Our People

Alexandra Huggins (previously Drew)

Chief Executive Officer

About

Rachel Cocksedge

Executive Assistant

About

Stephen Hammersley CBE

Chair of Trustees

About

Chair since April 2020, Stephen began his career in computers and worked in the banking industry for 17 years. In 2000 he was appointed a director of Tearfund, with responsibility for its use of business as a tool of development, before his move to Chief Executive of UK Community Foundations in 2005 and Pilgrims’ Friend Society in 2015.

Stephen has enjoyed the company of older people from his student days when he was part of a team that led worship in a care home and visited those who were housebound. Loneliness of older people was one of the key priorities that UK Community Foundations addressed latterly though its award winning "Surviving Winter" campaigns that Stephen co-ordinated. Stephen was awarded a CBE for this and the leadership of other charitable and philanthropic programmes.

Stephen worships at Christ Church Harpenden and for many years ran the Crusaders (Urban Saints) youth group in the town. He still helps occasionally, but is now part of the team that reaches out to the residents of a local residential care home where he visits and leads a men’s Bible study.

Stephen is married to Susan and they have three grown up children.

Rebecca Chaplin

Trustee

About

Kev Croft

Trustee

About

Kev is a Field Director at London City Mission, where one of his main areas of expertise is mission with older people.

Kev’s introduction to seniors started at an early age. Visiting the nursing home his mum used to work at. He left school at 16 and worked as a funeral director for 18 years, during which time he put his faith in Christ.

He began working for London City Mission in 2013 and this has always enabled him to share the gospel with those in later life. He has had the privilege of seeing older individuals come to know Jesus as their Saviour and friend.

His passion is to see churches equipped to share the gospel with those in later life, to see churches caring for seniors in their congregation and to use the gifts that God has given them even in their later life.

Andrew Wileman BEM

Trustee

About

Andrew is the Assistant Director for the Salvation Army Older Peoples Ministries Team. He manages the team of Outreach Mission partners for older people working on a range of local and programme development projects across the UKI and Ireland.

He holds a B.A and M.A in Applied Theology from the University of Gloucestershire. He has served as a Church leader, an International Development Manager for UK charities, and a Communications Director and Academic Tutor for Moorlands Bible College before moving to the Salvation Army in 2011.

Andrew is a regular public speaker in Churches and Centres and on local and national media and has wide experience in Social Justice issues both here in the UK and overseas, particularly his focus on the Salvation Army’s work in Older People, social care, Human Trafficking and on Eastern Europe where he has visited many times.

Andrew originally hails from Yorkshire, but now lives on the South Coast and has been a active member of the Winton Salvation Army Corps in Bournemouth for the past 24 years. He was the awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his work with the local community in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2021.

He is married to Karen, and has a son and 2 daughters.

David Evans

Trustee

About

David Evans is the Chief Executive of Mission Care, a Christian charity that provides support and nursing care to elderly people in London. Prior to taking up this role in 2013, David was a lawyer specialising in Employment Law and Civil Litigation.

David was involved with Faith in Later Life from the very beginning, helping to establish the charity from a work in progress all the way through to achieving charitable status. Having had a break from the Board for a few years, David is very pleased to return and to support the excellent work that is being undertaken. The need to reach out to the elderly in our society, and offer love and care is something very important to David. He is grateful for the opportunity to promote and support that through Faith in Later Life.

David is married with three teenage children, and worships at a church in Kent.

Ministry Support

In addition to the work undertaken by our staff and trustees, Faith in Later Life receives administrative, communications and tech support from a small team of freelancers and volunteers.

Our Sponsors

We have a network of churches and partner organisations, as well as Faith in Later Life 'Church Champions'. To find out more about becoming a 'Church Champion' click here.

In addition to our Ambassadors and trustees, Faith in Later Life associates, friends and speakers at training events and conferences include: Helen Calder (Retiring Well), Louise Morse (Pilgrim's Friends Society), Tina English (Embracing Age), Emily Kenward (Time to Talk), Gemma Gillard (Truth be Told), Carl Brettle (Neighbourhood Prayer Network), Debbie Ducille (Anna Chaplaincy), Dave Fenton (Afterwork.net), Jeremy Marshall and John Wyatt.

Faith in Later Life is also pleased to be part of Christians Together Against Loneliness, together with our friends at Anna Chaplaincy, Arthur Rank Centre, Care Home Friends, Faith Action, Linking Lives, Parish Nursing and Sanctuary.

We have been greatly encouraged to receive three years of grant support from Benefact Trust. This will help us continue to grow and support better existing and new Church Champions.

If you would like your organisation to connect in any way with Faith in Later Life, please get in touch!

Our People

Alexandra Huggins (previously Drew) Chief Executive Officer

Rachel Cocksedge Executive Assistant

Stephen Hammersley CBE Chair of Trustees

Rebecca Chaplin Trustee

Kev Croft Trustee

Andrew Wileman BEM Trustee

David Evans Trustee

Ministry Support

Our Sponsors

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Church Champions

Alexandra Huggins (previously Drew)

Chief Executive Officer

Rachel Cocksedge

Executive Assistant

Stephen Hammersley CBE

Chair of Trustees

Rebecca Chaplin

Trustee

Kev Croft

Trustee

Andrew Wileman BEM

Trustee

David Evans

Trustee