The people behind the
ABOUT
The Ridley Eye Foundation Trustees in the UK
Nicholas Ridley
Chairman
Nicholas is the son of Sir Harold Ridley the pioneering ophthalmologist who invented the inter-ocular lens (IOL) and performed the first cataract operation. Nicholas is Chairman of the Foundation.
Lauretta Ridley
Trustee
Lauretta is married to Nicholas and is the Trustee responsible for Fundraising and Relationship Management.
Sarah Roberts
Trustee
Sarah, a qualified management accountant, is the Foundation’s Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer.
SPECIAL ADVISORS
Professor David Spalton FRCS, FRCP, FRCOphth
Prof David Spalton trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital and was appointed as a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He was Honorary Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Royal Hospital Chelsea (the Chelsea Pensioners), King Edward VII’s Hospital for Officers, London and Civilian Ophthalmic Advisor to the Metropolitan Police. He is a past President of the United Kingdom and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and past President of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. He is known internationally for his research on intraocular lens design. He lectures widely around the world and has published over 180 scientific papers. His book ‘An Atlas of Clinical Ophthalmology’ won the prize for the Best Medical Textbook of the Year for both the 1st and 3rd editions, a unique feat in medical publishing and has been translated in 10 languages.
Mr Geoffrey Woodruff BSc, MBBS, FRCOphth
Geoffrey is an Emeritus Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He has been lead clinician in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Chairman of the Ophthalmic Training Committee. He has considerable field experience in Ethiopia and Uganda.
Mr Donald J Munro
Donald J. Munro is Chairman Emeritus of Rayner Intra ocular Lenses Limited, the manufacture of the first Intra ocular lens (IOL) . He is currently Business Development Director for the David J Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology, University of Heidelberg.
Reverend Dr Robert Beaken
Honorary Chaplain
Robert is Parish Priest of Great and Little Barfield in North Essex and is the author of several books. He is County Chaplain for Essex of The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
Mr Nicholas Thorpe
Nicholas has spent over 30 years in Stockbroking, managing Advisory and Discretionary portfolios, including a number of Charities and formed part of the team with Richard Jackson. Now with approximately £80m of Assets Under Management at Redmayne Bentley. Nicholas is a Chartered Fellow of the Securities Institute.
Professor Gerd Auffarth MD, FEBO
Gerd is Professor and Chairman at the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and is Head of the David J Apple Center for Vision Research which includes the David J Apple Laboratory for Ocular Pathology in Heidelberg. His key professional interests include cataract and intraocular lens surgery, IOL-biomaterial laboratory research, ocular pathology, minimal invasive glaucoma surgery, glaucoma implants and stents and corneal surgery.
Alistair Wood LVO, MBE, FRGS
Chief Executive
Alistair has worked in the government and charity sectors in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. We was previously a Trustee for the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital.
Johnny Moore
Volunteer
Johnny is the Charity’s Head of Fundraising. He is a qualified lawyer with a background in commercial law, banking, and trade promotion. He has spent considerable time in Asia, India, and the Middle East.
Ms Shirin Fenn
Volunteer
Shirin is a Dental Practice Manager from Lincolnshire. She has a special interest in Nepal having volunteered on Rebuild projects in the country since the 2015 earthquake.
Shirin runs the Foundation’s social media platforms.
TRUSTEES
Mr Gokul Thapa
Chairman and Managing Trustee
Mr Radha Krishna Bhandari
Legal Adviser
Mrs Shakuntala Dhakal
Teacher and Social Worker
Mr Dipendra Poudel
Pharmacist
Mrs Sumitra Poudel
Medical Research Clinician