Patrons and Trustees

Our Patrons

Sally Bercow
​​
Sally was educated at King Edward's Witley, and is now a writer, mother of three and committed autism campaigner. She frequently uses media and public appearances to raise awareness of autism. She is a Vice-President of the National Autistic Society, parent of a son with high-functioning autism and a Parent Patron of the charity "Ambitious about Autism".

Lucy Brown
​
Lucy is Chief Executive of Disability Initiative and brings a wealth of knowledge to The Simon Trust. Her established charity specialises in the provision of services to adults with complex physical disabilities and acquired brain injuries. Lucy and her staff specialise in providing care and rehabilitation to individuals to help them achieve their goals, no matter how large or small.

Santa Montefiore
​
Santa grew up on a farm in Hampshire and was educated at Sherborne School for Girls. She read Spanish and Italian at Exeter University and spent much of the 90s in Buenos Aires. Santa is an author with 19 romantic novels to her name, plus the recently released The Royal Rabbits of London. Santa and her husband Simon live in London with their two children, Lily and Sasha

Michael More-Molyneux
​​​
Michael has run Loseley Park Farms for the last twenty five years. The estate has been in his family for five centuries with one of Surrey's finest historic houses. Michael is the fourteenth generation and their son Alexander is now taking over full time management of the estate. Michael is also an active supporter of a host of charities including Shooting Star Chase, Challengers and Young Epilepsy, which are charities close to our hearts. He recently said 'I am committed to encouraging and supporting the voluntary charitable and faith sectors, benevolent organisations and the industrial, business and social life of our county'. Michael lives at Loseley with his wife Sarah and they have two surviving sons and a daughter.

The Reverend Canon Nigel Nicholson DL
​​
Nigel was born in Armagh in 1946 and educated at Dover College. Nigel served in the Honourable Artillery Company and went to Salisbury and Wells Theological College where he completed a Diploma in Theology. He has served as Rector of Compton, Shackleford and Peperharow, was Rector and Rural Dean of Cranleigh for 23 years and has been a Canon of Guildford Cathedral since 2000. He is now Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and a Freeman of the City of London. Now retired and living in Liphook, Nigel brings his local knowledge of the Alfold area and great wisdom to The Simon Trust.

Julie Walters CBE
​​
Julie lives in Plaistow, Sussex and has had more BAFTA nominations than any other actress. She first came to international prominence in 1983, for playing the title role in Educating Rita and is perhaps most recently remembered for her roles in Calendar Girls, Mama Mia and as Mrs Weasley in the Harry Potter films. Julie lives with her husband Grant Roffey on a large organic farm, complete with cows, pigs, sheep, chicken and vegetables. The couple married in 1997 and have a daughter, Maisie.

Our Trustees

Sally Lawrence
Chairman of the Trustees​​
As a parent of a disabled child, I am very aware of the heart-ache that is involved in bringing up a child who is "different". One not only has to deal with the day-to-day challenges, strain and isolation that it brings, but also the constant battle to obtain the care and provision that one's child so desperately needs. One such battle is the provision of a home for these children when they become adults.​
The seeds of The Simon Trust were sown when I and others realised that a group of vulnerable young people with severe autism and complex needs were no longer near their families in Surrey because there was no provision that met their needs within the county. We are now working alongside Surrey County Council to help them provide a long-term home for some of these people, near their families in Surrey. Our aim is to provide facilities and on-site activities and thus improve the quality of these disabled people's lives.

Nettie Lanaghan
Trustee
I have known Peter and Sally Lawrence for nearly 30 years and was delighted when they invited me to become part of The Simon Trust. I am a solicitor specialising in property law. In recent years I have been involved in fund raising initiatives for a number of charities local to my home in Liphook and on the Isle of Wight. I was very impressed when I saw the care and services offered to autistic children at Prior's Court (where Simon Lawrence currently lives) and hope that through our efforts we can recreate a similar home and environment, or an even better one, for adults with autism and severe learning difficulties in Surrey.

Gill Gillard​
Trustee
My daughter Rosanna has severe autism and is presently in an adult life skills college out of Surrey. Throughout her life, her father and I have put all our energy into caring for her, making sure she has the right support to help her develop and have a good quality of life. Her difficulties have opened our eyes to the needs of other young people with autism - how difficult it can become in adult life to maintain the right support.
Rosanna wants to live near her family and this has been the driving force behind my involvement as a trustee of The Simon Trust. She loves the countryside and with most provisions within urban settings, it is our goal to find an alternative place for her to live with the space and country setting she loves. Rosanna also needs the right kind of enthusiastic and skilled care in order to live life to her potential and be relaxed and motivated: something The Simon Trust strives to offer. 

Anthony Lawrence
Trustee and Treasurer​
​I was truly humbled to be invited by my brother Peter and his wife Sally to become a trustee of The Simon Trust. I worked with Peter growing a family textile business established at the end of the Second World War by our father. The skills I brought to the firm were in computing having worked in production scheduling for large industries supported by ICL. Computeristion of all company procedures enabled it to grow and prosper. In my time I have developed particular skills in financial management and accounting which I hope will be of use to the Trust.
I currently volunteer for a local heritage railway line. Down time is spent enjoying an annual sail somewhere in the world with my wife Sue as well as maintaining a wonderful garden, or wielding a chainsaw on behalf of The Surrey Wildlife Trust, volunteering on Whitmoor Common near Guildford.

Peter Lawrence
​​Trustee
I have this wonderful vision in my own mind for what is possible on this six acre site in Alfold - three tailor-made houses providing a 'long-term home' for twelve adults with autism in a wonderful rural setting with self-fulfilling 'things to do' on site. Animals to look after, plants to grow, woodland to treasure and a local community with which to get involved.
On my personal CV, my main skills I suppose are enthusiasm, determination, good communication skills and ideas. I helped to run a very successful family textile company for 32 years, supplying most hotels in the UK, many cruise lines, hospitals, most boarding schools and looking after two Royal Warrants. Sally and I also have a 25 year old vulnerable son with autism who needs and deserves a good home, so the project must happen and be done well!

Simon Slater
Trustee​​​
Simon has recently retired from a career in local authority children's services. As a trustee of TST he hopes to be able to use his knowledge and experience of managing and planning services for vulnerable children and families, and of local government in general, to support the development of a much needed truly outstanding provision for a group of adults with autism. Simon hugely respects the parents/carers and professionals who strive to meet the needs of this group of special young people, and is keen to promote a really effective long-term partnership between TST, Surrey CC and other stakeholders.

Richard Walford
Trustee​​​
"I was honoured to be asked to assist in the formation and running of The Simon Trust, which seems to me to have an important role to play in improving the lives of the vulnerable individuals who have the misfortune to be at the severe end of the autistic spectrum. The Lindon Farm project is a very exciting one, which hopefully will provide a stable and secure environment for many years to come." Richard is a practising barrister, is married with children and lives near Cambridge.