The Board of Trustees at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Corporate Trustee of Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity

The Board of Trustees at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust are responsible for providing governance and leadership and act as Corporate Trustee of the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity.  A special committee, called the Charitable Funds Committee, meets bi-monthly to consider plans for the charity, ensure good governance is implemented and that expenditure complies with charity standards. This committee is chaired by a Non-Executive Director and membership is made up of Board Directors and Non Executive Directors from the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust together with others in attendance including the Associate Director of Charity, Charitable Funds Accountant and Head of Fundraising. 

Mandy Jordan, Associate Director of Charity

Mandy Jordan is Associate Director of Charity at Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Mandy joined the charity as Head of Fundraising in 2016, after playing a key role in developing the £4.7m Woolverstone Macmillan Centre at Ipswich Hospital as part of her previous role at Macmillan Cancer Support. Before stepping into the sector, Mandy was a legal executive who specialised in conveyancing and legacies, honing skills and knowledge which she now finds useful in her role.  Mandy is passionate about the NHS and is responsible for creating a high performing NHS charity that continues to improve patients’ lives at a difficult time, providing the lifesaving equipment, cutting edge technology, research and innovation that transforms the healthcare available to our friends and family when they need it most. Mandy is also Chair of NHS Charities Together, East of England Region.

Graeme Potts, Charitable Funds Accountant

Graeme has worked in NHS finance for 22 years.  Starting as a finance trainee for a shared service agency, working in the sales ledger, purchase ledger and financial accounts.  From there he became a financial accountant, with responsibilities including managing the charitable funds accounts for a mental health Trust.

Graeme joined the management accounts team at Colchester Hospital before becoming the Charitable Funds Accountant for Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity in 2020.

Nichola Whymark, Head of Fundraising and Marketing

In 2024, Nichola joined the charity team as Head of Fundraising and Marketing. She has worked in the charity sector for over 18 years where her career has spanned across a wide variety of charities including Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation, East Anglian Air Ambulance and St Elizabeth Hospice. A strategic, solution-focused leader with a strong track record of working with high-performing teams, business development, governance, multi-disciplined income generation, multi-channel marketing, creating policies and relishing in the challenges, demands and pressures that the sector brings.

Nichola is passionate about innovation in the workplace and is not afraid to challenge the status quo. She champions stakeholder engagement and stewardship and is an advocate for empowering those around her to achieve great results and celebrate successes. Nichola attributes the NHS and Ipswich Hospital with saving her life. It is with this, that she wants to use her passion, energy and knowledge to drive all aspects of raising vital funds for the cause further.

James Stephens, Senior Grants Manager

James has worked in the NHS for 10 years. Starting as an Information Analyst in 2014 for NHS commissioning and going on in 2017 to undertake business, change management & operational roles for the hospital. 

James joined our team in 2024 as Senior Grants Manager for the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Using his diverse experience in the NHS, he is supporting staff to use your generous donations in a way that makes them go as far as possible, to the places that need them most.