Meet the team
Departments
Philanthropy Forum Team Members
Lisa Day
Lisa has had a long and successful career with various multi-national organisations, helping develop talent and delivering projects. She originally joined the London Fund Raising Committee at the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, setting up a Charity Golf Day in Richmond in November 2023, which raised over £26,000 as well as helping as part of the team to deliver the recent London Gala Dinner in January 2024. She was then delighted to be asked to join the full Philanthropy Forum and since raised a further £42,500 through corporate sponsorship and personally participating in CAAT events. She feels hugely passionate about being able to contribute and help with Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust fund raising initiatives, working alongside an inspirational team of people.
Karen Hurn
Following a successful career in senior corporate banking, working with significant businesses and high net worth individuals has given Karen a wealth of experience, skills and an extensive network. Karen was delighted to join the team in November 2019 to develop major donor relationships and now proudly leads the fundraising team.
Karen also works closely with the Cornwall Air Ambulance Philanthropy Forum who volunteer and work tirelessly to raise money for the charity.
Barbara Sharples MBE
Barbara had served as a trustee since 2017 and was Chair of the 2018 New Heli appeal board which raised a staggering £2.9 million towards the cost of its latest AW169 life saving helicopter. Barbara was also a founder and member of the London committee, engaging supporters outside of the county with connections to Cornwall. She also founded the ambassador programme, introducing celebrity ambassadors Richard & Judy alongside other high profile ambassadors who have helped to gain additional exposure and awareness of Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust. Barbara has been appointed as Vice President for the charity, alongside her role on the charity’s Philanthropy Forum, which she founded and which comprises high profile fundraisers who generate around £400,000 each year for the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.
Dr Karen J Dickens
Despite spending the last 40 years living and travelling to different places around the UK and internationally, Cornwall is and will always be, home. My parents, family and close friends still live in Cornwall and it’s definitely where my heart is – there is nowhere as special and I’m honoured to have been asked to be an Ambassador for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Having grown up in Cornwall, I know that there are also challenges, none more important than the long distances to hospitals, the difficult roads and traffic congestion. That’s why the Cornwall Air Ambulance is so important. My mum was airlifted to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro and it was a big relief to my dad and myself to know that she was in such good hands – they not only make a difference to patients but to families too.
I’ve got to know the whole Cornwall Air Ambulance team and I’m in awe of the paramedics, the pilots and the teams who support them. I was delighted to be able to raise over £95,000 to buy the pilot’s seat in the new heli last year with help from my company, Comitti Boats UK & Caribbean and favourite partners, including Clarendon Fine Art, Maranello Ferrari, Bollinger, Rick Stein, Sheree Valentine Daines and Stephanie Millward MBE.
Comitti Boats UK & Caribbean have also just sponsored the new pilots’ uniforms and I’m committed to supporting Cornwall Air Ambulance, both through personal donations as well as leveraging my partners and teams to deliver exciting fundraising initiatives, including The Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge in 2020.
Together we can keep the Cornwall Air Ambulance flying – saving lives and keeping families together.
Jackie Stanley D.L.
Jackie is a successful and well-known businesswoman within Cornwall. Jackie has personally contributed to the appeal and was the inspiration behind the charities first London Gala Dinner, which took place in January. This wonderful event raised £130,000 and showcased the charity to our London supporter base who were joined by Cornwall donors for this spectacular evening. Jackie continues to support the charity as a member of the Philanthropy Forum.
Jackie has now been made an ambassador for the charity in acknowledgement of her support for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust.
Jonathan McCulloch
Jonathan is an Ambassador for Cornwall Air Ambulance and works for Cornwall Council. He is also a volunteer fundraiser for several Cornish charities and organisations; having raised over £200,000 in total. Jonathan has been a keen advocate for the Cornwall Air Ambulance for many years and as a Board Member of the New Heli Appeal helped raise nearly £100,000 towards the AW169. Jonathan is also Chairman of St Allen Parish Council and a Justice of the Peace. Jonathan was chair of the Philanthropy Forum during 2021/2022. He was appointed as an Ambassador for the charity in July 2023.
Thelma Sorensen
Thelma is a passionate campaigner for construction led initiatives in the South West of England and for encouraging more women into the industry at all levels. She is extremely proud, in that context, to be the Honorary Chairman of the South West Women in Construction. As a former Regional Officer for the Chartered Institute of Building, she developed close links with all elements of the sector. She was the elected Chairman of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum, the sub-regional economic partnership of the S W Regional Development Agency and Cornwall County Council, for an unprecedented two terms, and a member of the Business Task Force of the EU funded Objective One Programme for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. She was also a member of a number of other EU funding associated Committees and bodies and a trustee for Cornwall Care.
She is, currently, the Chairman of the Cornwall Business Partnership and was, for many years, a board member the South West Business Council and now a member of that organisation’s Policy Advisory Board. Recognising education as the passport to a better and more rewarding life for our young people, Thelma has been a Governor of both Cornwall College and the University of St Mark and St John Plymouth. Thelma is a formal member of the Wessex Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
She was awarded the OBE in 2010, in recognition of her contribution to the Economic Regeneration of Cornwall.
Steve Gulliford
Steve with over 25 years in Operations, working across multiple arenas such as medical devices and Commercial bank note printing, sits proudly as Chief Executive Officer at Kernow Coatings based in Penryn.
Steve has made it his mission since taking the reins at Kernow Coatings to support Cornish businesses and Charities throughout the duchy, never more so than that of Cornwall Air Ambulance. Being in a position to not only sponsor but also supply all of the “Stepping Out” steps.
Being part of this amazing team and the opportunity to give back, to support not only the charity but the community of Cornwall is a far cry from the days of being a special constable in Hampshire. However, giving my time to support and making time has remained a passion of mine since those days of community policing.
From first encounter with the team at Planet C at Eden Sept 2023, I have been nothing short of blown away and truly humbled by all I have met within Cornwall Air Ambulance. The teams unlimited, endless passion to “save lives” is energizing and I urge all of the duchy to get involved.
As we expect to see significant business and residential growth over the coming years, the air ambulance will more than earn its wings, and now we have two AW169’s we are positioned to continue to be there to “save lives”.