The Team
Paul Dowding – Trustee & Chairman
Paul has 3 sons (mid-teens and early twenties) and lives in Somerset with his wife. Paul brings 25 years of business experience and for the past 12 years has been running his own successful Leadership and Management Development business. Before this Paul worked for one of the UK’s largest direct marketing agencies for 7 years as Client Services Director.
Paul founded Alive & Well in December 2008. Along with a clear vision of the shape, structure and life saving work of the charity, Paul brings entrepreneurial drive and energy with which to steer it. Paul is committed to direct action to relieve suffering.
Jonathan Sugden – Trustee & Secretary
Jon was a founding partner and Managing Director of one of Worcestershire’s largest and most successful independent property management companies, established over 20 years ago. Over the last 30 years he has travelled extensively across Europe, parts of Africa, Asia and the sub continent of India by motorcycle and has witnessed much poverty, deprivation and need in many of those areas.
He is now committed to making a difference, to physically helping at least some of those who do not have the basic essentials of life and who are not able to help themselves. Jon has been with his wife Cindy, a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, for 35 years.
Will Hancock – Trustee
Will lives in Somerset with wife of 36 years, Cathy. They have three children ranging in age from 20 to 28 years. Will is International Head of Operations for a major global industrial machinery auction company. He has 30 years experience in the auction business, with considerable experience of conducting the business of buying, selling and transporting machinery and equipment throughout many diverse areas of the world.
Will is keen to make a difference for people in need. He believes that the goals of Alive & Well are both attainable and life changing for the recipients as well as those working on the project.
Kim Findlay – Trustee (Sept 1960-2023)
We are sad to report the loss of our wonderful friend and one of our founding Trustees, Kim, on the 22nd June 2023 after a brave three and a half year battle with cancer. He was married to Sarah and had two children Holly 26 and Fred 24. We leave his brief biography to remember him and the amazing work he did for this charity.
Kim had a varied career initially as a journalist and commercial film producer and more recently as a Business Development Consultant and Sales Director. His extensive business and project management skills bought an enthusiasm for getting stuck in and making things happen. Kim helped run another local charity for 7 years and has served as a Parish Councillor. In 2008 Kim raised £5,000 for various charities by travelling across India on an old Enfield motorbike. He even managed not to fall off much.
Kim said that “helping set up Alive & Well and establishing our programme in Sierra Leone has been one of the most daunting but rewarding challenges of my life”.
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Barnaby Elphick – Trustee & Secretary (1954-2019)
We tragically lost our dear friend and fellow trustee in 2019. Barnaby lived outside of Bath with his family. Educated to post graduate level, Barnaby started off as a teacher and spent the majority of his career in the learning and skills sector, working at senior management level for both regional and national organisations. He ran his own business providing consultancy services in both the private and the public sector.
Barnaby worked successfully in a voluntary capacity for a number of charities and was committed to taking the work of Alive & Well forward to make a significant positive difference to people’s lives.
Sadly we lost our friend and fellow trustee in 2019, he is much missed. We leave this brief biography to his memory and in tribute to everything he contributed to our cause.