Our Trustees
Our trustees dedicate their time to guiding the charity
Andy King
Andy has spent 40 years in retail and brings a range of commercial and business experience which he hopes will benefit the charity and enable it to achieve its goals. Andy has a daughter living with autism so has lived experience and is passionate about enabling children and adults to fulfil their potential.
Guy Deterding
Guy joined Autism Unlimited as a trustee in 2024. After a long career in IT, he is keen to bring his experience to bear in benefiting the charity. He is passionate about working to grow the charity and maximise the support it can deliver for neurodivergent adults and kids.
James Brazier
James is enthusiastic, empathetic and proactive in his approach, and his vision for Autism Unlimited is to support the charity externally and help Autism Unlimited to grow in both stature and size.
James Sturman
Trustee - With over 30 years of finance and management experience I would like to take this skillset and use for the benefit of the charity and the young people it helps in order to achieve its goals and ambitions.
Jan Thurgood
Jan joined Autism Unlimited as a Trustee in July 2022. She brings experience of autism though her career in children's and adult social services and her personal life. She is passionate about enabling children and adults to fulfil their potential and about providing the best possible support and development opportunities to staff.
Kaleem Baig
Kaleem is passionate about system-wide interventions in health, education and social care to improve the quality of services. Kaleem is a Medical Doctor with extensive experience working in the NHS and private healthcare as a Consultant Psychiatrist and has held various clinical and leadership roles. He has a specialist interest in Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and the Chartered Management Institute.
Lesley Longstone - Chair of Trustees
Trustee - Lesley brings a range of policy experience in children and young people’s issues, including education, health and youth policy. She has substantial board experience through her work with another charity working with autistic people, and having been Chief Executive of a regulator in the health sector is familiar with the highly regulated environment within which Autism Unlimited operates. Most importantly, she cares deeply about every child, young person and adult having the opportunity to enjoy life to the full.
Mary Redcliffe
Mary became a part of Autism Unlimited in July 2024, bringing with her more than two decades of HR experience in both retail and financial services. She resides in Christchurch with her husband and two children. Mary is committed to leveraging her expertise to help the Autism Unlimited team thrive and contribute to the charity’s goals. She is passionate about creating an environment where all team members and young people can flourish and reach their potential.
Michelle Howard
Michelle joined Autism Unlimited as a Trustee in 2024. An experienced Solicitor, Michelle has spent nearly 30 years working as a Non-Executive Director across NHS/Social Care Organisations. Michelle has been paralysed from the chest down since the age of 16. She has recently relocated back to Dorset having lived and worked in Wiltshire for over 30 years. Michelle is looking forward to contributing to ensure that every young person is given the tools they need to reach their goals and explore their full potential.
Shane Rae
Shane has been working in the field of education for over 30 years. He was a classroom teacher before moving to the field of Education Technology where he now works as a Chief Product Officer for global education providers. He is incredibly passionate about creating educational technology that can support each learner's unique requirements. He has also been a National Leader of School Governance and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts for his work in Education Innovation.
Andy King
Andy has spent 40 years in retail and brings a range of commercial and business experience which he hopes will benefit the charity and enable it to achieve its goals. Andy has a daughter living with autism so has lived experience and is passionate about enabling children and adults to fulfil their potential.
Guy Deterding
Guy joined Autism Unlimited as a trustee in 2024. After a long career in IT, he is keen to bring his experience to bear in benefiting the charity. He is passionate about working to grow the charity and maximise the support it can deliver for neurodivergent adults and kids.
James Brazier
James is enthusiastic, empathetic and proactive in his approach, and his vision for Autism Unlimited is to support the charity externally and help Autism Unlimited to grow in both stature and size.
James Sturman
Trustee - With over 30 years of finance and management experience I would like to take this skillset and use for the benefit of the charity and the young people it helps in order to achieve its goals and ambitions.
Jan Thurgood
Jan joined Autism Unlimited as a Trustee in July 2022. She brings experience of autism though her career in children's and adult social services and her personal life. She is passionate about enabling children and adults to fulfil their potential and about providing the best possible support and development opportunities to staff.
Kaleem Baig
Kaleem is passionate about system-wide interventions in health, education and social care to improve the quality of services. Kaleem is a Medical Doctor with extensive experience working in the NHS and private healthcare as a Consultant Psychiatrist and has held various clinical and leadership roles. He has a specialist interest in Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and the Chartered Management Institute.
Lesley Longstone - Chair of Trustees
Trustee - Lesley brings a range of policy experience in children and young people’s issues, including education, health and youth policy. She has substantial board experience through her work with another charity working with autistic people, and having been Chief Executive of a regulator in the health sector is familiar with the highly regulated environment within which Autism Unlimited operates. Most importantly, she cares deeply about every child, young person and adult having the opportunity to enjoy life to the full.
Mary Redcliffe
Mary became a part of Autism Unlimited in July 2024, bringing with her more than two decades of HR experience in both retail and financial services. She resides in Christchurch with her husband and two children. Mary is committed to leveraging her expertise to help the Autism Unlimited team thrive and contribute to the charity’s goals. She is passionate about creating an environment where all team members and young people can flourish and reach their potential.
Michelle Howard
Michelle joined Autism Unlimited as a Trustee in 2024. An experienced Solicitor, Michelle has spent nearly 30 years working as a Non-Executive Director across NHS/Social Care Organisations. Michelle has been paralysed from the chest down since the age of 16. She has recently relocated back to Dorset having lived and worked in Wiltshire for over 30 years. Michelle is looking forward to contributing to ensure that every young person is given the tools they need to reach their goals and explore their full potential.
Shane Rae
Shane has been working in the field of education for over 30 years. He was a classroom teacher before moving to the field of Education Technology where he now works as a Chief Product Officer for global education providers. He is incredibly passionate about creating educational technology that can support each learner's unique requirements. He has also been a National Leader of School Governance and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts for his work in Education Innovation.
