HOPE’s trustees are responsible for the charity’s values, ethos, vision and strategy, as well as ensuring legal requirements are met, and governance standards remain high.
Revd. Canon Chris Copsey and Vicki Chapman, a survivor herself, have been trustees since HOPE’s inception. Gary Page joined the board of trustees in 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience including mental health.
Emma Haley joined the board of trustees in 2020, bringing with her experience in the charity sector, with a specific focus on governance and strategy.
Vicki Chapman – Trustee
Vicki is a true East Anglian, having been born in Ipswich and lived in Suffolk all her life. A farmer’s daughter, Vicki left her agricultural roots behind to work in the insurance industry for Willis Towers Watson (both in Ipswich and London), where she has remained for almost 40 years. In her day-to-day role, Vicki deals with charity and corporate social responsibility – an area that her company is focusing on more and more. In addition to her day job, Vicki is a Council Member for the Chartered Insurance Institute of Ipswich, Suffolk and North Essex – which keeps her very busy!
Her farming roots have instilled a love and awareness of the countryside and Vicki is at her happiest walking her dog around the many footpaths in her village and watching the seasons change. She enjoys road running and has completed the Great North Run 9 times, she is hoping to complete her 10th half marathon in 2019 when she takes on the Great East Run! Classic cars are another passion and her ambition is to buy herself a Morgan when she retires and to re-visit her love for art, drawing and painting; which she has largely abandoned since she left school.
Vicki’s husband of 32 years, tragically took his own life in February 2014, so she is a suicide survivor herself; and has experienced first-hand the trauma and shock of suicide bereavement and the impact it has on those that are left behind. In becoming a Trustee of Hope After Suicide Loss, Vicki hopes that she can go some way to help other suicide survivors on their challenging journey.
Revd. Canon Chris Copsey – Trustee
Chris has been a primary school teacher, Parish Councillor and Chairman of Governors for a large infant and nursery school and is Mum to three adult children and has 5 young granddaughters.
Before ordination as an Anglican Self Supporting Minister in 2007, she was a Reader for 9 years across 7 rural parishes.
Her curacy at St Margaret’s, now the Minster, in King’s Lynn, gave a wide variety to ministry and she continues as part of the ministry team.
Chris was Chaplain to Norfolk County Council from 2007-2014, before moving to a chaplaincy with the Matthew Project for 3 years.
In 2011 Chris was licensed by the Bishop of Norwich as Chaplain to the Norfolk Coroner, a unique chaplaincy in the UK. She provides pastoral care to those attending inquests, particularly families.
Chris is a member of the Norfolk Prevention of suicide Strategy Group and the Norfolk Suicide Support Group. She arranges an annual service of remembrance for those bereaved by suicide at Norwich Cathedral and Kings Lynn Minster.
Chris is also Diocesan Coordinator for the Social, Community and Environmental Concerns Forum and the Ecumenical Criminal Justice Forum and a Board Member of Good Work, The Norfolk and Waveney Industrial Mission. She was installed as an Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral in November 2017.
Chris with husband Graham is a passionate follower of rugby and they are season ticket holders with Leicester Tigers.
Gary Page – Trustee
Gary was born in London, grew up in Barking and Dagenham and studied History at Cambridge University. After University he worked for 22 years in Banking, predominantly at ABN AMRO Bank, before leaving the City in 2008. In 2009 Gary moved to Suffolk where, together with his partner, he has been renovating an old house surrounded by llamas, chickens and their ever-faithful if not so obedient German Shepherd, Oliver.
Since leaving the City Gary has held a number of Non-Executive Director and Trustee positions in the charitable, public and private sector. He chaired the Board of Trustees for the Ian Mikardo Charitable Trust which supported a School providing secondary education for boys with Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Tower Hamlets and spent 6 years as Chair of the Board for the Hoffmann Foundation for Autism which provides services for adults with autism. Between 2012 and 2018 he was a Board member of the Mental Health Trust in Norfolk and Suffolk (NSFT) firstly as a Non-Executive Director and for the last 5 years as Chair. Gary was a Member of the Supervisory Board of one of Europe’s largest sustainable banks, Triodos Bank N.V. for two years and in March 2019 he stepped down to take up the position of Chair of the Banks newly formed UK subsidiary, Triodos Bank UK Limited.
Gary has two children from a previous marriage and his interests include current affairs, gardening, travel and cooking.
Emma Haley – Trustee
Emma has lived in East Anglia for over 20 years. After giving her time over to raising three children Emma studied Arts and Wellbeing in Norwich where she discovered how much she enjoyed planning, designing, and managing community projects.
Emma has since undertaken roles in social enterprises and charities as part of various management teams and now works at YANA as Charity Manager. She is motivated by making a positive difference to lives, and relishes the opportunity to bring ideas into reality, develop services, and strengthen teams. Most recently Emma studied Charity and Social Enterprise Management at Anglia Ruskin University.
Emma enjoys being active in the gym or on long walks. She is creative and finds this a useful way to switch off and relax.
Hazel Mctigue – Trauma Support Worker
I was born in Suffolk but my family background is in Norfolk and farming. Currently, I am living in Suffolk with my Partner and two dogs. As a mother of three grown up children, nanny to four grandchildren life can be quite hectic.
I live near the coast and enjoy the outdoor life particularly water sports and I sea swim all year round. A volunteer for the Felixstowe coastal patrol, regular walks with my dogs in the countryside, and camping at every opportunity keeps me busy.
Before my role as a Trauma Support Worker, I was a fully qualified hairdresser and enjoyed being creative and meeting new people of all ages.
After tragically losing my brother to suicide I recently joined the charity HOPE to support other survivors with compassion and love.