Our Trustees
Trustees are responsible for ensuring Carers in Bedfordshire is doing what we were set up to do. They make decisions about how the charity is run and agree future developments. They are volunteers who bring their professional skills, knowledge or experience to help the board reach sound decisions. Most have current or former caring experience.
Michelle Evans-Riches
Chair
Michelle has more than 20 years’ experience in Public Sector governance, both in local authorities and the NHS. She was previously the Head of Corporate Governance at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, ensuring decisions were made appropriately and in line with the governance and regulatory framework.
Michelle was the primary carer for her father and has first-hand insight on the challenges and rewards of being a carer. She is passionate about the voluntary sector and the impact it has on the everyday lives of residents in our communities.
Graham Kemp
Treasurer and Chair of Finance committee
Graham is a chartered accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. He has previously worked for one of the big four accounting firms and subsequently in senior financial roles in large commercial organisations.
Graham’s interest in Carers in Bedfordshire began due to his experience of caring for a family member with complex needs through mental health, a role he continues today. He regularly attends carers forums, gaining insight into the needs of other carers.
Now retired from full time employment he applies his workplace skills and personal caring involvement to work with the team at CiB in its ambition to deliver support and better futures for more unpaid carers.
Nicola Kidby
Finance committee member
Nicola trained as a chartered accountant after serving in the Army. She currently works part time as an accountant for Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire.
She manages a long-term health condition along with caring for two adult children with disabilities – and caring for her elderly mother.
She has been a trustee with Carers in Bedfordshire for 4 years and joined the Board partly as she was so grateful for the help she had received as a parent carer. She is passionate about making sure everyone should be offered the help they need and that the carers voice is heard.
Phil Taverner
Trustee
Phil was appointed as a trustee in 2019 and served as Chair from 2020 until August 2026. He continues as a trustee.
Phil spent most of his career in social work, both in the UK and New Zealand, which gave him a deep appreciation of the vital role that informal carers play in supporting people with health and care needs in different settings.
He chaired the committee that wrote the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on Support for Adult Carers, published in 2019. This gave him a comprehensive overview of the research evidence on what works for carer support services. He is still invited to contribute to national policy initiatives, conferences and other events.
Phil has first-hand experience of caring within his family.
Catherine Elworthy
Trustee
Catherine has worked within the health service and local authorities, in commissioning, performance management and strategy development at Islington Council children’s services and Central Bedfordshire Council adults and older people service.
Catherine was involved in the development of the first jointly commissioned carers service specification that was originally awarded to Carers in Bedfordshire, and ensured that carers were part of this service development and tender evaluation which gave her a lot of insight into the challenges and needs of carers and a passion for the aims of the charity.
She has been integral in developing future visions with multi agency partnerships, including the Islington Children and Young Peoples Plan, including young carers.
Roseanna Brady
Trustee
Roseanna worked for several years as a consultant in the health sector. She is a qualified health psychologist who specialised in helping people with long-term physical health conditions to improve their health. Roseanna is particularly concerned with the impact of a person’s physical illness on family members and close friends who care for them. Her work has included researching and developing support programmes for carers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and she has worked clinically with stroke survivors and people living with chronic pain.
Roseanna has prior experience as a trustee and subsequently as a member of a clinical advisory panel with a health charity. She also has experience of caring for a family member.
Harjinder Singh
Trustee
Harjinder brings more than 25 years of experience in Health, Social Care, and IT to his role as Chief Executive Officer of Smarta Healthcare. He leads the delivery of pharmacy and healthcare services designed to improve accessibility, safety, and trust for local communities.
Harjinder has a strong interest in Dementia and Mental Health, advocating for early support and dignified care for individuals and families. He is also passionate about using technology, including artificial intelligence, to ease clinical pressures and enhance patient outcomes.
Deeply connected to his community, Harjinder remains dedicated to supporting individuals at the grassroots level, ensuring everyone is treated with dignity, understanding, and respect.
Laura Palmariello
Trustee
Laura serves as Data Protection Officer for the charity, bringing a strong commitment to ethical governance, accountability, and the protection of personal information.
With a professional background in data protection, compliance and operations, she combines technical knowledge with a practical understanding of how organisations operate. This enables her to support the Board in making informed, responsible decisions that safeguard both the charity and the individuals it serves. She has a particular interest in digital transformation.
Laura is passionate about the mission of the charity and is committed to helping ensure that carers are supported, heard, and respected. Her involvement reflects both a professional dedication to good governance and a personal belief in the importance of supporting those who care for others.
Jodi Wainwright
Trustee
Jodi brings more than 20 years of experience in education, research, and community focused work to her role. She is a Research Fellow at the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute for Health and Wellbeing Research, where she works on projects aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving access to care for underserved communities.
Jodi has a strong interest in palliative and end-of-life care, as well as in supporting carers and ensuring their experiences shape both research and services. She is also passionate about the role of digital approaches in improving access, learning, and health outcomes, particularly for groups who may otherwise be excluded.
Committed to working closely with communities, Jodi focuses on inclusive, practical solutions that make a real difference, ensuring people feel heard, supported, and valued.
