Meet the Team

In his role as Chairman and Treasurer for Canine Concern, Chris helps to ensure that our charity is run correctly, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Chris’s career has included many roles such as being an accredited counter fraud officer for 18 years, a senior fraud manager and area manager for the south east region (which involved the management of staff and organisations covering Sussex, Surrey, Kent and outskirts of London). In addition to this he has also worked as a benefit fraud investigator and for the last 13 years, as a fraud investigator within the NHS, and for private providers of NHS services and private sector business.

Chris has been surrounded by dogs since as long as he can remember, and has two dogs (Bailey and Patch) and Boris the cat. He has always been passionate about the care of animals and has witnessed the benefits that they can have on peoples lives.

Colin has been a registered care home manager for over ten years. He has worked in the care sector for over 21 years, commencing his career working with residents with acquired brain injury, learning difficulties, physical disabilities and Huntingdon’s disease. He is now the manager of a residential care home for the elderly. He has owned several dogs and he has seen first-hand how beneficial a friendly care dog and of course, their owner, can be to residents living in care homes.

A little bit about my background and experience: Before becoming a mother, I worked as a legal secretary in a busy, Central London firm and I have a Level 3 Diploma in Law.

Later I worked as a booking clerk for the Reid Hall, Boreham Street (a registered charity) overseen by a board of Trustees.

Nine years ago, I took a complete change of career and set up my own dog walking business, which would later grow and become ‘Heritage Hounds’. Over time I expanded the business, having attained my City & Guilds Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Dog Grooming. Most recently I have completed an Emmipet training course and will soon be able to offer dog teeth cleaning. In addition, I run a dog training class once a week and hold an up-to-date dog first aid certificate.

I’m really interested in becoming involved with the Canine Concern charity, due to my great passion and love of dogs. I have two amazing dogs of my own. I enjoy entering them in local dog shows and dedicating spare time to enriching activities with them.

I am a street works and safety trainer for based at Chichester College, Pulborough campus. I have been training people for the last 20+ years alongside being a self-employed builder.

My background is predominately building and highway works, but my knowledge of training people in all subjects has many benefits for working in organizations helping staff feel more able to fulfill certain roles. We can all learn more about our work and responsibilities.

I have 5 children from 2 marriages and also a foster son who has been with us for the last 7 years and is about to start at Plumpton college on a Horticultural course. Fostering has required an understanding of stresses that children can go through and how to help them. It is very rewarding.

I have had several dogs throughout my life with the last being a cross between a Rottweiler and a Great Dane that we rescued from a shelter in Buckinghamshire. I can see how much help the right dog can give children, especially those who have had a stressful life and need some stability.

Valerie is a long-standing member of Canine Concern, who was involved with the administration of Eastbourne’s Canine Concern for several years, before becoming the CEO of the national charity in 2016.

She currently visits three local schools, two local care homes and often joins in with the very busy university, police and company/business visits for the charity.

These roles were originally shared with her chocolate Labrador, Cadbury and her golden Retriever, Savannah, unfortunately they have now passed away.

Their roles have now been taken over by a yellow Labrador, Konnor, with her new young chocolate Labrador Flake still in training.

Both Konnor and Flake love going to the woods and getting covered in mud and brambles. The residents and students they visit never believe Val when she explains how mischievous they are, as in the care homes and schools, they always look so sweet and innocent, but we know better!

Val has run her own human and canine complementary therapy business for over 30 years, providing treatments, workshops and training. Alongside her own business, she was also employed latterly as a part time activity coordinator in a care home, arranging regular outings and visitors, including human entertainers and animals. Val has been involved in administration throughout her career, either for her own businesses or her earlier employed work, managing health clubs as well as a couple of social clubs.

(BSc (Hon), LCSP (Phys) IHM BSYA (MT) BSYA (CMA) MCMA DIP Canine Massage, Cert in Dog Psychology)

Brian is a very keen supporter of our Read to Dogs programme, in conjunction with The Kennel Club, whereby charities of our kind can support children in basic reading skills and confidence.

He has now retired from his life as a commercial manager in the construction industry, where he mainly worked at Heathrow & Gatwick Airports, and has joined Canine Concern to support his wife Valerie in running all aspects on the financial and commercial side of the charity.

He also has a wealth of knowledge in commence both in this country and overseas, having worked throughout Europe & the Middle East. As such, Brian has managed to implement many controls within the charity to ensure the smooth running within his field of expertise. All aspects of the memberships are computerised, as well as running bespoke CRM systems, along with accounting systems.

Brian has many hobbies, which include photography, woodworking, and seascape/landscape painting. He started out life training to become a graphic designer and soon went into photography, working for some of the leading photographers in London in the late 1960s.

Sadly, he did not have the finance needed to pursue his passion and instead went into his family business in construction, working his way up over the years to become a commercial manger controlling multi-million-pound construction schemes.

Today he remains passionate about what Canine Concern can achieve, in reaching out to the vulnerable, those needing support, help and understanding in the community.

Along with Valerie, he has two dogs (Konnor and Flake) and lives in Eastbourne, East Sussex.