Molly Southwood – CEO
I joined ELF in September 2022. As Chief Executive Officer I oversee all the charity’s activities, with lots of support from the team, as well as working closely with the Trustees to develop our strategic objectives. I usually spend a day each week at the hospital, meeting with patients and staff, and the rest of my time is spent on administration and planning. I also try to get to as many ELF events as possible.
It’s been great getting to know the staff, volunteers and many of the people we support, and I’m looking forward to helping grow our activities. I’m very open to new ideas and suggestions, so please do get in touch if you have thoughts.
Prior to joining ELF, I spent over 15 years in higher education fundraising and development, primarily at the University of Bath. Outside of work, I enjoy swimming (indoors and outdoors), and spending time with my daughters Immy and Katy, (and Daisy the Jack Russell), usually somewhere muddy!
Gary Moore - Head of Partnerships
I have worked for ELF since 2017 in the fundraising department. My main focus is collaborating with local businesses to establish ways that together, we can fund more support for local families whilst helping local businesses achieve their CSR goals.
Previously working in the sales and events industry, I want to use my experience in raising money to benefit those in our community who need it the most. If you would like to discuss partnering with Exeter Leukaemia Fund, please get in touch as I’d love to catch up over a coffee.
Outside of work, I have an interest in football and spending time with my family.
Cameron Merry - Head of Individual Giving
Andy Jordan - Development Manager
I was an ELF volunteer for several years, representing the charity at presentations and assisting at events, before officially joining the team in 2018. My role involves working with the local community and helping supporters achieve their fundraising goals. No two days are the same; I could be giving a talk about ELF at a school assembly, visiting a club or group to thank them for their donation or be working with an organisation planning a challenge event. I also manage our volunteers, and it is always a pleasure watching them interact with the public whilst raising money or awareness for a cause that they passionately believe in.
I am always on hand to encourage and direct supporters with their fundraising so please do not hesitate to contact me if you have an idea you wish to discuss.
I enjoy travelling, weekends away and camping trips in the beautiful West Country (when the weather allows!)
David Williams - Hospital Support Senior Driver
I joined ELF in 2013 when the transport service was introduced and have been a patient support driver ever since. I am now the Senior driver for our fantastic team of three. We feel extremely privileged to be in our role, supporting patients and their family members with the demands of their many hospital appointments.
My interests are foreign holidays, snorkelling, hiking, kayaking and the gym.
Pete Aggett - Hospital Support Driver
I joined ELF as a Patient Support Driver in February 2017. It is a really rewarding job, helping to coordinate and provide Haematology patients and their families from all over Devon with transport to and from Hospital during a tough time in their lives. I especially like being part of a close, friendly, helpful team at ELF.
I am a keen runner and have completed a number of runs in aid of ELF, including the London Marathon in 2022. I also enjoy watching most sports and walking my energetic Cocker Spaniel.
Neil Roberts - Hospital Support Driver
I joined ELF in November 2021, having discovered the wonder that charities have to offer through volunteering at the Southwest MS centre. As a hospital support driver, I mainly take patients from their home address to appointments at the RD&E and then return them home safely. I get immense satisfaction from my work on a daily basis; just knowing that I am doing my little bit to help is incredibly rewarding.
Outside of work I enjoy keeping fit at the gym, on my push bike and the occasional swim. I have great fun learning to play the guitar and my ultimate aim is to play at an open mic session.
Lorraine Brown - Counselling Services Lead
I qualified as a psychotherapist and integrative counsellor in 2016, then moved down to Devon from Scotland soon after that. Alongside my ELF role, I also teach counselling and mental health in the Higher Education sector and do bank work on an NHS mental health crisis line. I joined ELF in August 2023 and am really pleased to be working with such a friendly and supportive team.
I enjoy going for walks on Dartmoor with my partner and our lovely Newfoundland dog, as well as visiting National Trust sites and exploring local beaches. I am a big fan of folk music and enjoy going to gigs and folk sessions in local pubs. I am also learning to play the piano, which is quite a challenge at times, but I am determined to stick with it!
