Meet the Team ​
Our team is dedicated to the mission of helping those in need in the Sturminster area. Get to know the people who make Age Concern North Dorset what it is. Our team is an unbelievable source of information and we are ready to share our events, and activities, for you to get involved.
Dianne Cooper
Chairman
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Dianne joined Age Concern in the Autumn of 2013. She has extensive knowledge of the voluntary sector having initiated the North Dorset Outreach for the Volunteer Centre. Prior to moving to Dorset, Dianne set up and ran the first volunteer scheme for the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, assisted in the creation of a friends of Kew organisation and as promotions executive for the friends, ran and promoted a large number of events for Kew and the friends organisation. Dianne was a Rotarian during her working life and when she moved to Dorset transferred from the Kew Gardens Rotary Club to Blandford Forum and became the first lady president of the club in 2005. In her retirement she enjoys walking her Jack Russell terrier, visiting gardens and gardening.
Derek Gwynne
Treasurer
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Derek joined Age Concern in 2015 and maintains the Charity's accounting records, as Treasurer. Derek is a Chartered Accountant who trained with KPMG in London, qualifying in 1979. He spent most of his career working in corporate lending with a US corporation, latterly as Finance Director. In his spare time, Derek enjoys being with his family, is a keen gardener and also enjoys fly fishing.
Tracy West
Operations Manager​
Tracy joined us in April 2024, and has many years experience in customer services and administration, she also enjoyed an award winning career in retail management. Tracy's outside interests include; spending time with her family and Parsons Jack Russell terrier, baking, gardening and local history.
Frances Pearce
Trustee
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Frances joined Age Concern North Dorset Board of Trustees in 2011 and is the project lead/coordinator for Befriending and Bereavement Support Services.
Frances worked in both the private and public sectors in a career spanning 40 years. As a senior local government manager/head of service she experienced the full range of challenges associated with strategic planning, financial management, project management, change management, people management and performance monitoring.
Richard Russell
Trustee
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Richard has significant experience in retail and technology sectors having previously held leadership positions at Primark, Kingfisher, M&S, Tesco and IBM; working with many of the largest retailers in Europe, US and Asia. Hobbies include Classic Cars and DIY.
Tom Haydon-Davies
Trustee
Tom is widely travelled and currently working at an educational publisher as Head of International Sales, he has previously worked for the Eden Project in Cornwall, and spent time in the NHS. Tom has worked for education-based charities and has been a foster carer.
Yvette Courtney
Trustee
Yvette joined Age Concern in 2024 having moved back to Dorset.
Setting up her own business, as well as facing the strategic and planning challenges which this presented, she also has a vast amount of experience in change management, individual personal development and mentoring top teams. Her clients have included the management consultancy Urwick Orr and Partners, Bristol and West Building Society, HSBC, NatWest, Zurich Insurance, Nationwide, Royal Dutch Shell and BP
Having been very active in sports she now enjoys playing Bridge, Mahjong and Puzzling.
She was chair of NAWCH helping to establish accommodation for parents who have children in hospitals. She was an active volunteer for Weldmar Hospice carrying out a variety of jobs from driving, visiting, flower arranging and reception work to creative therapy and bereavement support.
Diane Traves
Community Outreach Worker
Our newest staff member, Diane has always lived in Dorset, but has travelled to many places around the world. She has been involved with the Girl Guide movement for over 40 years, and fostered for Dorset County Council while living in Poole.
She moved to Sturminster Newton to work for Dorset Social Services, working with adults with physical disabilities and older people.
Diane loves to travel, spend time gardening, reading and crafting in her spare time.
Anna Rhys
Foot Care Practitioner
Anna has been a registered nurse since 1989, with a subsequent background in primary care and GP surgery settings. She qualified as a foot care specialist practitioner in 2016, and now offers her valuable experience at our weekly Thursday foot care clinics, dealing with general foot health, as well as a variety of foot related issues.
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Anna lives in Somerset with her husband and children.