Gavin Bestford - Chair of Trustees Expand Gavin Bestford is a retired Local Government Finance Officer and Accountant having worked for over 30 years for the City of Durham from where he retired in 2000 as Head of Financial Services and Deputy Director of Finance. He lives in Durham and is married with two children. His connections with the Society began in 1990 when his son, then aged 4 became a pupil at the Society’s school and from which he progressed through to a placement with our Adult Services. Gavin became a Trustee of the Society in 2002 and was appointed as its Chairman in 2005.
John Phillipson - Chief Executive Expand John Phillipson has been involved in social care and education since 1975. He has managed a very wide range of services having worked as an Assistant Director with Barnardos North East for several years before joining North Tyneside L.E.A. as Manager for S.E.N. John went on to be Head of Children’s Services and latterly Director of Social Services in North Tyneside. Since 2005 he has been Chief Executive at the North East Autism Society where services are being modernised and transformed to improve outcomes for children, young people and adults on the autism spectrum.
Donald Walker - Trustee Expand Born in Nakuru, Kenya in 1947 and after an exciting and adventurous childhood in Kenya, I came to the UK for further education spending four years in North Wales of which three years were on Anglesey at HMS Conway. The next 24 years were spent as a Deck Officer in the Merchant Navy of which the last ten years were as a Master Mariner with other external related appointments. I then joined Northumbria Police in a civilian capacity from which I retired early in 2009. I moved to South Tyneside in the late 1960s and married in 1975 and have one son. An early diagnosis of my son’s Autism led to him being refered to Thornhill Park School for his education in 1991 and the start of my involvement with the North East Autism Society, forming closer ties to the Society after being appointed a Trustee in 1995. I have had the pleasure over the years of seeing a first class autistic service both develop and expand and become widely recognised for its expertise and quality.
Jillian Crumbie - Trustee Expand Hello, I live in Durham. I studied at New College Durham acquiring a HND in Business and a Hon's Degree in Social Work. At present I am a full time carer for my son who has autism. I have three children and my middle son has attended the school, college and New Warlands Farm since 2003 as a day pupil. Even though I am always juggling my time I found I have gained a great deal by joining the organisation in 2005 as a Trustee of the Society. I believe it is important that the views of parents should be heard. Still to this day I feel privileged that I am part of such a fantastic organisation that is known throughout for its first class care. It has been wonderful to see at first hand how with the Society’s support our children, young people and adults have a wonderful future being in such caring and importantly enabling environment and how the Society continues to expand.
John O'Sullivan - Trustee Expand John is a member of the Family Law Bar Association and a barrister in private practice in Newcastle upon Tyne specialising in family and divorce law. He is a Londoner by birth but migrated to the North East in the 1980’s where he married and now has three children. His interests include walking, swimming, music, sport and literature.
Malcolm Bainbridge - Trustee Expand Malcolm retired in 2014 after 37 years with Barclays Bank where he worked since he was 18. He specialised in the business sector where he gained experience in corporate finance and looked after the banking relationships of north east businesses. Born and raised in the Sunderland area, he now lives in Durham and is married with two children. Malcolm has been a Trustee of the Society since July 2006.
Dr Rakesh Chopra OBE - Trustee Expand Rakesh is a GP in Ashington Northumberland where he has worked for the last 24 years. He is married with 2 children.His son is autistic and became a day pupil at Thornhill Park School at the age of five. He has now progressed through to a placement with adult services. Rakesh has taken on the role of Trustee in order to help the Society take forward its excellent work with children, young people and adults with autism as well as supporting their families.
Chris Dempster - Director of Education Expand After working 15 years for the NHS, Christine joined the Society in January 1990 as a Classroom Assistant. Christine played a lead role in developing post 19 provision within the Society. After spending several years as Deputy Head of Adult Services she became Principal of Thornbeck College in December 2006 and Director of Education in 2013. Christine finds working with individuals who have an Autism Spectrum Condition extremely rewarding. She is personally driven to deliver a range of services that enables every individual to achieve their full potential.
Brian Stoker - Head of Care Expand After serving five years in the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards Brian left the army in 1990 looking for a career which he would find both challenging and rewarding. He found this career at the North East Autism Society. Brian initially worked within Children Residential Services for five years before moving to be part of the development of Adult Services. After spending five years as a Residential Home Manager he moved to the role of Head of Adults Care Services. Brian believs the challenge remains to provide a person-centred approach in planning and providing flexible personalised services for people with Autism Spectrum Condition and their families. We achieve this by adapting services to meet the needs of the individual and through the development of a highly motivated staff team who have the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills to support individuals.