Meet Our Trustees
The ED Society is guided by a dedicated Board of Trustees who volunteer their time to ensure our mission becomes a reality. Meeting twice a year, our Trustees work diligently to keep the ED Society progressing and thriving.
Our Trustees ensure that all our efforts, including financial management and policy development, comply with Charity Commission regulations. They also offer valuable advice and support to our team in the ED office as needed.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, please contact us info@edsociety.co.uk
Paul Collacott
Chairman
Paul is retired after working in the civil service for 41½ years. He has extensive experience in managerial, development and personnel management.
One of his godsons is affected by Ectodermal Dysplasia and he first became involved with ED when he helped Diana in the transition from Support Group to becoming a Charity in 2001. He was Chairman for the first year and took over the position again in 2011.
Paul is married to Sarah and has 3 grown-up children and two cats. In his spare time Paul does lots of musical things and enjoys the odd crossword.
Stuart Atkiss
Trustee / Fundraising Co-ordinator
Stuart lives in Dudley and has a son affected by Ectodermal Dysplasia.
He has done great work helping to support the Society over the years and raise much needed funds, by completing the London Marathon twice.
Stuart is a keen runner and cyclist.
Alan Waller
Treasurer
Alan is an accountant who lives in Cheltenham with his wife, 3 children and 2 dogs.
He brings a wide range of accounting experience to the Society and has all the archetypal attributes of an accountant, claiming that the finer points of bookkeeping can be interesting.
Stephen Ayland
Trustee
Stephen brings a wealth of educational experience with him, having worked in the primary school sector throughout his teaching career.
He is now retired from being Head Teacher of a junior school. He is married to Sally and they have 2 grown-up children and 2 grand-daughters.
Stephen enjoys singing, walking and gardening.
Elaine Aylward
Trustee / Irish Representation
Elaine lives in Ireland and has 3 boys, one affected by Ectodermal Dysplasia.
She has been a on the board of trustees for the Society for many years and has become the family contact to support our ED community throughout Ireland.
Sharon Cooper
Trustee
Sharon’s first involvement with the ED Society began when her daughter was diagnosed with Ectodermal Dysplasia, and she has been a trustee since 2012.
Sharon is the Chief Digital Officer for The Economist Intelligence Unit. She has a long background in publishing and technology, with much of her recent career involved in digital transformation.
She lives near Oxford, and outside of work Sharon is a school governor and a keen baker.
Scott Gallacher
Trustee
Scott Gallacher lives in Leicester and is an award winning Chartered Financial Planner, personal finance expert and director of Rowley Turton (IFA) Ltd.
He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Leicester. Scott is engaged to Eileen and they have 2 children, Ryan and Daniel, who both have X-linked Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia.
Simon Lees-Jones
Trustee
Simon was born in 1966 with a cleft lip and palate, and grew up with all the problems associated with Ectodermal Dysplasia. He did not know anything about the condition until his second daughter was born. He is married with 2 daughters and is a Chartered Surveyor working for his family brewery and pub company in Manchester.
Andy Ponting
Trustee
Andy lives in Cheltenham and is married with 4 children and 3 grand-children. He is a retired Sales Director of an Electronic Company formerly selling into the aerospace industry.
Andy is a former treasurer of the ED Society during its early years, and returned to the Trustee Board in 2017. He is also a Trustee of the YMCA in Cheltenham and a Parish Councillor.
His hobbies include golf, more golf and still more golf.
Martin Williams
Trustee
Nephew to Diana Perry, Founder of the ED Society, Martin has seen the effects of ED first-hand. He is very passionate about assisting the ED Society in helping members.
After spending 20 years working as a Financial Advisor, in 2020, he decided to leave it all behind and pursue a career as an artist.
Martin lives in London and enjoys spending lots of time with his young son. He loves to follow his creative ambitions.
Nick Briggs
Trustee
Nick lives in London with his partner Jess and 4 children. He became involved with the ED Society in 2015 when his son Thomas, was diagnosed with Ectodermal Dysplasia.
Nick has worked in Investment Banking around the globe for over 25 years.
Outside of work, Nick is an avid Football fan and loves spending time with his family.
Lissa Pelham
Trustee
Lissa has been working in and out of the charitable sector since 1996, and is currently on Oxfam’s humanitarian response team.
She has spent over 15 years working to help people in low income countries access welfare support from governments and communities.
Lissa is mother to two ebullient young children – her son was clinically diagnosed with ED last year and she wanted to join the trustees after the support the Society gave her.
She dreams of having spare time.
Chantelle Epton
Trustee
My name is Chantelle and I live in the South Yorkshire area. I first came across the ED Society back in 2017 as my son was suspected of having Ectodermal Dysplasia. Since then, I have tried to raise funds to support the ED Society. As a job, I work for a very successful fashion retailer who has also supported the ED Society.
Outside of work, Chantelle likes to crochet and make little teddies and blankets, some of which she has raffled to fundraise for the Society.