Our trustees

Adrian Batchelor, Chair of Trustees

After joining the board in December 2019, Adrian brings skills and experience from a career in financial services. With five boys, his youngest son is autistic and has severe learning difficulties, living in residential care in Sussex. Adrian enjoys working with his fellow trustees and alongside Aspens' staff to make a difference to everybody supported by us. 

Damien Duffy

Damien joined the Board in November 2025. He has spent his career in financial services and is a qualified accountant. Away from Aspens, Damien is the Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Director of two insurance groups in the UK and Gibraltar. He brings extensive finance, risk management and governance experience to the board. Damien is looking forward to being a visible and valued member of the Aspens board.

Joanna Ford

Jo joined the board in March 2025.  She is a qualified solicitor and head of the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at Cripps LLP in Tunbridge Wells. She has advised a number of charities in her professional role, and brings valuable legal insight and a commitment to good governance to the board.  

Prior to joining Aspens she was a trustee of Hospice in the Weald for 7 years, where she was instrumental in developing the hospice’s services for children, which launched in March 2023.  Jo is looking forward to supporting Aspens to empower autistic individuals and those with learning disabilities.

Peter Green

Peter brings professional knowledge of care quality, multi-agency working, and governance to the Aspens board. A particular focus is helping to ensure that Aspens can recruit, retain, and develop the best possible staff so that those the charity supports can build stable relationships.

Peter’s son is an Aspens resident and being a Trustee gives Peter an opportunity to give something back to the charity.

Brian Ingle

Miriam Josiah

Miriam joined the board in March 2024. She has been in the financial services industry for the last 10 years, working as an equity research analyst for Morgan Stanley. Miriam is also a CFA® charterholder. Miriam is excited to be working with other trustees to ensure Aspens continues to make a meaningful impact within the autism community and is looking forward to getting more involved across the breadth of the charity.

Shannon McGinley

Shannon sits on the Aspens trustee board, bringing extensive experience in fundraising and strategy across the charity, start-up, health, technology, and community sectors. She is passionate about helping organisations grow stronger, diversify their income, and create lasting social impact. At home, Shannon has three grown-up children and a firm allegiance to a proper builder’s tea. She is proud to support Aspens’ vision of an inclusive society where everyone can thrive.

Seedy Njie

Seedy joined the board in November 2025. He is a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) with broad experience advising investment and asset management firms across the UK and Europe. He is currently the Tax Lead at Veld Capital Advisory LLP, where he supports the executive team on strategy, structuring and tax risk management. Seedy is looking forward to working with his fellow trustees to ensure the charity continues to provide the highest quality care and support to the people and families it supports.

Simon Riddiford

Simon joined the board in 2025. He is recently retired following a 40-year career in the aerospace industry. A professional engineer, Simon's early career experiences in avionics R&D were followed by progressively more senior roles in project/programme management, sales and marketing, engineering leadership and in strategy formulation and deployment.

Married, with two adult sons, his pastimes now include travel, tracking current affairs, regular dog walks with the family's Norfolk terrier, and closely following all things rugby-related. Simon will use the experience gained during his professional career to help Aspens continue to deliver its mission.

Karen Roberts

Karen joined the board in March 2024. With 30 years of senior leadership and change experience across many industries in the corporate world, Karen brings diverse experience. She manages a portfolio career running her own business, Vivendus Ltd, providing both life coaching and procurement consulting services.  Karen is looking forward to working with the wider Aspens board.

Harriet Smith

Harriet joined the board in 2025. Harriet built her career in the healthcare sector, where she gained extensive experience managing and launching organisations, including SMEs, franchises, and entities within the NHS. This journey led her to own and manage Braeburn Care, a multi-site domiciliary care business, which she later grew in partnership with her father when they acquired and expanded Sammons Recruitment Group. 

Throughout her career, Harriet has honed her expertise in operational leadership, strategic development, recruitment, branding, marketing, and IT. Her deep understanding of the competitive landscape, along with her ability to identify growth opportunities and adapt to industry changes, has been pivotal in driving the success of both businesses. Harriet is committed to excellence and continuous improvement, ensuring both Sammons and Braeburn Care remain at the forefront of their respective industries.