Our Trustees
Philip Mirfin Chair
I have lived in Wokingham since 1980 with my wife Kathy and our two boys, who are now grown up living abroad with their own children.
Up until 2003, l was very involved with the Scout Association in Wokingham latterly as an Assistant District Commissioner.
For most of my working life l worked in sales and marketing as well as in the latter stages of my career in Customer Service management. Before retiring in 2013 I managed two global business accounts for Hewlett Packard.
From 2003 I was a Town Councillor in Wokingham and served as Mayor of Wokingham Town in 2015/16. I was also a Borough Councillor from 2004, finally stepping down from politics in 2019. Whilst at the Borough Council l headed up the Town Centre Regeneration, was a Non-Exec Director of Optalis and served on the Berkshire Fire Authority. More recently, I served as a Governor of St Paul’s School.
When l initially joined Wade as a Trustee in 2019 l was asked to steer the fund-raising side, with the Friends of Wade. Then early in 2021 l was asked to become Chairman of Trustees at Wade by the Board of Trustees.
The position of Chairman is quite involved so at the end of 2021, l relinquished my additional role as Chairman of the Wokingham Winter Carnival. After 24 years, my last Winter Carnival was in 2022, with Wokingham Lions now taking the reins.
My intentions now are to support our ongoing drive for funding. Funds are needed not only to help with the day-to-day running of the Centre, but to ensure the very fabric of Wade is maintained, repaired and improved for the future.
We are also looking to continue our Wade 150 Club. Our joint Golf Day in partnership with HomeStart Wokingham and hopefully make our Wade Concert an annual event.
Sandy Sweet Vice Chair
After periods working overseas, my husband and I settled with our two children in Wokingham where we’ve lived for over 30 years.
I started my working life as a lawyer but then trained as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse. I specialised in corporate taxation and became the International Tax Accountant for Avis plc. Later on when our children were settled in school I set up my own Relocation Consultancy which worked well with their various school commitments. When I retired, I applied to the magistracy & served on the Berkshire Bench for several years.
In the meanwhile, my mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease which led me to volunteer with Alzheimer’s Society. I worked with their Fix Dementia Care Team and I’m still involved with their Legacies and Fundraising departments.
I became interested in Wade when I heard they were thinking of extending their day care facilities to people with more advanced dementias. I was so impressed with both the beautiful house & grounds & the dedication of the staff. I’ve sat on the Friends of Wade Committee for over a year and as of 2022 I’m looking forward to serving as a Trustee.
When not busy at home, my husband and I love spending time on the Isle of Wight. I was a keen sailor but I’m usually an enthusiastic spectator these days!
Chris Barnes Trustee
I was born and educated in Burton upon Trent and after A-levels, pursued a career in retail.
My first position was as a store trainee with Marks & Spencer. I then took a Head Office position with Dorothy Perkins, which brought me to Bracknell. After 15 years I moved to Scholl, then onto an independent shop, Baird Outerwear Brands. My last 11 years before retiring in 2010 was as Trading Manager/Menswear Buyer at Daniels in Windsor.
Carole (fellow Trustee) and I married in 1969. My first Trusteeship was with COATS in Crowthorne where she was Manager. When Carole subsequently moved to WADE as Manager, I initially became a volunteer. And then following her retirement in 2009, we both became Trustees. I now oversee the charity shop in Rose Street, a Finance Committee member, and a volunteer driver.
In addition to WADE, I am a member of a Baptist Church, where for 9 years I was a Trustee / Leader.
In 2018 my wife and I were delighted to be recognised for our charitable work in Wokingham and received the Mayors Civic Award.
We have a large family and spend much of our spare time enjoying being with them. I also have a keen interest in sports, and try to stay active by regularly playing golf, running, and walking.
Margaret Campbell-White Trustee
Margaret has been managing and renovating listed buildings for 50 years and was on Winchester City Council for 4 years, Winchester Community Health Council for 12 years and a Trustee of Winchester Abbeyfield Society for 25 years managing and supervising the upgrading of their two homes.
Since moving to Wokingham 10 years ago to be near family she has worked with Wokingham Healthwatch, Building Berkshire Together and with Inner Wheel has done the cake stalls at fundraising functions and when Inner Wheel closed a few years ago, decided to become more involved with WADE as a Trustee in 2021.
David Lee Trustee
I’m married to Jean, a retired special needs teacher, with three grown up children and six grandchildren.
After leaving university in 1977 I qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1980.
Before going to university I served as a navigating officer in the Merchant Navy for seven years.
As an accountant I worked in London on company reconstructions and Stock Exchange work. My other positions were as corporate banker with NatWest’s Ulster Investment Bank, Chevron Oil as a contract accountant on North Sea Platform projects. I have also owned and run a printing company in Maidenhead. I am currently working as a part-time owner and director for Demand Technology Ltd an engineering company.
While living and working in Ulster I set up the Northern Ireland Speech Impaired charity for children with speech problems; the National Aphasia Association did not at that time exist in Northern Ireland.
I was previously the Leader of the Wokingham Borough Council for six years. I was involved with the establishment of the Councils Housing Companies and Optalis Limited and the regeneration of the Town Centre. During my time on the Council I worked with Bob Wyatt in establishing the Link Visiting Scheme in conjunction with Woodley Baptist Church.
My other charitable interests include: previously a board member of the Berkshire Ambulance Trust taking the authority into trust status; a Wokingham Scout Leader for 15 years; the Honorary Treasurer for St John Ambulance in Woodley for a number of years.
I first became involved with Wade in 2019 having previously been involved on the edges through my council work, I was appointed as a trustee at the November 2019 AGM.
Karen Mahoney Trustee
I was born and grew up in Essex & Suffolk and moved to Wokingham over 20 years ago where I now live with my husband, daughter and spaniel.
My working career has been exclusively in FTSE 100 financial services organisations where I have been a Marketing Director, specialising in communications and campaigns as well as spending several years in Sales Management.
Caring for and helping older people have fun and remain independent and mobile has always been something I have been passionate about, so I am delighted to have recently joined Wade as a trustee.
I have already started to use my marketing skills to continue to improve our communications via a new Wade newsletter and I am looking forward to helping increase the membership of our centre and growing the variety of activities we have to offer our members.
My other passion is art, so I have also started to volunteer with one of the Wokingham art societies to help bring more to our community.
When I am not working, I can be found exercising, going to the cinema and watching my very sporty daughter at her various matches!
Lucy Zeal Patron
I am honoured to be Patron of Wade, a post I've held since January 2021. My mother was Patron before me and, with her, I attended many Wade events and got to know the wonderful work offered by the Day Care Centre. Wade offers a vital service to elderly people in the town and is something that I feel strongly about.
I have been High Steward of Wokingham since 2018, and was High Sheriff of Berkshire 2019-20 and am also a Deputy Lieutenant of the County. I mentor young people with two local charities (Browns Community Services and Mustard Tree) and am a trustee of Berkshire Historic Churches Trust and Patron of the All Saints Church in Wokingham’s ‘spaceforall’ fundraising programme. Being involved in the community is really important to me, from young people starting out in life to older people sharing their years of life experiences.
From a personal perspective, I'm Berkshire born and bred, and have lived in the Wokingham area most of my life. I'm married to Chris and we have four grown-up children. My husband and I manage our family farming business, and prior to this I worked in global event production.