CHAIR

Having served over 32 years in the wider Voluntary and Community Sector and before that for 12 years as an Anglican Priest, Martin retired at the end of May 2025 from his position as the Support, Connect and Quality Lead and Manager of the Advice team at Age UK Lambeth.

12 of his working years were spent in Bournemouth, where he was Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Bournemouth before becoming the first CEO of the Boscombe Independent Advice Sector. He was also the Manager of the Bourne Spring Trust.

Martin has been involved with the VCS in BCP since his time serving locally. He remains immersed in the wider politics of the Sector and has served on various Trustee Boards throughout his professional life.

Debbie has been a trustee at Bournemouth CVS since 2012. She worked in local government for 28 years and set up a local charity called Bournemouth 2026 Trust which had close connections to Bournemouth CVS. She has extensive knowledge of partnership working across public, private and voluntary sector.

She is a passionate supporter of the voluntary sector and currently volunteers to support nursing students using her own experience as someone with chronic health conditions as part of the BU PIER group. Debbie is registered disabled and is unable to work but likes to use her experience and knowledge to support the organisation.

Rupert Ogwuazor works with Global Markets division of multinational investment bank. He holds a bachelors degree in Economics and is a professional accountant.

Rupert also leads his local Nigerian Community in Dorset and is an active member of his church, where he mentors teenagers and young adults.

He enjoys spending time with his family and is a semi-professional photographer in his spare time.

Pauline Sharp set up Sharp Care Consultancy in 2018, after previously working for over twenty-three years for an established Dorset care company within the Domiciliary Care sector and community, as their Director of Care and Registered Manager for three locations.

Pauline is committed to delivering person centred care by supporting staff (registered managers, care support workers), who need to feel confident about their ways of working and ensure their documentation complies with the CQC regulations.

Lorraine Stanley is CEO and Founder of SWAD (Sex With A Difference CIC). Lorraine’s professional background includes: Training and Development within the NHS and Local Government; a Certificate in Training Practice awarded by Institute of Personnel and Development (now CIPD). She holds qualifications in Facilitation Skills, One to One Counselling, BSL Stage 1 certificate, and Peer Support training. Lorraine ran a successful Diet and Fitness franchise for 3 years, before ME and Fibromyalgia forced her to stop trading.

Lorraine’s lived experience includes being a young carer, parent carer and family carer of loved ones with conditions ranging from diabetes to dementia.

“Even before I acquired my own health conditions, I had an internal barometer of ‘fairness’ when it came to equality and diversity issues.  Within my family and friends circle, growing up, I had some brilliant role models of people living with different physicalities – yet cracking on with life!”

Azukaego is a certified project management professional with over a decade of experience spanning the energy, insurance, digital, and public sectors, where he leads delivery assurance for large-scale transformation programmes.

As Project Lead, Community Development Initiatives with the Nigerian Community in Dorset (NCD), he delivers inclusive programmes that empower individuals and strengthen social cohesion.

He’s an advocate for volunteering as a pathway to social integration, championing initiatives that help people build meaningful connections, share their talents, and have a sense of belonging.

Julie is CEO of Hope Housing Training and Support Ltd. She joined the board in October 2025.

Laura is the Clinical Director at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care. She joined the board in October 2025. With a diverse and varied nursing career of nearly 20 years., Laura started her working life in the British Armed Forces. Personal circumstances and professional interest led her towards palliative care and she has been working as a specialist in this area.

Her passion is to promote health, hope and well-being for those facing a life-limiting illness and to support awareness, collaboration and engagement in a proactive approach to end-of-life care.

Jonathan is CEO and Director of DOTS Disability CIC. He joined our Board of Trustees in October 2025.