Allan Kellehear OBE is Professor of End-of-Life Care at Northumbria University. Allan has worked as a full professor in Australia, Japan, the UK, and the USA. A longstanding contributor to the interdisciplinary study of dying, he is also widely recognized as founder and one of the leading advocates of the international public health movement in palliative care. He is a sociologist; an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (UK); an honorary professor at Durham University (UK) and the University of Hong Kong (China); and patron to national doula associations in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Dr Emma Hodges, member of the Royal Society for Public Health is an experienced senior leader dedicated to improving health and care systems while tackling health inequalities wherever possible. She served as the Development Director for Compassionate Communities UK alongside running a consultancy focused on organisational development, healthcare, equity, and diversity. 

Emma’s recent projects include her work with CommonAge, contributing to the Dementia in the Commonwealth Report. Her professional background spans Human Resources, Organisational Development, and leadership as a Hospice CEO. She holds a doctorate in Health Planning and Management, where her research explored the organisational factors shaping English hospices’ approaches to dementia care. Passionate about organisational institutionalism, she is particularly interested in how these structures drive or prevent change.

Jason Ghous is the CEO of Phrenetech Ltd, trading as FuneralExperts.com, an independent bereavement navigation service. Funeral Experts helps families navigate funeral decisions and provides bereavement support and practical assistance during one of the most vulnerable times in life. Jason has led the development and delivery of NHS integrated pathways, including a tripartite pilot with Liverpool City Council and Liverpool University Hospitals, focused on improving equity, transparency, and outcomes for bereaved families. His work bridges frontline service delivery, governance, and digital innovation, with a particular focus on using high-quality data and evidence to reduce variation, improve access, and strengthen support for those most at risk. In his spare time, Jason volunteers with the disaster response organisation RE:ACT, has been embedded with local authority and NHS teams during COVID, supported the Ukrainian Association of Great Britain with donation logistics, and coordinated volunteers on Vauxhall Bridge for The Queen’s funeral.

Dr Manjula Patel is CEO of Murray Hall Community Trust a community anchor hub, an organisation working to improve people’s health and wellbeing through a social model of health from early years to end of life.  Her doctoral research subject was about the development of compassionate communities and she is a published author on the subject.  She, is also, a Trustee of Locality a member of the International Federation of Settlements.

Simon Betteridge originally qualified and worked as a youth and community worker before becoming a Healthcare Chaplain in 2003. During his 20 years in the NHS, he led work in partnership with NHSE and the Health Foundation developing Asset Based Community Development approaches to improve the experience of people living with long term conditions. The work further developed to improve the experience of those approaching the end of their lives and the bereaved, especially those from marginalised groups.

As a member of the NHP Clinical Strategic Oversight Group Simon was an advocate for those who are marginalised and experience inequalities, including those from different cultural and faith backgrounds. While in the NHS Simon was Chair of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy and is now Independent Chair of the Chaplaincy Forum for Pastoral, Spiritual and Religious Care in Health within NHSE.

He is now National Director of Linking Lives UK a charity seeking to impact social isolation and loneliness in local communities, and Director of the Compassionate Places CIC

Dr Colette Hawkins is an Academic Consultant in Palliative Medicine in North East England. Her expertise focuses on unmet needs and raising standards of end of life care across a multi-agency workforce. She leads the Routes to Rights research programme, investigating legal issues, particularly social welfare needs, in life-limiting conditions. Engaging the public and a wide range of agencies has established routes to meeting needs more effectively. Colette has considerable expertise in workforce development and transforming practice through education. Funded by Health Education England, she developed a programme of learning around end of life based on stories. She delivers multi-agency learning, facilitating discussion around prevalent issues often missed through traditional education. She continues to evolve this programme, working towards national reach with an inclusive End of Life Academy.

Alisha Hawke is a lived experience representative after becoming widowed at the age of 25 with two young children. Her husband Gavin died in 2023 from a rare metastatic ependymoma of the brain and spine after receiving his initial diagnosis in 2019. Alisha is dedicated to using her lived experience to improve palliative and end of life care for individuals, caregivers and extended family members including bereaved children. Recent projects Alisha has been involved in include being a member of the Cornwall NHS End Of Life Reference group to support the development of new projects to improve end of life care in Cornwall. Alisha is also a member of the Marie Curie research voices group and has been a PPI representative for a variety of research projects including being on the advisory panel for the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Advanced Illness Network. 

In a professional capacity Alisha is a Carers Wellbeing Practitioner. Alisha is an end of life doula in training and she is a grief tending facilitator which offers an alternative grief support for her local community rooted in practices found in ancient, diverse cultures.