MEET THE TEAM
Please meet our team of employees, Trustees and Patrons
STAFF
Victoria Pigg
Kerry Kemp
Carolyn Atkins
Caitlin Quinn
MEET OUR TRUSTEES
Matt Wallis
I have spent over 20 years working in Executive Search, specialising in appointing Chief People Officers and their senior leadership teams. I partner with organisations ranging from private equity–backed start-ups to globally recognised market leaders, leading board-level appointments across the UK, EMEA, the Americas, and APAC. This work has given me a strong commercial perspective and deep expertise in human resources, consulting, and people management.
Alongside my professional career, I have supported charities for more than 15 years through fundraising and awareness campaigns, personally raising over £45,000 for a variety of causes. My commitment to Keeping Abreast is deeply personal. In 2022, my wife Dianne was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery and treatment. Experiencing first-hand the lack of clear information about post surgical options has made me passionate about ensuring others are fully informed, supported, and empowered.
I live in Hertfordshire with my wife, have three grown-up stepchildren, and enjoy weight training, travel, good food, and following Liverpool FC.
Elsa Ryder
After 15 years working in higher education in France and the UK, I founded my own tutoring and university admissions counselling business, building on earlier experience in institutional and corporate communications. Alongside my professional work, I am an active patient advocate, volunteering with Breast Cancer Now and serving on several Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) groups focused on health literacy and improving access to clinical trials. I have completed cancer science training through the Barts Cancer Institute–led VOICE programme and am currently a fellow of EUPATI.
Following my own breast cancer diagnosis and more than two years navigating reconstruction, I understand how vital clear information and peer support are at such a vulnerable time. I am passionate about ensuring patient voices genuinely shape services and that complex medical information is accessible to all. Outside my work, I am a keen choir singer and a proud mum of three.
Carina Carter
I first joined Keeping Abreast as a volunteer after hearing about the charity at work. I have been a nurse at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital for over 20 years, and for the last nine specialising in plastic and reconstructive surgery. As part of my role, I care for patients undergoing breast reconstruction surgery, both immediately post-surgery and during follow-ups in clinic. This has given me great insight and deep understanding about patients’ needs, challenges and the emotional impact that breast reconstruction surgery may have.
As a Trustee, I am able to act as an advocate for reconstruction patients, ensuring their voices are heard and offering practical recommendations that can directly improve their recovery experiences. Being part of Keeping Abreast is both exciting and a privilege, and I am committed to using my clinical insight, patient perspective, and professional experience to help the charity continue to grow and positively impact the lives of those navigating reconstruction.
In my personal time I like being outdoors – I play hockey and I have a dog and two children. I love eating out and a good latte!
Rachel McArthur
I spent 18 years working as a nurse, including the last 10 years as a Nursing Officer in the British Army, where I gained extensive experience in leadership, patient care, and managing teams under challenging conditions. Following my military career, I changed direction and have spent the past 19 years running my own podiatry business, combining clinical expertise with entrepreneurship and business management.
I have two daughters who are currently at university. With a little more spare time now, I was delighted to join Keeping Abreast as a Trustee. In this role, I am keen to contribute my professional experience, leadership skills, and practical understanding of healthcare to support the charity’s work. I am passionate about helping the organisation continue to grow, reach more people, and provide the guidance, reassurance, and support that can make a real difference in patients’ lives.
Beckie Jordan
I am currently Events Media Director at BizClik, where I lead communications and marketing across a global portfolio of B2B events, both virtual and in-person. I plan and deliver integrated campaigns that drive awareness, engagement, and attendance from senior executives and industry leaders worldwide. My professional background spans event marketing, media relations, global communications, audience development, social media, content creation, PR, and link-building.
I bring strategic marketing expertise to the Keeping Abreast Board, helping to increase awareness of the charity’s work and strengthen its social media and wider marketing approach. This supports growth in reach, engagement, and impact, ensuring that more people can access the support the charity provides.
