Updates

Announcement of trustee changes 

Written by Sam Wilson, January 9, 2025

We want to let you know about two changes to our Board of Trustees which are effective immediately. 

Susan Stretch, who has served as a trustee since 2021 will step down with immediate effect. Susan has accepted a role with the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and has resigned to avoid any potential conflict of interest. 

We are very grateful to Susan for her incredibly hard work over the last three years. She has been generous with her time in support of our events and has been a powerful advocate for the infected blood community.  

Conan McIlwrath, Chair of the Haemophilia Society (THS), said: ‘I would like to thank Susan for being a fantastic ambassador for our charity during her time as a trustee. She has been an important voice in the fight for justice for people impacted by infected blood and has also been a great advocate for better treatment and care for people with von Willebrand disorder and other bleeding disorders. I wish her every success in her new role.’ 

We’re also pleased to welcome Simon Blackwell, who was co-opted to the Board of Trustees in December. Simon has severe haemophilia A and is a lifelong THS member. With more than 20 years of leadership experience at a corporate level, Simon has experience at developing and executing strategies to drive growth which will, we believe, be a great asset to THS as we work to achieve financial stability in the absence of much-needed government funding.  

The next meeting of our Board of Trustees takes place online on 21 January 2025.