Staff and Trustees

    Name: Maria Popa

    Title: Patron

    Department: Copii in Dificultate

    Location: Bucharest

    Maria Popa, one of CID’s patrons in Romania is a remarkable woman. This doyenne of Romanian cooking has served British Ambassadors as their cook, since before the Revolution and in that role has delighted everyone hosted at the British Residence in Bucharest. Her talents are much appreciated and sought after as the photographs, cards and letters of thanks from Patriarchs, Presidents and Royals that adorn the wall in her new Chez Marie Restaurant attest. Maria has always been generous to the children at St Margaret’s Hospice, sending little personal gifts, arranging parties, providing entertainers to bring them joy. Now a successful restaurateur in her own right with Chez Marie, a stylish restaurant, renowned for the warmth of its welcome and the quality of its food.

    Name: Dr Robin Dunn

    Title: Trustee Member of Advisory Group

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Inkpen, Huntingdon Berks.

    Dr Robin Dunn qualified and trained Cambridge and St Bart’s Hospital, London followed by a challenging and interesting appointment as Medical Officer in the Solomon Islands where as well as managing the Malaria eradication programme he delivered comprehensive medical care throughout the dependency. This experience inspired his move into general practice. GP training at Oxford lead to practical training in Didcot and a career long partnership in a practice in Hungerford from which he recently retired. An inspirational meeting in 1993 with the Children in Distress’s Founding Director led to an initial visit to St Laurence Hospice in Cernavoda and a life changing experience of both Robin and his wife Anna. Robin and Anna have been an integral part of the growth and development of Children in Distress and its mission of care since then. As a chair of the charity’s Advisory Group, he helped introduce medical audit visits and continues to promote the highest standards of medical treatment and care, in all of CID’s projects and partnership programmes. Having worked at St Thomas’s, CID’s hospice in Slobozia over many years, he continued contact and support when it was transferred to the Fundatia Paraschiva Cuvioasa and today he chairs their UK support charity. Now ‘retired’, Robin is one of the longest serving Trustees of Children in Distress and each year fits in a series of advisory audit visits. He has worked as a volunteer doctor for ‘ACCROSS’, which using ambulances assists pilgrimages across Europe for the frail, sick and disabled. He is a local community councillor a fundraiser for the rebuilding of his own local parish church and active in ‘Hungerford Churches Together’. Over the years, he has inspired and organised the Hungerford Big Wheel Bike ride for Children in Distress and fundraises widely for children in Slobozia.

    Name: Reverend June Hurn

    Title: Trustee & Member of the Board of PositivPlus+

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Chistlehurst, Kent

    June Hurn, one of the charity's active and long-term supporters and trustees, was born in the United States, however has spent most of her life and career in the UK. A teacher and lecturer in physical education, June also qualified as a remedial gymnast and spent twenty years working with children with special educational needs. Now a priest in holy orders, June is part of the ministry team of St Nicholas's Parish, Chislehurst in Kent, she is a governor of both the local Marjory McClure a specialised school for physical development, and a primary school in a deprived area of Bromley. June was an equestrian of note and for thirty years has been active in the Riding for the Disabled Association. June is a loving mother (4) and doting grandmother (8) and enjoys a very active life together with her husband Bruce, a popular and talented artist who generously promotes and supports Children in Distress through the sale of his paintings.

    Name: John Burns

    Title: Trustee/Treasurer

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Whitby

    John has been happily married for thirty years to Jenny and they have three married children and five grandchildren. He and his wife live high on the North Yorkshire Moors, and both celebrated their 70th birthdays last year. John ran his own business and was then involved with the Probation Service before joining a national organisation helping provide specially adapted independent living accommodation for those with special needs. He retired, some seven years ago, as the organisation’s National Development Manager, responsible for commissioning new services across England. Amongst other things, these days he and his wife are active in their local independent fellowship, where John chairs the Board of Trustees. For over sixty years, boy and man, John has been active in the Boy’s Brigade and still attends BB camps and weekends away where he runs the cookhouse.

    Name: Victoria Amadi

    Title: Trustee

    Department: Board of Trustees

    Location: Epping, Essex

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