TRUSTEE biographies |
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Trustees
Chair
Michael Forbes Smith KHS
Michael is a former British soldier (1971-1978), diplomat (1978-2004; Ambassador to Tajikistan 2002-2004) and Director General of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2006-2012). During both overseas postings and at home, Michael has served in various ministries and offices in his local Roman Catholic parishes.
Honorary Secretary
Sister Helen McMahon FMM (Franciscan Missionaries of Mary)
A Franciscan Missionary of Mary since 1956, Sister Helen was a teacher in Catholic schools in deprived areas of London 1962-1978. She was in the Brentwood Diocesan team 1980-1986, Regional Superior for Scotland and the North of England 1986-1992, Official of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Vatican City, Rome 1992-2006 and Honorary Secretary of SFLG since 2006.
Liam Allmark
Liam is the senior policy and research analyst for international affairs at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. His role involves supporting the Bishops in their work on a range of global issues, including peacebuilding, promoting human rights, and supporting refugees. Liam travels regularly in support of the local Church overseas, including Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, Iraq, and Thailand.
Clare Barton
Clare is a solicitor who has worked both at a major City law firm and as an in-house lawyer. She has been a governor at her local Catholic school since 2013 and is Chair of the school’s Admissions Committee. She is active in her local parish, including as the parish’s CAFOD representative and MISSIO representative.
Dr Maggie Burgess RN PDTN (Distinction) MSc DSSc (Honoris Causa)
Maggie lectures on leprosy at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She holds a Diploma in Tropical nursing and based her MSc dissertation on her experiences living in a leprosy colony in Nepal. In 2008 she was awarded a DSSc from Brunel University. She is a trustee of a number of charities. Read more about Maggie, here
Dr Gosia Brykczyńska, RN/RSCN, European President of The International Association of Catholic Nurses (SICIAMS)
Gosia is a retired paediatric oncology nurse and nursing lecturer at the Royal College of Nursing Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies. She is the author of many textbooks and currently European President of The International Association of Catholic Nurses.
Very Reverend Father Michael Copps OFM
Spiritual Director
A member of the Friars Minor (OFM) since 1965, Michael was Guardian and Novice Master in the community in Chilworth, Surrey from 1981-1990. From 1990-1999 he was a parish priest in Nottingham and was guardian of the community from 1994-1997. He was parish priest in St Antony’s, Forest Gate 1999-2001 and then in the same role in St Francis, Stratford from 2002-2005. In 2005 Michael was elected Provincial of the Friars and served until 2014. After another period as parish priest in Stratford, Michael was elected Custos in 2018.
Professor Noel Gill - COVID-19 Taskforce, Public Health England
An infectious disease epidemiologist and honorary professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Noel worked at the National Infectious Disease Surveillance Centre for England (1980-2020), leading the HIV and STI team. He is currently assisting the COVID-19 emergency response.
Professor Robin Graham-Brown, BSc (Hons) MBBS FRCP FRCPCH - KC*HS.
Robin is a (mostly) retired consultant dermatologist at University Hospitals of Leicester and the Gibraltar Health Authority (1983-2018); Editor, British Journal of Dermatology (2000-2004); President, British Association of Dermatologists (2005-2006) and Dowling Club (2009-2010). Robin combined active clinical practice with research, teaching, authorship and clinical management at trust board level; he is active in his local parish and in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He is Chair of trustees of a hospice in the East Midlands.
Cecilia Taylor-Camara
Until 2020, Cecilia was senior policy adviser in the Office for Migration Policy at the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. She was the strategic lead and advisor on migration, racial justice and human trafficking. A significant part of her brief was to work on combating human trafficking and raising awareness of this crime. Her work also focused on tackling the root causes of social exclusion, particularly the stigmatisation of migrants. She represented and advocated on behalf of the CBCEW, with appropriate international institutions, government, parliamentary and local government departments and agencies.
Nalini Nathan
Nalini is General Secretary for the Conference of Religious in England and Wales. She previously worked for CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) for seven years in various roles. She plays an active role in social justice and is passionate about SFLG’s goal to end leprosy. She has an MA in Contemporary Ethics and is a trustee for another Catholic charity.
