Patrons and Trustees

Our Patrons

Sally Bercow
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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 parent of a son with high-functioning autism..

Lucy Brown
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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
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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 over 19 romantic novels to her name, plus the very popular Royal Rabbits of London series. Santa and her husband Simon live in London with their two daughters, Lily and Sasha

HM Michael More-Molyneux, Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey
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Michael has run Loseley Park Farms for over 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 also 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
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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 was a Canon of Guildford Cathedral from 2000. He is now a 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 and Cranleigh areas and great wisdom to The Simon Trust.

Julie Walters CBE
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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
Chair of the Trustees​​
I am so thrilled that our vision of setting up a home in Surrey for our son Simon and a few of his peers, has become a reality.  Linden Farm is evolving and growing and we are so grateful for the fund-raising we managed to do before the Covid lockdown, so that we could provide facilities "to personalise and enhance Linden Farm for its residents", as we pledged to do back in 2015.  We are incredibly grateful for all the support we have been shown over the last few years and as our money runs out, we hope to be able to continue our fund-raising - as the young people at Linden Farm will always need more than the authorities can provide.  I hope that other parents will do the same as us and set up more homes for their autistic sons and daughters, as there is a desperate shortage of such accommodation in Surrey.
As well as looking after Simon, I love spending time with my two daughters, and when time permits, I enjoy running.  I'm looking forward to my Golden Retriever puppy being old enough to run with me in due course.
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Nettie Lanaghan
Trustee
I have known Peter and Sally Lawrence for over 30 years and was delighted when they invited me to become part of The Simon Trust. I am a retired 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 near Midhurst 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 previously lived) 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 now lives at Linden Farm in Alfold.  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, she is happy at Linden Farm where there is  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 that 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. Computerisation 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 Simon 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 had 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 ten adults with severe autism, in a wonderful rural setting with meaningful and self-fulfilling 'things to do' on site. Arts and crafts, plants to grow, countryside 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  have a 30 year old vulnerable son, called Simon, with autism who needs and deserves a good home, so my vision is actually happening but it needs to be done well for him and others!

Simon Slater
Trustee​​​
Simon has retired from a successful and influential career in local authority children's services. As a trustee of TST he has been invaluable with his knowledge and experience of managing and planning services for vulnerable children and families, and of local government in general.  He is keen to support the development of a much needed and truly outstanding provision for a group of adults with autism - which is Linden Farm. 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 Choice Care.

Mandy Perrin
Trustee
My husband and I are close neighbours to Linden Farm.  I met Sally when the facility was first opened in 2019 and was delighted when Sally asked me to join the Trustee board.  I have been a Trustee of Samaritans at a national level and was also a Trustee of St Mungo’s a London based homeless charity.  I have been involved in fundraising for Guildford Samaritans for many years and currently chair a small committee that runs their very successful charity shop in Godalming, Surrey. I very much look forward to working as part of The Simon Trust team in supporting initiatives that will enhance the environment for all the young people living at Linden Farm.

James Forward
Trustee
My name is James Forward and I am the Rector of Alfold and Loxwood Parish Church. I was delighted to learn about The Simon Trust, and Linden Farm being next-door neighbours of the church. My adult brother David has Angelman Syndrome and lives in supported accommodation in London, so I understand some of the struggles of finding an excellent place for him to live. I wrote my final year dissertation at ‘vicar school’ on disability ethics, and I long for our church next door to offer a genuine welcome to everyone (regardless of the noise that might be made in a service)! I hope as a trustee to be a voice for the siblings of the residents at Linden Farm.