a book looking at the increase in allergic conditions across the world in recent years, and what individuals can do to protect themselves.

Jo is particularly interested in treatment for children, and why families often find it hard to obtain a proper diagnosis and explanation of the condition from healthcare professionals. She is keen to see asthma care move higher up the political agenda and be the subject of a proper NHS framework.

Rebecca Rosen

Rebecca Rosen is a GP in South East London with a long-standing interest in improving services for people with long-term conditions. She is also an accredited specialist in public health and has a background in health services research and health policy.

She is a senior associate of the King's Fund, and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

David Steeds

David Steeds is a Chartered Accountant currently working as a non-executive director of a number of public and private companies. He was previously Corporate Development Director of Serco Group plc and QinetiQ Group plc and Chief Executive of the Private Finance Panel.

David has had asthma since childhood. He was co-opted onto Asthma UK’s Council and Finance and Audit Committee in January 2007, where his main contribution has been his experience of corporate governance, commercial business and general finance. David has been Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee since July 2007.

Trisha Weller

Trisha Weller worked as a practice nurse for 14 years and has had extensive experience working with people (especially children) with asthma. She established a nurse-run asthma clinic within a general practice setting, and as an Asthma Trainer for the National Respiratory Training Centre (now Education for Health), she taught others about asthma both in the UK and abroad. She also maintained clinical expertise at a weekly paediatric respiratory clinic in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and was the asthma lead at the Education for Health (an educational charity) for nine years until her retirement in 2007.

Trisha is the co-author of the fourth edition of 'Asthma at your Fingertips' and has published extensively on asthma care for nursing journals. A Trustee with Asthma UK since 2002, she has a personal interest in asthma as she developed late onset asthma about 15 years ago. She is passionate about good asthma care, increasing asthma knowledge in others and raising expectations of care.