Chair
Michael Forbes Smith KHS
Michael is a former British soldier (1971-1978), diplomat (1978-2004; Ambassador to Tajikistan 2002-2004) and Director General of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (2006-2012). During both overseas postings and at home, Michael has served in various ministries and offices in his local Roman Catholic parishes.
Honorary Secretary
Sister Helen McMahon FMM (Franciscan Missionaries of Mary)
A Franciscan Missionary of Mary since 1956, Sister Helen was a teacher in Catholic schools in deprived areas of London 1962-1978. She was in the Brentwood Diocesan team 1980-1986, Regional Superior for Scotland and the North of England 1986-1992, Official of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Vatican City, Rome 1992-2006 and Honorary Secretary of SFLG since 2006.
Liam Allmark
Liam is the senior policy and research analyst for international affairs at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. His role involves supporting the Bishops in their work on a range of global issues, including peacebuilding, promoting human rights, and supporting refugees. Liam travels regularly in support of the local Church overseas, including Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, Iraq, and Thailand.
Clare Barton
Clare is a solicitor who has worked both at a major City law firm and as an in-house lawyer. She has been a governor at her local Catholic school since 2013 and is Chair of the school’s Admissions Committee. She is active in her local parish, including as the parish’s CAFOD representative and MISSIO representative.
Dr Maggie Burgess RN PDTN (Distinction) MSc DSSc (Honoris Causa)
Maggie lectures on leprosy at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She holds a Diploma in Tropical nursing and based her MSc dissertation on her experiences living in a leprosy colony in Nepal. In 2008 she was awarded a DSSc from Brunel University. She is a trustee of a number of charities. Read more about Maggie, here
Dr Gosia Brykczyńska, RN/RSCN, European President of The International Association of Catholic Nurses (SICIAMS)
Gosia is a retired paediatric oncology nurse and nursing lecturer at the Royal College of Nursing Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies. She is the author of many textbooks and currently European President of The International Association of Catholic Nurses.
Very Reverend Father Michael Copps OFM
Spiritual Director
A member of the Friars Minor (OFM) since 1965, Michael was Guardian and Novice Master in the community in Chilworth, Surrey from 1981-1990. From 1990-1999 he was a parish priest in Nottingham and was guardian of the community from 1994-1997. He was parish priest in St Antony’s, Forest Gate 1999-2001 and then in the same role in St Francis, Stratford from 2002-2005. In 2005 Michael was elected Provincial of the Friars and served until 2014. After another period as parish priest in Stratford, Michael was elected Custos in 2018.
Professor Noel Gill - COVID-19 Taskforce, Public Health England
An infectious disease epidemiologist and honorary professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Noel worked at the National Infectious Disease Surveillance Centre for England (1980-2020), leading the HIV and STI team. He is currently assisting the COVID-19 emergency response.
Professor Robin Graham-Brown, BSc (Hons) MBBS FRCP FRCPCH - KC*HS.
Robin is a (mostly) retired consultant dermatologist at University Hospitals of Leicester and the Gibraltar Health Authority (1983-2018); Editor, British Journal of Dermatology (2000-2004); President, British Association of Dermatologists (2005-2006) and Dowling Club (2009-2010). Robin combined active clinical practice with research, teaching, authorship and clinical management at trust board level; he is active in his local parish and in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He is Chair of trustees of a hospice in the East Midlands.
Cecilia Taylor-Camara
Until 2020, Cecilia was senior policy adviser in the Office for Migration Policy at the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. She was the strategic lead and advisor on migration, racial justice and human trafficking. A significant part of her brief was to work on combating human trafficking and raising awareness of this crime. Her work also focused on tackling the root causes of social exclusion, particularly the stigmatisation of migrants. She represented and advocated on behalf of the CBCEW, with appropriate international institutions, government, parliamentary and local government departments and agencies.
Nalini Nathan
Nalini is General Secretary for the Conference of Religious in England and Wales. She previously worked for CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) for seven years in various roles. She plays an active role in social justice and is passionate about SFLG’s goal to end leprosy. She has an MA in Contemporary Ethics and is a trustee for another Catholic charity.
