Trustees
Warren Manger – Chair
Warren Manger and his wife Verity have been members of Little Hearts Matter since 2016. Their son Haydn was diagnosed with left atrial isomerism, hypoplastic left ventricle, and double outlet right ventricle (DORV) during pregnancy and underwent his first open heart surgery at 12-days-old.
Warren joined the LHM trust board to help raise awareness about the charity and CHD. He is an award-winning journalist with 15 years’ experience covering health news and features, including the Daily Mirror’s campaign to introduce an opt-out organ donor register.
David Baumber – Treasurer
David is a Chartered Accountant and Senior Finance Manager with E.ON having previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He brings financial skills to the charity in terms of accounting, budgeting, forecasting and cost management. David has a son, Matthew (born June 2002) who has Tricuspid Atresia (a right-sided single ventricle condition), a daughter Rachel, who has a healthy heart but has a genetic condition called achondroplasia (a form of dwarfism), and another son, Thomas. Matthew has had all three stages of surgery. He 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 but he is now learning to cope with his condition combined with the rigours of growing up.
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.
Kim Botham
Kim lives in Rotherham with her partner and dog. She was diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries, double outlet right ventricle, VSD and pulmonary stenosis at a few months old, undergoing her Glenn at the age of 3 and having a Fontan and then a pacemaker at 18. Kim has worked within education for over 10 years as a teacher, SENDCo and a member of the Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team. She is passionate about ensuring access to education for those with additional needs. LHM became particularly important to Kim during the coronavirus pandemic and she found the charity’s support invaluable during that time, especially as she lived alone.
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.
Sophie Green
Sophie was born in 1997 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She has been a member of Little Hearts Matter since she was born was part of the LHM Youth Council from 2008-2016. LHM has always been an important part of Sophie’s life, providing her with important knowledge growing up and allowing her to connect with others with Single Ventricle Heart Conditions as a source of comfort. Sophie is married and lives in Farnham, where she works full-time as a Primary School Teacher. As a Trustee, she hopes to help younger members with the struggles they may face growing up.
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.