Meet the team

Our people

Meet the team

Dr Jen Kelly

Chief Executive Officer

Jen Kelly

The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust was founded in memory of my daughter Grace who passed away in 2014. Grace was a loving, caring little girl who above all wanted to help and look after other children. Her legacy, the Trust was set up to do just that, to help other children as I know this is exactly what she would have wanted.

I am so proud of all Grace has achieved and am grateful to everyone that has helped to make this possible. As both a bereaved parent and a General Practitioner, I am in the unusual position of being able to experience the problems of childhood cancer both from the viewpoint as a clinician but also as a parent. I hope that in time, our work will make a big difference to children fighting cancer.

Kerry Grindon

Office and project manager

Kerry Grindon

I joined the Trust in May 2024 having worked for 15 years within the corporate sector. My background is HR and Marketing, and I am so pleased to have found a role where I can utilise my skills set to make a positive difference within our community.

I live in Worcester with my husband and daughter – they keep me very busy outside of work! In my spare time I love yoga, spending time with friends and the great outdoors – hiking, running, or camping.

I have witnessed first-hand the amazing support the Trust provided my friend when his family needed it the most. I now feel extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to be a part of the future growth of the Trust and join such a dedicated team creating an incredible legacy for beautiful Grace.

Sarah Tarry

Family Support Manager

Sarah Tarry

I joined the team in 2021, having previously worked for the NHS for almost 20 years as part of the 0-19 Startingwell Public Health Nursing Team. My role of Family Support Worker at The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust gave me a new challenge whilst enabling me to use the skills and knowledge gained within the NHS. I have helped the Family Support service to grow and flourish and I was delighted to be offered the role of Family Support Team Lead in 2023, and the role of Family Support Team Manager in 2024.. I continue to support Families within Herefordshire and Worcestershire providing both practical and emotional support and I am also the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Charity.

I feel privileged and honoured to be part of such a fabulous team and will continue the legacy that beautiful Grace left behind, whilst ensuring that no family should feel alone as they go through their Childhood Cancer journey.

Lucy Perkins

Nicolas Francis

Coming soon

Nicolas Francis

Coming soon

Lucy Perkins

More coming soon.

Amy Casati

Family Support Worker

Amy Casati

I joined the Trust in June 2022 with almost a decade of experience in Primary Education. As well as teaching in the Early Years, I supported families pastorally, lead home visits and was an advocate for children’s mental health during their early years of learning. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the job and desperately wanted to help children who needed my support the most.

I feel absolutely honoured to now be part of the team here at the Trust and enjoy meeting and supporting families in the Gloucestershire area. I hope to make a difference to many more, in honour of the amazing Grace and feel so proud to be able to continue her legacy of helping others.

Sophie Blount

Communications Officer

Sophie Blount

I joined the trust in July 2023 and as the first official Communications Officer to be employed by the charity, I have exciting plans on how we can inform and motivate individuals and communities to engage with our mission and values. For the past 10 years I have supported and taught 16–18-year-olds in FE colleges whilst also working closely with local businesses and charities to produce digital content for campaigns and fundraisers. I have developed an empathetic yet informative tone and style which I hope will now assist me in successfully raising awareness of childhood cancer so that in memory of beautiful Grace, we can help the children of today have their tomorrow.

Sam Wright-Giering

Family Support Worker

Sam Wright-Giering

I joined the Trust in May 2023, having known the Kelly family through my previous role in a local Preschool setting where I was the Deputy Early Years Manager and Safeguard lead with over 7 years of experience. I have seen how the Charity has grown over the years, seeing the Ladybird logo appearing in new places and the impact it can have on families. I now feel very honoured to be a part of an incredible team, where I can use my skills, love of arts and crafts, gaining new experiences and knowledge while providing practical, emotional and financial support to the whole family effected by childhood Cancer. I hope to be able to make a difference to those effected and continue Grace’s legacy of helping others.

Meet the trustees

Our Trustees are the individuals who hold the ultimate responsibility for the governing of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust and directing how it is managed and run. Our Trustees work on a purely voluntary basis, and for this we are extremely grateful.

We are lucky to have a great team of enthusiastic, dedicated Trustees who give their time to ensure the charity is run in the correct way and to the very best of our abilities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Trustees, both past and present, for their time and dedication to helping support the work of the charity.

