Nicki Simmons
I am the founder of this special Foundation which I set up to ensure that the spirit of my only darling daughter, taken far too young at the age of 23-years in a road traffic accident in India, lives on. She was 10 days into a trip of a lifetime after qualifying as an accountant. My Han’s spirit had to be kept alive and I thought long and hard about how best to do this.
It was when I was in the depths of my sorrow with nowhere to turn, that I found a tool for my pain – on my mat in my yoga and meditation classes, neither of which I had tried before. Then, in a bubble moment I realised that this is what I would create – a warm caring non-judgemental environment (all those qualities found in my daughter). We would seek to enable others to find a tool for their grief and so became the Hannah Whitley Foundation.
So what else do I do in my spare time? I am a full time solicitor and mother to my rock , Theo , Hannah’s 20-year-old brother.
Chelsea Maher
One of Hannah’s best friends and heart and soul. One of the foundation’s founding members and social media guru!
Charlotte Lingard
Hannah’s fairy godmother in every sense of the word and one of the foundation’s founding members. A mentor and advisor to the Foundation.
Gareth Jones
Hannah’s chief work role model, dear friend and the Foundation’s accountant and financial advisor.
Jo Bentley
Jo is our trustee and outreach coordinator
She teaches mindfulness courses to the public, for the NHS and in business. Jo’s personal and professional experience in teaching across the UK and in America confirms that learning and practising mindfulness enables us to deal with life’s challenges to the best of our ability; whether that be bereavement, anxiety, depression or pain.
Having qualified to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy at Bangor University, Jo has recently added yoga teaching to her skill set to help bring a mind/body approach to mental health.