Nick Maskell

Nick Maskell is a Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University of Bristol  (UoB) and Honorary Consultant Chest Physician at North Bristol NHS Trust. He was appointed as a consultant there in 2004. He leads the pleural service at Southmead hospital and is the head of the Academic Respiratory Unit at UoB. 

He has a major interest in mesothelioma, running a tertiary mesothelioma clinic and chairing the weekly regional mesothelioma MDT. He chaired the current BTS mesothelioma guideline group and was on the committee for the ERS mesothelioma guidelines. He is also a co-chair of the forthcoming BTS pleural disease guidelines (2021) and is an advised to the NPSA on pleural safety matters related to pleural interventions. 

He has been the senior author in large published randomised controlled trials in mesothelioma that have led to changes in practice. He also is a co-founder of the Avon Mesothelioma Foundation (AMF), a local charity supporting mesothelioma research and patient care. 

Helen Childs

Helen is a partner at the law firm RWK Goodman where she heads up the team of specialist Industrial Disease solicitors. Helen and her team are dedicated to representing individuals affected by asbestos-related illnesses, and Helen is an APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) accredited specialist in this area.

Helen has represented the claimant in several recently reported decisions which have clarified and advanced the law with regard to those affected by mesothelioma.

Helen is honoured to be able to help support Mesothelioma UK as one of its trustees.

Alida Coates

Alida is a solicitor with Irwin Mitchell LLP, specialising in asbestos related diseases claims. She has over 20 years’ experience helping those diagnosed with mesothelioma (and other asbestos illnesses) gain access to compensation and is considered an expert in this area with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by her clients. Alida has been a Trustee of Mesothelioma UK since 2009.

Dawn Mckinley

Dawn is the Senior Executive Officer for British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) and before becoming a Trustee, provided Mesothelioma UK with operational management services. Her role with BTOG is to provide inspiring and innovative management and play a key role in the development of BTOG in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and Steering Committee and overall management of all BTOG projects and activities.  Her earlier professional background included marketing, PA roles and VAT accountancy. Prior to BTOG, Dawn worked in Australia as a VAT Consultant 

Melanie Waters

Melanie Waters is the Chief Executive of Help for Heroes, a charity that helps wounded veterans and their families recover and get on with their lives. Prior to joining Help for Heroes, Melanie was Chief Executive of The Poppy Factory, an independent employment charity which puts the recovery and employment of disabled veterans and their families at its heart. Both are driven by Melanie’s strong personal interest in disability which comes from lived experience within her family. Melanie was awarded the OBE in 2017 for services to the Armed Forces.

In her earlier career, Melanie held significant roles in the commercial sector, leading the external affairs,business improvement and operations for companies such as the Automobile Association (The AA) and FTSE 250 Unite Students. Having graduated in law from Manchester University, Melanie joined The AA and quickly became one of the first female patrol managers. She attained her MBA in 2005.

In non-executive roles, Melanie is an executive member of Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities) and is on the governing body of Women in Defence.

Melanie also mentors apprentices of The Guild of Mercer Scholars and has recently become a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers supporting their philanthropic aims and educational purpose.

Once a keen athlete, Melanie’s interests now are pilates, running and cycling; she completed her first Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride in 2017 and has cycled the 350 miles each year since.

Melanie’s father was a carpenter and worked in shipyards and on building sites for all of his working life. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013 and passed away in 2014. Melanie’s personal experience of supporting her father through his illness with the assistance of a specialist nurse was the driving force behind Melanie’s trusteeship at Mesothelioma UK.

Kevin Blyth

Kevin is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Glasgow and has a wealth of experience and knowledge of mesothelioma treatment and research and will make a fantastic addition to the board.

Kevin is a group leader at the CRUK Beatson Institute and leads the Glasgow Pleural Disease Unit based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. He founded and is Director of the Macmillan Scottish Mesothelioma Network, which coordinates clinical care and trials for mesothelioma patients in Scotland. He is an NHS Scotland Research (NRS) Senior Research Fellow and leads a translational research programme focused on pleural disease, and in particular, mesothelioma.

He was Chief Investigator of the DIAPHRAGM study, which was the largest prospective biomarker study ever performed in mesothelioma. He is also Chief Investigator of the PREDICT-Meso (Pre-malignant drivers combined with target-drug validation in mesothelioma) International Accelerator Network which brings together expert centres from the UK, Spain, Italy, Belgium, US and Canada to deliver five integrated work-packages, generate new knowledge, new pre-clinical and clinical tools and ultimately new therapies ready for human trials.

Kevin has recently been elected Chair of the European Respiratory Society Pleural Malignancy Group and has excellent clinical and translational research links.

In addition to his years of experience, Kevin already has a well established and productive working relationship with Mesothelioma UK and will be an asset to the board, helping the charity to reach its goals of improving treatment and care for mesothelioma patients.

Lorraine Creech

Lorraine is a retired nurse after working for 47 years in the NHS. Her senior appointments prior to retirement were Macmillan Lung Cancer Lead Clinician at East Cheshire NHS Trust and Head of Nursing at Mesothelioma UK. She has a Masters in the Medical Ethics of Cancer and Palliative Care, and MSc level qualifications in clinical examination and diagnostics. She has also undertaken the National Cancer Leadership Programme.

Lorraine was the first nurse member of the British Thoracic Society Lung Cancer Working Party, the Lead Mesothelioma Nurse for the Greater Manchester Cancer Network and received the first lifetime achievement award from Lung Cancer Nursing UK in 2016.

Simon Purves

Simon qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1982, was a Director in HSBC Investment Bank and Chief Financial Officer of Eversholt Rail Group. Following the death from Mesothelioma of a very close friend in 2014, he has been involved in fundraising activities for Mesothelioma UK and is now delighted to be able also to bring his business management experience to the service of the charity.