Trustees up for election or re-election March 2024

Here is the list of our Board of Trustees that are up for election in light of the Annual LHM Open Day and AGM on the 23rd of March 2024.

Isabel Baumber

Isabel (who is married to David, the Treasurer) has a son, Matthew (born in 2002) who has Tricuspid Atresia (a right-sided single ventricle condition), a daughter Rachel, who has a healthy heart, but who has a genetic condition called achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism), and another son, Thomas.

Matthew was very ill as a baby, with breathing difficulties caused by a paralysed diaphragm which needed additional surgery, together with feeding problems meaning that he was tube-fed until he was nine months old. He also had a difficult time in hospital for his Fontan. He has now left school and is doing an engineering apprenticeship.

Isabel was an Export Marketing Research Adviser for the British Chambers of Commerce, having previously managed Rover Group’s marketing in Latin America, then elements of Rover’s global communication strategy. As a result, Isabel can provide skills in marketing and communications, market research and support for small businesses. She currently works in a school.

Laura Durkin

Laura is a professional fundraising consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors, having started her career in publishing at BBC Studios and then the Hachette Livre group. She has previously held senior roles at Save the Children, Camfed and the Natural History Museum, and over the past four years’ consulting has delivered strategic projects and services for clients including UNICEF and the RSPB, acting in leadership roles in-house, brokering significant new partnerships and writing strategy. She brings her skills to the LHM family with a view to helping support fundraising efforts to grow services.

Laura enjoys living in a rural village with her husband, Simon, spending time with her stepdaughter Cerys, who has HLHS, and being human mum to cockapoo, Lottie. They all love to travel and get out and about in nature.

Julie Lube

Julie lives in West Sussex with her husband, Ian and her children, Fintan and Imogen (who is 6).

Fintan was diagnosed with Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum (PAIVS) in utero at his 20 week scan. He has had a series of surgeries resulting in the final Fontan procedure in 2014.

Julie has practiced as a solicitor since 2004, both in private practice and in house. She is currently the Head of Legal & Company Secretary at Motability Operations Limited, where she has worked for 16 years.

Julie enjoys spending time with her family with favourite pastimes being walks and cycling together and attempting to surf in both Cornwall and Ireland.  She also sings in a choir.

Hannah Palmer

Hannah is 29 years old and is studying for a Forensic Psychology Degree. She was born with half a heart in 1994 and has been a member of Little Hearts Matter, along with her family, for 20 years. Being a Trustee and learning more about how the Board cares for all the members has been a wonderful experience since coming onto the Board in 2014, and then again in 2021. Her previous experience as a Youth Councillor with LHM also helped her to learn more about what our younger members want from the Charity.

Hannah continues to work with Suzie and Lexie to help develop the services for adults with a single ventricle heart condition. This is work she hopes to continue expanding on, along with the new Adult Council, and the other Trustees to help support other services that have become important to our members.

Vikki King

Vikki is married to Tom, they have 5 children. Their third child, Isabel was born in May 2012 with HLHS; unfortunately she passed away in June 2012 aged 37 days.

Consequently, they have been members of LHM since 2012.

Vikki trained as a Social Worker and practiced for close to 20 years. She worked throughout adult and children’s services in both Canada and the UK. She spent most of her career working with disabled and medically complex children and adults, Fostering and Safeguarding.

Vikki is passionate about ensuring that individuals meet their full potential regardless of disability. Having developed a neurological condition in 2021 that has prevented her from working. She looks forward to seeing how her passion and experience not only as a social worker, but also as a bereaved parent and a disabled individual can be utilised by LHM.