Our Staff
Melanie Hey
CEO
Melanie has been working at KHL for over 8 years. She really enjoys the variety of her role, meeting people and sampling food made in the cooking classes / live kitchen.
When not working Mel enjoys walking her dog and a bit of disco dancing and reading.
When not working Mel enjoys walking her dog and a bit of disco dancing and reading.
Bridget La Fauci
Project Development Coordinator
Bridget manages the Keighley Connect Project which helps to connect people and communities together. This includes developing and supporting a variety of social groups, short courses, community projects plus coordinating volunteers. A key aspect of her role is connecting partners and developing projects.
When Bridget is not working she is happiest being in the outdoors – walking in the mountains, skiing or being near or on the sea. Bridget’s every day love is walking her dog.
When Bridget is not working she is happiest being in the outdoors – walking in the mountains, skiing or being near or on the sea. Bridget’s every day love is walking her dog.
Kerry Page
Project Development Coordinator
Kerry manages our lifestyle change projects and is a registered public health nutritionist. She has experience of making community-health and wellbeing projects happen and is passionate about creating strong local partnerships that support our communities. In her leisure time, Kerry likes to cook, travel, cycle, write her book (which never finishes) and walk her two dogs.
Dan Brannan
Operations Manager
Dan manages the building and infrastructure such as the IT, databases etc. He has worked for KHL since 2013 were he started as a Project Support Worker on placement and has performed a variety of roles since.
Christine Bradley
Community Facilitator
Christine joined KHL in November 2020 and is working on Digital Inclusion and Social Isolation. Christine’s prior experience varies from IT Support Desk/Client Services Manager to Fitness & Open Water Swim Coach. In her spare time Christine likes a challenge, in 2017 she swam the English Channel…and watch out as a trip to base camp at Mount Everest is on the cards…
Flora Jennings
T-natal Project Co-ordinator
Born in Keighley and raised in an Italian family has given Flora great appreciation of the cultural differences in communities across Keighley.
Flora has been supporting teenage/young parents and their families for over 14 years and is well known for her commitment and dedication towards helping them from pregnancy and into parenthood.
Flora has been supporting teenage/young parents and their families for over 14 years and is well known for her commitment and dedication towards helping them from pregnancy and into parenthood.
Rowena Garton
Personal Assistant
Rowena is Melanie’s assistant and also supports the Trustees as well as helping with funding and HR admin. She is a keen runner and enjoys camping holidays with her family
Liz Firth
Projects and Admin Assistant
Liz is one of our newer members of the team, starting with us in November of 2020. Previous to this she worked in various administrative roles within the NHS. Liz will often be the first person you speak to on the phone, she is really looking forward to getting to know everyone and booking people onto our activities.
Rebecca Flemming
Lifestyle Change Facilitator
Rebecca is our Nutrition Lifestyle Change Facilitator at KHL. Rebecca recently graduated from University with a degree in Nutrition and Public Health and absolutely loves how diverse her new role is, working within the community! When she’s not working at KHL, she is often hiking in the Yorkshire Dales or creating art work from the comfort of her own home!
Alison Lee
Lifestyle Change Facilitator
Alison started her role as Lifestyle Change Facilitator in September of last year, but you may have seen her around before teaching one of our exercise classes. Alison has over 25 years’ experience of teaching exercise classes and has also worked as a school teacher. In her spare time you may find Alison watching classical ballet or cooking.
Julia Charlton
Communications Manager
Julia looks after KHL’s communications, so if you see a newsletter, leaflet or social media post it has most likely come from her. Julia joined KHL in the summer of 2020. When she’s not busy creating our leaflets you can often find her doing one of our YouTube yoga sessions or trying (once again) to finish Couch to 5k.
Our Trustees
Pam Essler
Chair
Pam is currently Deputy Chair and Lay member for Patient and Public Engagement for the Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group. Her focus is on the development of community partnerships, public engagement, professional development, strategic governance and quality.
She has a strong interest in health inequalities within the local community and is on the Board of several local VCS organisations.
Susan Bartlett
Trustee
Susan is a retired health visitor with a background in public health who has been involved with Keighley Healthy Living since its inception.
She is a governor at a local primary school and an advisor on the board of Staying Put, the local domestic abuse charity.
Susan has been a member of Keighley Soroptimists for over thirty years and has been active in projects to help improve the lives of women and girls.
Fran Setter
Trustee
Fran’s background is in Human Relations in the public sector – over 20 years in local government then latterly in higher education in the university sector. Since retiring she has become interested in volunteering in the local community.
She works as a community and family mediator for a charity dealing with neighbourhood disputes and family relationship breakdowns and supports family and witnesses attending Coroners’ Court for inquests as well as some work for North Yorkshire Police helping with training exercises for new recruits and some youth work.
