Our Team

I am delighted to have entered my fourth year as the CEO of this amazing charity, Heartbeat, a role that I have embraced with humility and empathy, since I took over from my predecessor, John Munro, early in 2023.

I spent nearly 25 years running hotels for large corporate chains, their owners and management companies, mainly with Holiday Inn for 15 years, culminating in the leadership of the then-Holiday Inn London Mayfair for five years, prior to the Covid pandemic. At the end of 2022, I was approached to take over as CEO of Heartbeat, something I had always been keen to do at some point in my career.

Having a congenital heart patient, Alexander (Alex), as a son gave my family (wife and daughter, Susie, and Holly respectively) and I great insight into the incredible work that the Wessex Cardiac Unit at University Hospital Southampton, do and generated in us a desire to fundraise. Annually, over some 20 years - covid pandemic aside - we have held a charity event in aid of (Wessex) Heartbeat and raised over £150,000 to help fund projects and purchase cardiac equipment for the hospital. Alex is now 27, and despite undergoing four bouts of major open-heart surgery amongst other things, graduated at Winchester University as a Physiotherapist, and is now working as a senior Physio in a private practice in New Milton, ‘Limitless Physio’, as well as being a talented sportsman. Our daughter, who has had to endure much trauma herself due to Alex's suffering, is a well-respected Human Resources Manager who became a mother for the first time during 2025 - we are very proud of both.

The passionate and dedicated team at Heartbeat, and I, continue to build on the great work that our predecessors have done over many years and raising this charity’s profile even more to ensure we maintain the levels of funding required to run Rotary Heartbeat House and support the work of the renowned Wessex Cardiac Unit, which helps save and change the lives so many cardiac patients of all ages, across the Wessex region and beyond.

With heartfelt thanks for your continued support.

Nicola joined the charity in 2015 as a qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial management. Started her career in Practice she gained a wealth of experience in accounting and audit before moving into industry and now specialising in the charity sector. Nicola has an eye for detail and accuracy which she uses to strengthen and fortify the Heartbeat accounts department.

Tina is our longest standing member of the team joining us in 2000! Over the years she has been with the charity she has built a network of local and regional contacts. She is known for staging events such as golf days, balls, cycle sportives, quiz nights and more recently in 2023 brought back the “The from the Heart” series of shows.
Tina is currently heavily involved in the plans for the exciting major refurbishment of Rotary Heartbeat House.
Tina continues to be an incredible asset to the team with her knowledge and devotion to her role and enjoys overseeing the rest of the team and the running of operations.

In her spare time, she is an active member of the New Forest Rotary Club, in recent years taking on the role of president, keeps herself fit by practising Pilates and walking her Old English Sheep Dog.

Tanya recently joined in May 2023 with over nine years' worth of volunteering and fundraising experience. Stepping into her role as Community Fundraising and Marketing Manager, she has really hit the ground running with events and building relationships in the community due to her bubbly personality. Tanya continues to grow these, while promoting the extraordinary pioneering projects that we support and fund, while hosting many events ranging from Quiz and bingo nights, to Drag Queen and Hypnotist evenings.
With Tanya bringing incredible and exciting new ideas to the table, keep your eyes peeled on our community section.

Living with a pacemaker for the past 14 years, this has provided her with first-hand knowledge of how important the projects and appeals that Heartbeat fund, are to all cardiac patients and their relatives. This is what drives her passion and motivation to do her role.

If you would like to become a volunteer, fundraise for us or would like to host a fundraiser, then get in touch with Tanya today!

I’m delighted to be part of Heartbeat, a charity that plays such a vital role in supporting cardiac care across our communities. I’m passionate about making a genuine difference locally and feel incredibly proud to represent Heartbeat throughout Dorset and Guernsey.

I’ve always been driven by the importance of health and wellbeing and the impact strong communities can have in supporting one another. Over the years, I’ve built great connections across Dorset through a variety of community groups, clubs, and local networks, and I’m excited to bring people together to support Heartbeat’s life-saving work.

As Fundraiser for Dorset and Guernsey, my focus is on raising awareness of Heartbeat, building meaningful partnerships, and encouraging individuals, organisations, and businesses to get involved in fundraising that truly changes lives. Whether through community events, corporate partnerships, or grassroots initiatives, I enjoy working alongside supporters who share our commitment to helping families when they need it most.
Being part of Heartbeat means being part of something bigger — offering hope, care, and support to those facing cardiac challenges — and I feel very privileged to play a role in that mission.

Matthew joined the Heartbeat team in December 2025. Whilst he is new to the team, he is certainly not new to the charity.

Matthew was born with congenital heart disease and throughout his life has had 13 open heart surgeries at the Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General. Having had so many surgeries he has used many of the facilities that have been funded by Heartbeat including ‘Ocean Ward’ (the paediatric cardiac unit) and the Young Adult Cardiac Unit. Matthews family have also stayed at Heartbeat House numerous times whilst he was undergoing treatment at the cardiac centre.

It was the facilities on Ocean Ward that piqued Matthews interest and he asked who was responsible for funding them and was introduced to Heartbeat. From that point onwards he vowed to raise as much money and awareness of the Charity as possible. This lead to Matthew taking part in many events over the years including quizzes, golf days and even climbing the roof of the O2 arena! Matthew has also spoken at numerous Heartbeat events to share his story and experience.

In a full circle moment, he now works as events and corporate fundraiser, helping the charity to run and sell events to raise critical funds that allow the charity to operate. Matthew feels privileged to be able to help people who are similar to himself through what can be a very difficult time.

Jenny is a pivotal figure in the Wessex Heartbeat team managing day to day administration, including inputting donations responsible for our many Challenge Events and ensuring behind the scenes efficiency that enables her colleagues to get on and do their jobs. As all our team members do, Jenny turns her hand to anything needed.

Anna joined the Heartbeat team in April 2025 on a part-time basis. Anna is based in Guernsey and her role is to strengthen awareness of Heartbeat in the Bailiwick and support the business and donor development team based in Southampton.

Anna has worked 27 years in the finance industry before stepping down deciding to take on new challenges. For most of those years Anna worked for a private bank as Head of Private Client Services and most recently marketing co-ordinator for the Channel Islands.

Anna brings a wealth of customer service, marketing and event management experience to support the ongoing activities and awareness of Heartbeat in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

With a warm personality and a passion for Heartbeat House, Ali makes sure everything runs perfectly. The House is kept up to standard and all guests are warmly welcomed and supported during their stay.

Mark's friendly personality ensures a warm welcome for all who stay at Heartbeat House. Mark is responsible for all the property maintenance in the House and garden as well as giving Ali a helping hand. Not only is he handy with a drill or screwdriver but also an iron too!

Always ready to greet you with a warm smile at Heartbeat House, Jean is our dedicated House Assistant. She works closely with Ali and Mark to ensure the house is maintained to the highest standards.
With years of experience in her role, Jean is committed to creating a welcoming environment where cardiac relatives feel comfortable and supported during their time of need.