The HCCN Trustees
Jan Davis
Chair of Trustees
Jan’s career was spent as a senior Human Resources leader, specialising in developing managers in in complex, global environments. She has worked both in the UK and Internationally, mostly in oil, gas and mining companies. Taking early retirement, Jan set out to find worthwhile ways of giving back – as a park ranger on the South Downs, developing people policies at Gilbert White’s house in Hampshire, and facilitating leadership development courses for a charitable trust in Windsor.
Jan moved to East Northants in 2015 and reconnected with Susan – a lifelong friend and colleague from shared time in British Telecom. Jan was keen to get involved with HCCN as she could see that the charity made a real difference to people’s lives. Jan brings to HCCN her experience of leading and implementing projects and programmes, and currently acts as Chair of HCCN.
Sallie Crawley
Trustee and Programme Manager
Sallie Crawley has over 13 years’ experience as a coach and therapist. She is a qualified Life Coach and ILM Executive Coach and Mentor, a Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and trained as a Hypnotherapist (BIH). She is also the author of The Basics of Heart Health Management At Home.
She’s says ‘I am honoured to be a trustee of HCCN, I am passionate about helping people make a real difference in their lives after experiencing a life changing event. I am on a mission to raise awareness about the services provided by the nursing team and the programmes of education, exercise and wellbeing offered free of charge by the charity.’
In 2016 she went through her own journey in overcoming breast cancer and surviving a heart attack. She now specialises in helping people that have had a heart attack learn recover emotionally and practically so they can live their life happy.
Originally as North Londoner, her career was in Printing and Communications industry. She spent some 16 years gaining experience working in the commercial, report & accounts and food labelling printing industries. She has managed teams in admin, production and sales.
After a year out to be a full-time mum and her move to a small village, Sallie had a career change.
In 2002 she joined a national conservation charity, The RSPB. She has supported volunteering development throughout the UK for over 17 years. As the HQ Volunteering Operations Team Manager, she is inspired and proud of the contribution that the 12,000+ volunteers make to the cause.
On the subject of volunteering with HCCN ‘without the kind donations of time and money we could not provide the resources needed for people living in Huntingdonshire with a cancer diagnosis. Whether you have 1 hour or 1 day, your time is priceless. Every moment makes a real difference in your community – so join our family and volunteer with us today.’
She lives in Hilton with her daughter, their two dogs and three cats, and she’s also a bit of a coffee snob!
Gill Monsell
Trustee and Conference coordinator
Gill has lived in the area since 1982 whilst bringing up her three daughters.
After graduating as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge she worked in general practice before returning to Cambridge to do a PhD in immunoparasitology. She decided, however, that the world of pure research was not for her and for twenty years she was a partner in a Bedford practice where working with people and treating their animals was what really motivated her.
Besides clinical work she organised nurse training, client relations and overseeing the quadrupling in size of the practice.
Gill loved the close relationship with her clients and patients, caring for many pets from birth to the end of their lives and helping owners make the difficult final decisions.
Early in 2016, just before retirement, she met Susan Moore and Gini Melesi at a talk about HCCN, then in its infancy. They were inspiring speakers and Gill said to Susan that she would like to be a volunteer when she retired and had time to give.
Susan quickly realised that Gill’s academic scientific background made her ideally suited to organising the twice yearly HCCN conference and she gradually took over this role from Susan. She was honoured to be asked to join the Trustee team in 2021 and be able to help this wonderful organisation fulfil its aims. Having lost her parents and several friends to cancer in recent years she realises how very important it is to support people in this way.
Gill was a Breast Feeding Counsellor for NCT (National Childbirth Trust) for 10 years. She has been active in many village groups and helped to organise many events in the local community.
As an experienced veterinary surgeon she sits on the Veterinary Fitness to Practise Committee at Cambridge University Veterinary School.
She is an active member of Bedford de Parys Rotary and sings (enthusiastically but not very well!) with St Neots choral society. She is currently Chairman of the Friends of Cambridge Early Music which involves organising concerts, stewards and newsletters for the members of the group.
She has two grandchildren, a scruffy dog and a “psycho” cat and enjoys cooking, travel, skiing and country walks.
Susan Moore
Founder (1948 to 2020)
Susan had a varied career. She worked as a progress chaser in a factory setting and then for the Birmingham Coroner before finally realising that her passion was people and her skill supporting their development.
After completing an MBA she joined British Telecom, initially to act as a management trainer but ultimately to work as a talent spotter and management development specialist identifying people with senior management capability and supporting their growth within the company.
She retired from full time working in 1999 and planned for a long and full retirement. However, in November 2010 she was diagnosed with an incurable rare blood cancer.
As a result of her diagnosis she met Gini Melesi, a haematology specialist nurse, who was to go on to found Hunts Community Cancer Network. Liking the plan to support people long after treatment had ended and believing that her workplace experience could be valuable to the development of the project, they joined forces to create the charity.
Two such different personalities joined by a common aim they started to raise money to offer free support.
Susan acted as a Trustee of the charity and carried out the day to day management roles that are necessary to keep things running smoothly. Her development background allowed her to work on the design of new activities and to plan events like conference. She often acted as spokesperson, along with colleagues.
Both Susan and the Charity were recognised by the Third Sector Care Awards 2017 for their work in developing the charity from a standing start.
The skills she used most in support of the charity were her “can do” attitude; her ability to spot and nurture the good ideas that others bring and her determination that people know what’s best for themselves but they just need a little help sometimes.