She is very pleased to have joined such a vibrant and caring charity as KHL and hopes that she can contribute to its future development.
She works as a community and family mediator for a charity dealing with neighbourhood disputes and family relationship breakdowns and supports family and witnesses attending Coroners’ Court for inquests as well as some work for North Yorkshire Police helping with training exercises for new recruits and some youth work.
She is very pleased to have joined such a vibrant and caring charity as KHL and hopes that she can contribute to its future development.
Gary Hodgson
Trustee
Gary has recently joined Keighley Healthy Living (KHL) as a board trustee. His current main aim is to help facilitate the impending improvement to our main building.
KHL is about to update and improve the facilities; this will enable KHL to offer greater flexibility of use of provisions and broaden services for the local community.
Over the last 22 years Gary has worked as a project coordinator with a local charitable organisation. Essentially his role has been to deliver projects that help and support people to live as independently as possible within their community. Promoting Inclusion, access to services, home risk assessment and providing home DIY and fitting aids and adaption played a big part in Gary’s role.
KHL is about to update and improve the facilities; this will enable KHL to offer greater flexibility of use of provisions and broaden services for the local community.
Over the last 22 years Gary has worked as a project coordinator with a local charitable organisation. Essentially his role has been to deliver projects that help and support people to live as independently as possible within their community. Promoting Inclusion, access to services, home risk assessment and providing home DIY and fitting aids and adaption played a big part in Gary’s role.
Gary has a background in the building industry, having both trade and management qualifications and experience. He is now looking to further increase management experiences and diversification. He feels he is “in the right place” with the KHL team.
Sharon Orr
Trustee
Several years ago, Sharon turned her focus from a career in financial services marketing, to corporate responsibility and community investment. At Aviva, she led a number of high profile campaigns addressing issues including climate change, runaway children, financial inclusion and poverty.
Sharon joined Provident Financial Group in 2013 to manage and develop their community investment programme. She’s committed to making corporate community investment count through Provident’s innovative model of both financial and bespoke, non-financial support for charity organisations across the UK and Ireland. Alongside this, she wants to be able to make a contribution to the small charity sector through volunteering as a trustee.
In addition to being a trustee for Keighley Healthy Living, Sharon is a trustee for Leeds Community Foundation and has been part of their steering group focused on developing the foundation’s giving platform in Bradford.
She is also a Trustee at 1st Holme Valley (Holmfirth) Scout Group.
Sharon joined Provident Financial Group in 2013 to manage and develop their community investment programme. She’s committed to making corporate community investment count through Provident’s innovative model of both financial and bespoke, non-financial support for charity organisations across the UK and Ireland. Alongside this, she wants to be able to make a contribution to the small charity sector through volunteering as a trustee.
In addition to being a trustee for Keighley Healthy Living, Sharon is a trustee for Leeds Community Foundation and has been part of their steering group focused on developing the foundation’s giving platform in Bradford.
She is also a Trustee at 1st Holme Valley (Holmfirth) Scout Group.
Jean Hahn
Trustee
Jean has enjoyed a 44 year career spending time in senior positions within the social housing sector and private industry. During her 30 + years in social housing, Jean was Housing Manager for a number of BMDC areas including Keighley.
More recently, Jean worked at Director level with responsibility for Human Resources in both public and private sector organisations. Jean has also been a school governor and has helped to run a number of junior football teams over the years.
Jean is passionate about health and wellbeing, particularly mental health and wellbeing and, as a trained Mental Health First Aider, ensured all 40 + managers at her most recent employer’s organisation had mental health training to enable them to support staff when needed.
More recently, Jean worked at Director level with responsibility for Human Resources in both public and private sector organisations. Jean has also been a school governor and has helped to run a number of junior football teams over the years.
Jean is passionate about health and wellbeing, particularly mental health and wellbeing and, as a trained Mental Health First Aider, ensured all 40 + managers at her most recent employer’s organisation had mental health training to enable them to support staff when needed.
John Hartley
Trustee
John has recently joined Keighley Healthy Living (KHL) as a board trustee. His background is in Quality and Service Improvement with more than 25 years private sector, NHS and Local Authority experience with a wide ranging understanding of improvement processes and facilitation, project implementation, transformational projects and programmes, and performance management within the public and private sector.
His current role in commissioning health services is focused on supporting changes to services to ensure that the best possible health care is made available to people living in Bradford district and Craven. John is passionate about improving wellbeing and reducing inequalities within communities, supporting organisations to provide the best possible service and helping people to make a difference to their lives. He feels that Keighley Healthy Living (KHL) is instrumental in helping people to make these changes and is delighted to have joined the team to support ongoing work and future projects.