Barchester’s Charitable Foundation has appointed Helen Hamblen as a trustee to its board.

Established in 2000, the aim of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation is to help older people and adults living with a disability or mental health problems in local communities across the country. The charity provides grants to improve mobility and quality of life, and each year the Foundation distributes thousands of pounds to individuals, small community groups and charities across Great Britain. 

Hamblen is the founder and chief executive of Dementia Support Hampshire & IOW, a small independent charity that provides free emotional support, information and signposting for people living with dementia and their family carers.

Hamblen began her career in sales, later moving into marketing and public relations, working for blue-chips such as L’Oreal, Cadbury Schweppes and Emap. She moved into the charity sector in 2019 an prior to setting up her dementia support charity, she worked in various roles for Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Mountbatten Hampshire and Wessex Cancer Trust. She is a trustee at Open Sight Hampshire.

Simon McCall, chairperson of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation and Barchester’s commercial director said: “We are excited to have her join us and we are certain that her experience and expertise working in the charity sector will be hugely beneficial in helping us shape the Foundation’s future.”