About the tab | CLDF office team

CLDF office team

Catherine Arkley | Chief Executive | Click here to send an email

A business studies graduate, Catherine built a successful career lecturing in hotel and catering management before being appointed Chief Executive of CLDF in 1991.  She has since developed CLDF from a small children’s charity into a national organisation supporting families and clinicians and has become a respected authority on paediatric liver disease and the wide range of issues affecting families and young people with liver disease.  Catherine is also a lay representative on a NICE Guideline Review Panel.  In her spare time Catherine enjoys spending time with husband Ken and children David, Jessica and Philip, swimming in an attempt to keep fit, playing the piano and cake decorating.  She has a lapsed private pilot’s licence which she hopes one day to renew.  

Emma Dempsey | PA to the Chief Executive | Click here to send an email

Having worked as a PA and subsequently trained as a nurse, Emma took time out from working to raise her three children.  Emma has a son with biliary atresia.  Emma started working as a volunteer at CLDF before joining the CLDF team as a part-time PA to the CEO.  When not at work, Emma finds she spends most of her time running around after her children, aged 7, 5 and 3 years old, leaving little time to pursue much else!

Laura Meehan | Young Persons Officer | Click here to send an email

After gaining a BA Hons degree in Education & Sports Studies at Worcester University in 2003, Laura worked at Staffordshire County Council as a trainee youth work practitioner.   Laura also attended Derby University during this time and gained a JNC National Youth and Community Diploma in June 2006.  Laura joined the CLDF team in February 2008 to work with young people who have a liver condition or have had a transplant. In Laura’s spare time she enjoys exercise, the great outdoors, interior design and house renovation, going to the theatre and spending time with family and friends. Laura has been to Ethiopia 3 times and is passionate about global issues.

Fundraising and Communications Team

John Orchard | Communications Officer | Click here to send him an email

After studying Human Geography at The University of Leicester I joined the Fundraising and Marketing directorate at Cancer Research UK where I trained in copywriting, producing fundraising and marketing materials and engaging with supporters. From there I enjoyed working for NHS Blood and Transplant in their Corporate Communications department tackling the issues of blood and organ donation. This involved a move from London to Birmingham which was where I joined Children’s Liver Disease Foundation. I works hard to raise awareness within the public that children get liver disease and that CLDF is there to help. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, skiing and American Football, playing for the Birmingham Bulls. Enjoying almost all music, I plays the drums, piano and can just about sing.

Rachel Murphy | Fundraising and Communications Administrator | Click here to send her an email

After graduating from the University of Leeds in 2008 with a BA in English and German, I went to work for the charities Mencap and Incontrol as an administrator in the Learning and Development team.  After this, I left to travel independently for six months on a round the world ticket, spending most of this time in South America. I joined CLDF in April 2010 to work as a fundraising and communications administrator. My role involves handling fundraising enquiries and providing administrative support. In my spare time I enjoy travelling, learning languages and socialising with friends.

Mairead Ritchie | Press Officer | Click here to send her an email

Mairead joined CLDF as part time press officer after building up extensive public relations experience across a wide range of organisations, both in a freelance capacity and with two leading Midlands PR consultancies. She holds both the Certificate in Communication Studies and Diploma in Public Relations from the CAM (Communications Advertising and Marketing) Foundation and is now working with the team to raise CLDF’s profile across a range of media.

Outside work, Mairead is kept very busy running around after her three young children. When she does have spare time she loves socialising with friends and keeps herself sane with yoga, music, gardening and exploring different parts of the country with the family.

Finance Team

Gill Baylis | Finance Manager | Click here to send an email

Despite graduating from Hull University with an English degree and an early ambition to teach, Gill capitalised on her head for figures by joining a large accountancy practice as an articled clerk and soon qualified as a chartered accountant. After a career break to bring up her three children, Steven, David and Nicola, Gill became the financial controller of a healthcare company where she stayed for 11 years prior to joining CLDF.  Gill is responsible for processing invoices and expense payments, payroll, the production of management accounts and budgets, preparing year-end figures and analysing income and expenditure levels. Gill and her family are all involved with their local church and Gill enjoys playing badminton to keep fit. 

Jeanette Stewart | Finance Clerk | Click here to send an email

Administration Team

Judith Chappin | Office Manager | Click here to send an email

Before joining CLDF as Administration Executive in January 2008, Judith worked as Office Manager on a construction site in Ancoats, Manchester. Since graduating from The University of Manchester, Judith has also spent time working in Newcastle and Sydney.  Judith helps to manage and deliver the administrative activities within CLDF and has particular responsibility for the administrative elements of study days, regional evenings and the annual conference .  In her spare time Judith enjoys attending concerts, travelling, reading and socialising with friends.

Consultants

Jill Priest | Professional Communication | Provides communications and marketing consultancy. Click here to send an email.

Wootton George Consulting Professional Communication | Provides fundraising consultancy. Click here for more information.

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