The charity’s work is especially meaningful to me as I prepare for preventative removal and reconstruction surgery, and I have experienced first-hand how invaluable Keeping Abreast’s guidance and reassurance can be. Outside of work, I enjoy boxing, running, and yoga.
Sharon Lilley (Treasurer)
I have been volunteering with the Norwich Support Group since 2017, following my own breast reconstruction. During that time, the charity provided me with invaluable support, guidance, and comfort while I was waiting for my surgery, and I wanted to give something back in return. Volunteering at the Norwich Support Group “show and tell” meetings has been incredibly rewarding, giving me the satisfaction of helping others navigate a challenging journey while also making many new friends along the way.
Over the years, as my circumstances have allowed me a bit more time, I decided to take the next step and become a Trustee. In this role, I am excited to contribute more formally to the charity’s work, helping to shape its future and ensure it continues to provide the support, information, and reassurance that makes such a meaningful difference to people facing reconstruction.
Nellie Kuma
My experience working with diverse communities will be a valuable asset as a Trustee. I currently work as a Project Officer on a cancer health inequalities initiative called Talking About Cancer Together, supporting awareness and engagement across different groups. This role is a significant change from my previous career as a primary school teacher, but it has been exactly the change I needed, allowing me to make a direct impact on people’s health and wellbeing.
The work of Keeping Abreast matters to me personally because I understand how important it is to feel supported during the journey of mastectomy and reconstruction. I am at a stage in my life where I can dedicate time and energy to contribute to this important work, helping others navigate challenging experiences. Outside of work, I am a mother of two young men in their twenties and enjoy travelling with my husband now that our youngest is at university.
Nellie Guttmann
I currently work for the Somerset Wiltshire Avon and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance, leading the Early Diagnosis and Health Inequalities programmes. I have worked in the NHS for 13 years, primarily in community engagement, transformation, and inclusion roles across commissioning organisations and hospital trusts. Prior to joining the NHS, I worked in Community Mental Health Services with charities including Mind and The Richmond Fellowship.
I bring strategic NHS experience and a strong background in reducing health inequalities, and I am passionate about helping Keeping Abreast build effective partnerships with the NHS. I am committed to ensuring the charity’s services meet the needs of everyone, particularly underserved communities facing breast reconstruction. Having experienced breast cancer and reconstruction myself at 35, I understand how vital this support is. Outside work, I enjoy running, camping, and travelling to new places.
Karen Rix
I run my own business as a professional coach and mentor, supporting people through life transitions and coaching triathletes, with wellbeing central to every conversation. Before becoming a full-time coach, I spent over 20 years as a digital transformation leader across health, local government, and the voluntary and private sectors. Most recently, I was Associate Director at the NHS Benchmarking Network, leading national programmes to help organisations use data and digital tools effectively. I have also held senior roles at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and worked in education and adult learning earlier in my career.
I bring strategic leadership, governance experience, and expertise in digital systems and performance improvement to the Board. I am passionate about the compassionate, practical support Keeping Abreast provides at a vulnerable time. Outside work, I enjoy endurance sport and coaching others to achieve their goals.
PATRONS
Elaine Sassoon – Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Richard Haywood – Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Beverley Birritteri – Co-Founder of Keeping Abreast
Ruth Harcourt – Co-Founder of Keeping Abreast
Becky Jago – TV Presenter
Catalina Estela
Elena Prousskaia Peregudova
Christopher Bailey
Thank you to the businesses that support us!
Get in Touch
About Us
Keeping Abreast was established in September 2007 by patients Anna Beckingham and Beverley Birritteri and Breast Reconstruction nurse specialist Ruth Harcourt. They recognised a great need for women, both newly diagnosed with breast cancer and facing the possibility of mastectomy, and also women further down the line who are also considering reconstructive surgery, to be able to meet and talk to other women who have been through similar experiences. This allows women make an informed choice about whether or not to proceed with breast reconstruction.
© 2025 © Keeping Abreast Breast Cancer Reconstruction Support Group, registered charity number: 1129522. Registered office: M&A Partners, 7 The Close, Norwich, NR1 4DJ