Our People
Age UK Wandsworth is an independent, local charity governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association which exists to promote the quality of life of older people in the borough of Wandsworth.
We could not fulfil our role without our Board of Trustees, who have ultimate responsibility for the charity, ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of older people for which it has been set up.
Being a trustee is an unpaid but rewarding role, allowing individuals to bring their skills, knowledge and experience to the running of the charity.
Age UK Wandsworth Board of Trustees
Jenny Alexander – Co-Chair
Jenny is a director of a private property company, a qualified chartered accountant, treasurer of the Craft Potters Association and an avid ceramics collector and part time amateur ceramics maker.
"Age UK has been part of my life for most of the time since I first started as a volunteer befriender as a student. It's a charity close to my heart and I am honoured to be involved with a group of trustees who are dedicated to steering Age UK Wandsworth through sometimes troubled waters, and enabling it to provide the services older local residents require".
Lara Sonola – Co-Chair
Lara is a senior manager in the NHS, currently working as Chief of Staff in Transformation and Corporate Development at NHS England and NHS Improvement. Prior to joining the NHS, Lara was a senior researcher at The King's Fund focussing on integrated care and reconfiguring clinical services.
"I joined Age UK Wandsworth as a trustee at the start of 2017, on moving back to Wandsworth after a number of years in other parts of London. I grew up in the borough and wanted to contribute to improving the lives of older people in this community. I’ve really enjoyed meeting and getting to know our staff, volunteers and service users, and now as co-chair, I’m looking forward to building on the fantastic services our organisation has delivered for more than 50 years as we look ahead to an exciting future".
Philip Francis
Philip is a retired Chartered Accountant who was Finance Director of an Advertising Agency most of his working life.
"I have been Treasurer of Age UK Wandsworth for over 20 years. I have enjoyed working with excellent Chief Executives and most interesting Trustees. I believe that Age UK Wandsworth has provided excellent support to the older people of Wandsworth in that time. I play golf and tennis in my spare time and enjoy gardening".
Karrie Liu
Karrie Liu is a freelance data scientist from Tooting with 10+ years of work experience in NHS and pharm; she aspires to balance this with spending time on pro bono projects and charities.
"I hope to put my academic and analytical experience to wider use. Being a trustee with Age UK Wandsworth gives me a great opportunity to share my skills and develop them for future applications and also allows me to give back to the local community."
Richard Smuts
Richard retired from a global marketing role at BP. He lives in the borough of Wandsworth.
"When considering retirement, I was determined to use the opportunity to "give something back" in at least some small way to the community around me. I had thought for some time that our aging population was an urgent and growing need. I felt that my 30 odd years in marketing could help when I discovered that AUKW was seeking a Trustee to help shape, guide and deliver some existing and new marketing and fundraising activities".
Tracy Cherrington
Tracy has recently transitioned from a 38-year career in the Financial Services sector, where she held various executive roles, including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Director. Leveraging her extensive experience and her core strengths in leadership, governance, risk management, control, and operations, she has moved into trustee positions within the charity sector. Throughout her career, she actively engaged in leadership initiatives with a particular focus on Diversity and Inclusion, talent development, mentoring, and coaching. Her passion lies in empowering and supporting others to achieve their full potential and succeed. Tracy has lived in South West London for 18 years and is keen to use her experience to support local charities.
Age UK Wandsworth Senior Leadership Team
Natalie de Silva - Chief Executive
Charlotte Allen - Better at Home
Julie Walker- Day Centre
Shanshan Xu - Business
Vivien Yalcin - Information and Advice
Nick Grimshaw - Community Engagement