Marion Yates - Patient Liaison Support
I first became aware of ELF in 2015 when my mother was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. In 2019 I became a befriender to a lady in Exmouth who suffered from blood cancer, visiting her weekly and becoming very good friends. When ELF re-opened at the RD&E in February 2022, I was delighted to join ELF at “Filling Time”, the kiosk situated in the heart of Haematology, firstly as a volunteer and now as a staff member. You will find me there Tuesdays to Fridays 10am to 3pm.
My role enables me to be a “friendly face” offering refreshments to those waiting appointments and those receiving treatment in Day Case on Yarty Ward. My aim is also to listen, support and advise on the services which ELF provides .My own personal experience has given me a real insight into those affected by blood cancer and I am able to empathise in a very genuine and sensitive manner.
I enjoy cycling with my husband, especially along coastal cycle paths. In May 2023 I took part in ELF's Group Skydive which was amazing!
Charity Lead Administrator
I joined ELF in December 2024. Prior to that I was in education for 18 years. The ELF team are so dedicated and caring. I am looking forward to putting my organisational skills to good use and helping the team to continue their amazing work.
Outside of ELF, I enjoy sailing, spending time with my family and friends and walking my not so little puppy, Gemma.
Shane Cann - Trustee
As a financial accountant, I have the privilege of working with a wide range of businesses and charities, helping them navigate financial complexities and plan for the future. While I often focus on the numbers and strategy behind an organisation’s success, I don’t always get to witness the direct impact they have on people’s lives. However, after learning more about ELF and the incredible work it does, I was truly moved by the tangible difference it makes in supporting individuals and families during some of their most challenging times.
ELF’s mission resonates with me on a deep level, as I have seen firsthand the vital support it provides—offering not just medical assistance but also emotional and financial relief to those who need it most. The compassion, dedication, and real-world impact of ELF’s work are what drew me to support the charity. I am proud to play a small part in helping ELF continue its invaluable work, ensuring that more people receive the help they need when facing difficult circumstances.
David Charlesworth - Trustee
I have served as a trustee on several charities over a long period of time and currently chair a small local charity aimed at raising funds to support the making of music in Crediton's Parish Church.
In my working life as a solicitor, I acted for several charities.
My interest in ELF stems from hearing about its work through current trustees. Its aims seem very worthwhile and its work practically, enormously valuable and much appreciated by those affected by a blood cancer in the South West. I like the size of the charity and its potential and am hugely impressed by the staff and trustees already involved. I feel privileged to be part of ELF.
Shaun Cooper - Trustee
Joanna Hawkins - Trustee
I have been a patient on the Haematology unit in Exeter since 2014. I received a stem cell transplant in Bristol in 2018 and my ongoing care continues in Exeter. It was my consultant who suggested that I might become an ELF trustee and I was elected to the board in 2019.
I am a retired Registered General Nurse and was interested in ELF’s work, making lives easier for patients alongside their clinical treatments. I am also very interested in the charity being able to fund ongoing education for clinical staff.
Isabelle Kenny - Trustee
Formerly a teacher, I founded a nursing home with my chef husband Ray in 1984. My daughter is now a partner in the business.
In 2007, three weeks before our daughter’s wedding Ray was diagnosed with leukaemia and admitted to Yarty for chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. His brothers were tested for compatibility and the one in the US was due to fly over for the procedure. Unfortunately Ray developed pneumonia, so his brother came for the funeral instead.
Whilst I was visiting Ray daily I became aware of the terrible stresses involved for families as well as for the patient. Parking costs were high and if the patient was working, the loss of income was crippling. Devon is a large county, and without personal transport the journeys to the hospital were almost impossible by public transport. Spending time in an isolation room emphasised the need for distraction and for therapies.
As a result of this, and of the respect I had for Miles Joyner, who founded ELF, I decided to offer some support. When I retired from the Exeter magistrates bench after thirty years of service I applied to be a trustee in 2022.
Erik Salomonsen - Chair of Trustees