Victoria Billings

Chairperson

Victoria Billings

I’m extremely proud to chair the Trust. As a founding member, the Trust is a big part of my life and one that is very close to my heart.

Grace was my daughter’s friend since they were babies. I am honoured to have known her and to support her incredible legacy with her wonderful mum and Founder of the Trust.

My professional background is in Marketing, I also love getting involved in all aspects of company culture and employee engagement. I bring my experience of working in a global business to developing a national charity and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together so far.

I live in Droitwich with my husband and 2 daughters, they keep me very busy. In my spare time, I like to go the gym and spend time with friends.

I look forward to shaping the future of our wonderful charity and to be able to support families when they need us the most.

Alicia Kelly

Trustee

Alicia Kelly

I’m a mum-of-three who has lived in Worcestershire for many years. As a journalist of 15 years – most recently working as a news editor across six local news titles – I have had the privilege telling extraordinary stories of people living in our county. It has given me an insight into both the challenging situations faced by individuals and families and the incredible way in which many cope even when life is difficult.

As a trustee of the Trust, I hope to be able to contribute to the wonderful work the charity does to support families whose children have been affected by cancer.

Nicolas Francis

Trustee

Darren Wilkins

Trustee

Darren Wilkins

Worcestershire born and bred, husband to my beautiful wife and father to our two children, I am a dedicated, well connected and respected businessman with my core values in providing exceptional support and services throughout the Worcestershire area to the local business community. Family is very important to me and with that I’m passionate about charity work, in particular supporting children’s charities and the unique challenges they face. As the Managing Director of City Signs for over 26 years, Group Leader of Sterling Networks and Sterling Education Group and a Worcestershire Ambassador, I have a broad spectrum of skills that I offer as a Trustee of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust. GKCCT is a charity close to my heart with family link through my eldest sister who runs her own Worcester based Dance School where she taught Grace to dance.

Tracey Marlow- Jones

Trustee

Tracey Marlow- Jones

Hi, I'm Tracey, Director of Indegu Ltd, an eLearning company based in Worcester. My professional journey includes a background in teaching adults within Adult Community Learning and Further Education. Beyond my work, you'll find me at the gym, or enjoying quality time socialising with friends and family.

In 2018, I met a member of the GKCCT team and learned about the incredible work this charity accomplishes in memory of Grace. Witnessing the charity's growth and evolution since then has been a pleasure.

I've contributed to the charity since initially meeting them, lending my expertise to create eLearning materials and participating in various fundraising events. My family is equally committed; my two boys took the plunge, quite literally, leaping from the sky to support the charity (they’re braver than me), while my husband, Adam, contributes through fundraising initiatives and providing IT support.

Looking ahead, I'm excited about the opportunity to deepen my involvement as a Trustee. It's a role I embrace with pride and honour, being able to contribute to the continued success of this remarkable team.

Sarah Rose

Trustee

Sarah Rose

Having been a keen supporter and advocate for the vital work of the Trust since its foundation, I am delighted and very proud to have the opportunity to serve as a Trustee.

I was born and grew up in Worcester and have been proud to count Grace’s family as friends for the majority of my life. I am honoured to now play a small part in helping them to realise their vision for supporting families who are impacted by Childhood Cancer, and their pioneering work to ensure better information for medical professionals and more effective and kinder treatment for children.

My professional background is in HR and I specialise in Organisational Development. I bring my professional experience of working with some of the world’s best-known organisations, as well as with scaling businesses to help the Trust to evolve and develop in service of its charitable aims.

I live in Surrey with my husband and 3 children. When not working or caring for my family, I am passionate about rugby, the theatre and reading, and am learning to play the piano.

Our people

Meet the team

Dr Jen Kelly

Chief Executive Officer

Kerry Grindon

Office and project manager

Sarah Tarry

Family Support Manager

Lucy Perkins

Head of Fundraising

Amy Casati

Family Support Worker

Sophie Blount

Communications Officer

Sam Wright-Giering

Family Support Worker

Meet the trustees

Victoria Billings

Alicia Kelly

Nicolas Francis

Darren Wilkins

Tracey Marlow- Jones

Sarah Rose

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