Meet our RUILS Trustees

Richard Kember, Chairman

I became a wheelchair and social-care service user in the mid ‘70s. Before that I worked as a teacher and, if I’m honest, I had little understanding or interest in disability issues. Since these times of blissful ignorance, I have worked as a therapeutic counsellor to people with a spinal cord injury and helped establish and manage both Richmond AID and more recently, RUILS. Whilst the advancement of disability rights and opportunities seem to fill most of my waking hours, I also enjoy painting, watching rugby and the delights of London and the ‘great out-doors’. My dislikes include, Christmas shopping, the agonies of queuing and people illegally parked in bays designated for disabled badge holders. My most valued possession is ‘Madge’ – she’s a wheelchair accessible car and my ‘passport’ to freedom!

Gareth Savin, Vice Chair

I sustained a Spinal Injury in 1992, whilst playing rugby for Richmond u19s. After my rehabilitation at Stoke Mandeville Hospital I moved into my flat in Hampton hoping to quietly get back on with my life. I have since then lived independently with the aid of a team of Personal Assistants employed by myself through various means. I have been a Trustee and Volunteer of RUILS since 2005. More recently, I was elected Vice Chair. The role has been challenging and very rewarding. I have always loved the fact that RUILS is a charity for disabled people, run by disabled people. That whole empowering ethos I love! I still enjoy watching rugby, a few beers with the boys, going to gigs, cinema, theatre, travelling and long walks down by the river and in Richmond Park with my 2.5 year old German shepherd dog called Max.

Elizabeth Chambers, Trustee (minutes secretary)

My nursing career spanned almost forty years, working in the NHS and then in Occupational Health with BA Health Services, finally as an OH Advisor for KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines).I served as a trustee of a charity run hotel in Norfolk (AHA), which provided holidays for disabled people & their families, and I’m an associate member of Mobilise Organisation. I have life long experience of disability within my immediate family. My many interests include social history, family history, the Natural World, ballet & musical theatre and I love gardening in my tiny patch. I am also a member of several local organisations. I joined RUILS in March 2005, first as a volunteer & minutes secretary to the Management Committee, later becoming a trustee and now also serve on two sub committees, all of which I really enjoy. I strongly support the use of direct payments as a means to independent living for people with disabilities.

Jamal Mohamad

I am a wheelchair user since 1995. I posses Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and worked for more than 20 years in the quality control department of a local major firm in Iraqi Kurdistan. During the seventies of last century, I was a co-founder and an active member of a voluntary association dedicated to and specialized in supporting and providing affordable building lands to low income people who are working in the industry sector. In a recent visit to there, I felt so proud and satisfied to see the area where we distributed lands is now totally populated and all the people whom we supported have managed to build and move to their own homes; and the area which just few decades ago was a massive bare land is now a popular residential area where hardly you can find a vacant plot of land. I enjoy watching Football and Snooker.

Robert Burgis

I have been involved with RUILS for about three years, after being invited to their AGM in 2006. I have taken a full interest in all they have done.I was seconded to two of their sub-committees, the quality sub-committee which ensures that every document, all decisions and actions are completed correctly, both within the law and factually. The other sub-committees Personal sc. That put together the Staff Hand Book and is responsible for anything to do with RUILS staff and volunteers. I was asked to join the management committee and then to be a trustee. RUILS have now progress to become a Charity with company status, to which I am a director. I am a trustee to VISOR [Visually Impaired Society of Richmond] for which I am membership secretary on several disabilities committees within the borough, Joint Commissioning Group, Disability Equality Access Partnership and Users and Carers Group. I get a great deal of satisfaction from all time and energy I spend on the charity work I do, it has made a tremendous improvement to my life.

 Peter Majongwe

In December 2006, I suffered Spinal Cord Injury following a black out. Since then, I have been on a wheelchair. Originally, I come from Zimbabwe. I came in to the UK in 2002. Before the accident, I was working for the London Borough of Richmond as a Social Worker. For the last 12 years, before I came in to the country, I used to manage a Consultancy Service in Human Resources which I founded. I spent all my working life as a Human Resources Practitioner in the private sector. I also bring with me boardroom experiences both private and public. Before my accident, my favourite past time was playing golf.

Jean Hamilton

I was born in Crail, Fife.  At 13yrs I went to boarding school and came out with 'O' maths.  Realising that would not get me anywhere I went for further education and came out with 'O' english and a BA in sociology.
 
Unfortunately my aunt became very ill and I had to nurse her which landed me in hospital.  Since then I have been working for disability organisations and the CAB.
 
I am a founding member of RUILS and a Direct Payments recipient for over 10 years, which enables me to bring a wealth of experience to the RUILS Board.