Our Patron and Trustees

Ben Rogers is a solicitor and Partner in a litigation only law firm, with offices in London and Leeds. He specialises in representing claimants who have suffered catastrophic personal injury and has particular expertise in spinal cord, brain, amputee, complex orthopaedic and burns injuries. He has a special interest in technology and was the first lawyer to secure landmark damages for the purchase and replacement of REX Bionics and Ekso Bionics exoskeletons.

He is married and lives with his wife and their three children near Petersfield, Hampshire.

David was selected to be a trustee in June 2021 – he is a young property developer working across both commercial and residential sectors. His focus is to encourage his generation, amongst others, to support HIOWAA in any way possible. David has always lived near Alresford and where he is often found on a bicycle! He is married with a young daughter.

Andy was the first director of the neurosciences intensive care unit at University Hospital Southampton, one of the country’s leading units for the care of patients with severe brain and spinal injuries. He subsequently led the development of the Wessex Trauma Network and was the director of the major trauma centre at Southampton. With Prof. Charles Deakin and Dr. David Sutton he led the successful development of the helipad at UHS. He was a founder member of the Department of Health Clinical Advisory group for the development of trauma networks and has recently been part of a national review into the provision of care for patients with spinal cord injury.

He lives with his wife, two children and a cocker spaniel on the border of Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Graham is a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon in the Royal Navy. He has had extensive experience in managing trauma in conflict zones and has spent six months in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis. He is presently engaged in managing Medical Operational Capability for the Royal Navy and has been involved with the UK response to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean and more recently the hurricane relief effort in the Caribbean.

Married with four grown up children, he is a keen cyclist and often takes part in charity cycling events around the country.

Gwen has extensive experience of working with people who have learning disabilities, families, advocates, health professionals and others to improve the quality of health experiences and outcomes.

In 2016 she was awarded an OBE for services to nursing and people with learning disabilities. She now works as an independent Consultant Nurse and Honorary Senior Fellow with Kingston University & St George’s University of London.

Gwen lives in the New Forest with her husband Steve and their dog Penny.

Isabel has extensive experience as a non-executive director (NED), charity chair and trustee as well as having a background in investment and property management. She currently chairs the national domestic abuse charity, SafeLives.

In the health sector, she has been a hospital NED and a lay member/chair involved with scientific advice to Government and NHS health research with the National Institute for Health and Care Research. She also currently volunteers in a maternity ward, as an infant feeding specialist.

Outside work, Isabel is a year-round outdoor swimmer, she loves gardening and is re-learning French. She and her husband have three daughters and have been grateful supporters of HIOWAA for several years.

Isabel said: “The Air Ambulance saved my husband’s life when he had a serious cycling accident in March 2020. We can’t express sufficient gratitude to the team who helped him. It’s exciting to apply my experience of healthcare and charity governance to this new role as trustee at HIOWAA. I feel privileged to contribute to the work of an organisation that is so important to my husband and to me.”

Lady Montagu settled in Hampshire in 2005 when she married Hon Ralph Montagu, heir to the Beaulieu Estate.

Born and raised in The Netherlands, she read languages at Oxford University and has worked in Belgium, the Netherlands and London as an editor, journalist and translator.

She is also Archives Officer to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), the UK’s only all-woman military unit and part of the city of London’s emergency response team.

‘Being a member of the FANY has in some ways prepared me for involvement with the Association of Air Ambulances. Both are voluntary organisations, both are permanently on call and both bring together people from all walks of life who are resourceful and ready to be of service.’

Ailsa has been Patron of HIOWAA since the service first began operating on 1 July 2007. Both the Charity and the first flight were launched from Beaulieu with her involvement. ‘Like most people, I assumed that the Air Ambulances were state-funded, and was amazed to learn that they get no government or even lottery support. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance relies entirely on public donations. Yet the service it provides is something we absolutely can not do without if we want to save lives.’

‘When I was part of a group being taught First Aid, we were taken through various life-saving treatments. But the most important thing we were told was that speed was of the essence. Speed is what the Air Ambulance is about. Whether it’s a congested town centre or a remote rural area – and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have both – there are some incidents that only a helicopter can get to quickly enough. Not only this, but with our team of paramedics and doctors, we are literally able to bring the hospital to the patient.’

‘The fact that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has been steadily expanding its service to the community since the start of flying operations just eleven years ago is a tribute to the commitment of our volunteers and to the generosity of the public. With your support we will continue to save lives and provide emergency medical support where and when it is needed most.’

Aviation is in Lotti’s blood – with a father who was a helicopter pilot in the Fleet Air Arm for 34 years and more recently a policy maker with the Civil Aviation Authority including HEMS operations, and a mother who was also in the Navy and now leads the communications strategy and major fundraising efforts for a naval aviation charity, it felt only right for her to follow their lead and find her own route to supporting this industry and such a vital service.

Lotti has extensive leadership and marketing experience in the luxury brand, business and hospitality sectors gained during an early career with Selfridges, later with Winchester BID and now in her current role as Marketing Director for The PIG Hotel group, an award-winning Hampshire based company.

Lotti lives just outside Winchester with her husband, a farmer, and her young daughter – with another one on the way.

Lucy qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and has practiced in both criminal and civil litigation. She has extensive experience in all areas of criminal law and represents clients from police station through to Court in the most serious and complex of cases. As a Higher Court Advocate, she also represents clients in the Crown Court.

In addition, Lucy also represents bereaved families at Inquests where the circumstances of their family member’s death need to be investigated.

Lucy loves all kinds of sport, is a season ticket holder at the football club belonging to the great waterfront city and enjoys open water sea swimming, all year round.

Rebecca joins the Board of Trustees with a wealth of experience in Executive leadership, Operations, Transformation and Strategy. Having started her career in the Army, she deployed on a number of operational tours of duty, before leaving to pursue a career in professional services. Most recently, she has worked in Executive Leadership roles for technology companies in Hampshire, leading operations and strategic programmes.

Rebecca lives on the south coast in Hampshire with her partner and young family. A passionate supporter of HIOWAA, she enjoys a wide range of sports, and can be regularly found on outdoor adventures running around after her 3 young boys!

Steve works for AQA examinations board as a member of the Operations Senior Leadership team. Prior to joining AQA, he spent 17 years in IT distribution in a number of leadership roles. Outside of work he is a passionate volunteer serving as Chairman of the Southern Premier Cricket League, a school governor for a special needs school, sits in both the adult criminal and family courts as a Magistrate and is listening volunteer at Samaritans. He was previously chairman of trustees for his local Samaritans branch and took responsibility for training in the region.

He is nearing the end of an eight year term as a trustee for Winchester University’s Student Union. Steve was made an MBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honors’ List for his voluntary service in Hampshire and is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Living in Andover, when not working or volunteering he can be found enjoying a cruise holiday or a cricket match in the sun.

Stuart is a chartered accountant and a member of the senior leadership team at NATS, acting as Director Group Treasury, Corporate and Business Finance. Over the last few years, his focus has been on ensuring that the business retained sufficient funding to navigate the impact that Covid-19 had on NATS and the aviation sector.

Stuart lives in Hampshire with his wife and two sons. Outside of work, Stuart loves playing hockey and tennis, and when not playing he is often managing or coaching junior hockey and cricket teams at the clubs where his sons play.

His favourite quote is often attributed to George Bernard Shaw: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”