Our People
As a proud Age Friendly employer, we are a local, independent charity whose mission is to support the older people of Gloucestershire. Governed by our Board of Trustees, day-to-day operations are delegated to our CEO Alan Inman-Ward who leads our operational teams which include:
Our Help Team who provide impartial but vital information, advice and guidance to help older people navigate later life
Out of Hospital Team who offer practical advice to older people who have recently returned home following a stay in hospital
Age Friendly Communities Team helping older people make social connections and get active
Digital Champions who will help older people embrace all things digital, safely and securely
These functions are supporter by our incredible team of volunteers, fundraising, communications, finance & human resource people.
Meet our CEO and Board Members
Alan Inman-Ward - CEO
Alan joined Age UK Gloucestershire in June 2024 as our CEO from Active Gloucestershire where he was Director of Insights and Operations. He has recently been appointed as a board member for Gloucester City Homes and for the last three years has been part of the team at Create Gloucestershire. Alan's experience of the charity sector alongside his leadership skills enables us to strive to do our best for the older people of Gloucestershire. Alan can be easily contact by email.
Patricia Le Rolland - Chair of Trustees
Patricia worked as a State Registered Nurse for many years during which time she also qualified as a clinical teacher, tutor and was a principal lecturer for students of Health and Social Care. She has also worked as an Assistant Director in the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and Director of a UK statutory regulator for postgraduate medical education.
Since retiring, Patricia has undertaken voluntary work for years with Age UK Gloucestershire's Home from Hospital and now Out of Hospital clients. She was Chair of Governors at her local primary school. Patricia was Chair of the Regulation Board and Registration Council for healthcare scientists (those who are not statutorily regulated) at the Academy for Healthcare Science until March 2022. Patricia was also a Non-Executive Director at the Academy.
Helen Bown - Trustee
Helen has held a number of roles within health and social care in Gloucestershire since 1981. Initially as a qualified Occupational Therapist, and latterly with a wider remit for joint commissioning services for older people. During this time Helen led the strategic planning for services for people living with dementia and their carers. Prior to formal retirement, Helen spent time working with Barnwood Trust supporting work to expand the opportunities for people living with disabilities and those with mental health challenges to pursue their interests. This work has given Helen a good overview of health and social care policy and strategy, and plenty of experience of change management.
As a retiree, Helen is keen to promote healthy active ageing, challenge stereotypes, and promote good quality care for people who may be more vulnerable or marginalised. Helen lives in Gloucester city centre, enjoys walking and all the wonderful countryside the county has to offer, as well as swimming in Cheltenham lido for as many months as possible.
Ian Crocombe - Trustee
After a successful career in financial services, Ian has applied his deep knowledge of change, continuous improvement, service operations and people development to running his consultancy business helping organisations to be better.
Over time, he has been a Business Excellence & Investors In People Assessor and Social Enterprise mentor. He is currently a member of MGBA, a nationwide network of independent business advisors and a Princes Trust mentor. He passionately believes in the recycling of corporate skills for the benefit of Age UK Gloucestershire and is excited to be part of this successful team. Married with two children, two grand daughters and three cats, he is a Cheltenham Town season ticket holder, a keen cyclist and (not very fast) jogger.
Dr Ian Donald - Trustee
Ian came to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital as a consultant geriatrician in 1988, and led the elderly care department through many transformations for 20 years. He was son of a GP in Edinburgh, and was trained at Cambridge and Edinburgh. Before retiring in 2020, he had spent the last 10 years developing a specialist frailty service at the front door of the hospital, providing early assessment and liaison with community services to facilitate hospital discharge. He enjoyed working across all sectors of health and social care, and had experience on the boards of West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group. He has a special concern for those experiencing frailty in later life, to ease suffering and improve quality of life. He believes passionately that medical care should be used wisely, sometimes sparingly, and as just one part of more holistic care.
He has previous charity experience with Care and Repair England, and more recently with Gloucester Charities Trust and Harnhill Healing Centre. Christian faith is a bedrock of his life, and he is married to Philippa, a Priest in the CofE. They have three sons and three grand-daughters.
Helen Ginman - Trustee
Helen started her career in Business, working latterly as a Senior Director of Operations in telecommunications, HR, and payroll software organisations. Throughout this ‘first’ career, Helen led multi-functional global workforces, spanning quality management, customer relations, training and development, project management and sales.
Over time, however, Helen’s passion for psychology began to take priority and she made a shift towards psychological practice, gaining qualifications at a Masters Level in Health Psychology and is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Health Psychology. As such, Helen brings a critical lens and perspective, often considering and reflecting a fresh perspective that draws on existing knowledge, understanding and approaches to encourage positive change.
Having worked in a clinical capacity, as well as led programmes of research with older adults within Gloucester, Helen has developed an innate desire to help improve the quality of life for older adults and is so excited to be part of an organisation seeking to do this.
Helen lives in Gloucester, with her partner and dog, enjoys walks in this beautiful county and immersing herself in the countryside!
Ahmed-Said Hansdot - Trustee
Bio to follow.
Interested in becoming a trustee?
We’re looking for new trustees to join our Board who can share their wide range of skills and experiences and want to be involved in helping us make Gloucestershire the best county in which to grow older!