Who we are

Our staff and volunteers work hard to make sure that everyone affected by lymphoma in the UK has the best possible information, support, treatment and care. 

To achieve this, we work closely with our Trustees and our Medical Advisory Panel - chaired by Lymphoma Action President Professor John Radford, Director of Research, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.

Together we help people with lymphoma and their families by providing reliable information and the right support. We support doctors and nurses so that they can provide the best care possible to people with lymphoma. We raise awareness and make sure that lymphoma is not forgotten by government and policymakers. We support the thousands of fundraisers and volunteers who make our work possible.

Our Senior Management Team (SMT)

Ropinder Gill - Chief Executive

Jim Howson - Director of Finance

Deborah Laing - Director of Fundraising and Communications

Dallas Pounds - Director of Services

Our Trustees

Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison became Chair of Lymphoma Action's Board of Trustees in May 2022. His appointment followed ten years of work with the Charity, including four years as Vice Chair of the Board. Mark’s father was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma) in 2010, which brought him into contact with Lymphoma Action’s work. He is married to Sharron and they have two daughters and two sons. Mark is the Chair and CEO of a global customer experience consultancy, and prior to this spent 25 years working for a major energy company.

Dr Cathy Burton
Cathy is a Consultant Haematologist at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, specialising in lymphoma and diagnostics. From 2014-2018 she was Clinical Lead of the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS) in Leeds, providing diagnostic services for haematological diseases for a 4 million population. From 2018-2022, she was Clinical Director of the Oncology and Haematology Clinical Services Unit. Cathy is heavily engaged in translational research in lymphoma trials and is Chair of the Hodgkin lymphoma study group, Deputy Chair of the Lymphoma Science study group and member of the Lymphoma Research group. She has recently been involved in writing the British Society of Haematology DLBCL guidelines and is a member of the BSH Lymphoma Special Interest Group. She has recently become a Trustee for the British Society of Haematology. She is also an active participant in the Precision Medicine for Aggressive Lymphoma and Lunenberg Lymphoma Biomarker groups. These are national and international networks of diagnostic and therapeutic researchers working to develop molecular assays and prognostic markers alongside clinical trials in lymphoma. Cathy is currently Co-Clinical Lead for the National NHL Audit which will analyse diagnostic and treatment data and provide results to individual cancer services and hospitals as well as to the NHS at a national level. 

James Cray
James joined the Board of Trustees in June 2020 and brings over 23 years of HR experience, gained primarily in the motor manufacturing and oil and gas industries. James has held increasingly senior level, global leadership positions in the oil and gas industry over the past 14 years and is currently Global Vice President. James holds a degree in Management Sciences and French and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Having been diagnosed with peripheral T-Cell lymphoma in 2010 and following the recurrence of his condition in 2015, he understands first-hand what patients, their families and friends go through from a physical and mental perspective. Having been under the care of the amazing team at Southampton General Hospital on and off for the past decade, which has included countless rounds of chemotherapy and two stem-cell transplants, James is excited to be able to give something back to the lymphoma community, through his involvement with Lymphoma Action, for all of the incredible care, treatment, and support he has received.  

Chrissie Kirby 
Chrissie is a Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and she joined the Board of Trustees in July 2023. Chrissie became a Haematology CNS in 2018 and leads the service in Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. Since qualifying as a nurse in 2014, Chrissie has dedicated her career to cancer care. Chrissie became the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) cancer lead nurse for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2018 and has recently been appointed as designated TYA lead nurse for the Wessex region. As a Haematology CNS, Chrissie has developed a specialist interest in lymphoma and is the key worker for this group of patients. She runs nurse-led clinics and has a specific clinic for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients receiving treatment. Chrissie is passionate about improving care for people diagnosed with lymphoma.

Charlotte Locks-Moro                                                                                                                            Following the diagnosis of a close family member with lymphoma in 2023 Charlotte was keen to assist Lymphoma Action in making a difference to people living with the condition. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees in December 2023 and sits on the Finance and Risk Committee. Charlotte has worked in the charity and not-for-profit sector for nearly 20 years following a career in hospitality and banking. Beginning as a major events and corporate fundraiser, Charlotte moved into fundraising and business strategy after setting up her own consultancy, before moving into the hospice sector following COVID to work closer with her local community. She is currently Director of Fundraising, also working closely with the clinical team in the continued development of hospice services. Charlotte is married with two daughters and her whole extended family has become involved with the hospice fundraising.  

Shaf Mansour 
Shaf joined the Board of Trustees in 2021, bringing his experience and knowledge of technology and product development to help ensure Lymphoma Action can reach even more people who need our support. Shaf has over 10 years' experience working in the charity sector - he was Head of Digital Content and Communities at Barnardo’s and previous to that worked at Action for Blind People and Unicef. He also has experience on the front line at a local branch of Mind in east London where he supported children and vulnerable adults at police stations as an ‘Appropriate Adult’. Shaf's current role as a Senior Product Manager at The Access Group means he works with hundreds of charities of different sizes, across many causes. Shaf is also a Teaching Assistant for General Assembly's Product Management course and a Charity Comms mentor. Shaf has fundraised since a very young age when he completed the London to Brighton bike ride on a BMX aged eight! He has since completed three marathons and is contemplating a fourth. Shaf and his partner Alice live with their two young boys near the south coast.

Susan Daniels
Susan was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 and her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma almost exactly one year later. As patient and carer, Susan is committed to supporting other families and working towards better outcomes for all those affected by lymphoma. Susan is a pharmacist with more than 20 years’ experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries in both Canada and the UK. Currently serving as Vice President of Patient Engagement for a healthcare company, she is a passionate advocate for greater patient involvement in scientific research, medicines development and healthcare decision making. She regularly works with different charities, patient advocacy groups and organisations for a number of different healthcare conditions to develop and deliver programmes for patient and carer education.

Melanie Brittain
Melanie was appointed to the Board of Trustees as Treasurer in December 2024 and brings over 17 years of senior level financial experience. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants, she is keen to share her professional skills to support our work and as a way of thanking us for supporting her following her own diagnosis of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma in 2014. Melanie has also supported other people affected by lymphoma by volunteering with us. She feels it is so important that people are aware of the help and support we have available, so they know they are not alone as they go through treatment. Melanie lives with her cats and dog in Worcestershire and is often found walking in her local forest or Morris Dancing in various towns around the country!