Hello, I am Linda, one of the newest Trustees, joining Sight for Wight just before Christmas. I have lived in Cowes with my husband Ian for almost 33 years, having moved here from West Yorkshire. Before retiring in 2012 I worked for the NHS for 22 years, initially as an auditor working on all aspects of healthcare, then as General Manager of Family Health Services and finally as Head of Counter Fraud and Compliance for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

I have volunteered for Cruse Bereavement Support for the last 7 years in the role of IOW Branch Secretary and Vice Chair. As a small branch of a larger charity, I am involved in all aspects of managing the charity, such as fundraising, recruitment and selection, monitoring the service, but I am not trained to give bereavement support.  I also volunteer for Mountbatten Hospice working on ad-hoc projects, including the annual Quality Account.

For relaxation I sing in a local choir and play the ukulele (badly!). I enjoy walking, especially in Switzerland but locally too, cooking, and I usually have a good book or two on the go. I have been in a small book club for over ten years, and it is such a great way to read books you might not have considered. We take it in turns to choose a book and host the review, usually every six weeks or so.

I have two, Dwarf Lop Eared rabbits named Chelsea Bun and Brooklyn who are my ‘babies’. They are five years old and real characters. They live in a summerhouse, where they have the run of it, and several times a day they have access to a patio, lawn, the greenhouse and lots of tunnels. They have 5 star accommodation and if you are wondering who is in charge, it’s not me!

My motivation for volunteering is to be able to make a difference.  So far, I know very little about the people, systems and procedures at Sight for Wight, but I am looking forward to learning more about the service we provide, meeting the people involved and volunteering for other jobs in addition to my Trustee responsibilities.