Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity was the vision of four of the trustees, who came together with the same ideas and desire to offer a much needed service. Jennifer Cunningham lost her son, Paul age 33, in 1994 to spinal cancer. Jennifer is the perfect person to offer a guiding and inspirational leadership to the charity. Paul spent six months in a Sue Ryder Hospice with Jennifer constantly by his side. Whilst they were both living in the hospice, she promised Paul to do something worthwhile in his memory.  She was waiting for the right time, people and opportunity to come along, so that she could inject her understanding, experience and passion.  Hence in 2008, the creation of Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity.

Jennifer Cunningham -  President. As a successful businesswoman, operating from three offices, in three different parts of the Costa Blanca, Jennifer has lived in Spain for 14 years and understands the needs of ex-pat communities on the Costa Blanca. Having known first hand the important role that specialist nurses have in the end of life process, Jennifer will be able to lead from the heart and head, offering valuable advice on this subject. Jennifer has a weekly article in possibly the largest free British newspaper on the Costa Blanca.  

Anne Muff - RGN/Qualified Social Worker - Lead Nurse Anne is a West Yorkshire lass from Huddersfield, and throughout her entire working life she has worked in the nursing and caring profession. Anne qualified in 1973 when she did Industrial Nursing.  She became a Manager in several care homes in Huddersfield. A job that she really enjoyed.  She then became an Assessor and Care Manager for social services in the community.  Anne has great skills as a Manager and has managed a team of up to 100 people, her team worked alongside the MacMillan Nurses under the Primary Care Trust.  Anne has specialist training and knowledge especially for all vulnerable adults and the elderly.  As you will see working in the community is where Anne has the opportunity to show her caring, professional approach not only to our patients but their families.  Anne came to Spain in November 2007 and the following September joined the Paul Cunningham Nurses team as one of our first members of the growing team.

Geoffrey Gartland - Managing Director of The Round Town News. Geoff is well known along the Costa Blanca coast and the Canary Islands as the owner of The Round Town News Group, which has been firmly established in Spain since 2001, although he has been a resident since 1992.  He is a ''people'' person, charismatic, intuitive, emphatic and very supportive. He cares very much about the people who surround him and with whom he comes into contact. Geoff has many other skills, which he employs on a day-to-day basis, easily ackowledged by the success and ongoing expansion of The Round Town News Group.  In 2007, Aida, his mother was taken very ill and out of necessity Geoff employed a private nurse.  He was impressed by the kindness, care, time and dedication she gave to his mother, but finding her was a nightmare.  He recognised the lack of easily available and contactable nursing agencies.  The Paul Cunningham Nurses organisation and charity is one that he supports whole heartedly.  

  Susan Reader - Fundraising Manager. "Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."

This is the philosophy of the new Paul Cunningham Nurses Fundraising Manager, Susan Reader. Susan has been given the job of taking on one hundred volunteers for the charity and to also raise much needed funds. Susan has been in Spain for seven years and lives with her husband in Quesada.

Since moving to Spain, Susan has worked as a sales consultant for a large property developer, and in marketing and sales for various different companies before being offered the PCN position.  Susan has over five years of experience as a volunteer for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity in the UK, where she organised several events including charity balls and discos to raise money for the charity. For five years on the run, she along with other volunteers masterminded and organized the famous Daffodil Day Ball so she made the ideal candidate for the role of Fundraising Manager.

During those five years and thanks to her tireless contributions towards fundraising events that she helped to organize, Susan easily raised thousands of pounds for the charity, so she is well accustomed to fund raising and the management team at PCN know that she will bring this knowledge and experience to the charity and get the funds necessary to keep PCN running for years to come.

So far Susan has recruited around 40 volunteers to run the Charity Shop and canvass local businesses for help.  She has also supervised the distribution of 10,000 Red Carnations to shops, pubs and businesses for the Charity's first Carnation Day.

More volunteers are still needed, as Susan added "We need all sorts of people with all sorts of skills, because I cannot do this on my own."

Rachel Marti - Treasurer

Rachel has many years experience in the financial field, having spent more than 10 years working for financial institutions in the City of London firstly dealing with stocks and shares and unit trusts, and then later dealing with all aspects of company accounting, producing profit and loss accounts and VAT returns.

After taking a career break for 6 years to raise a family, she returned to work for a large supermarket chain, where she quickly progressed from the shop floor to once again dealing with the financial side of the business, eventually being responsible for producing financial information for the weekly Directors Meetings.

Rachel left her post in 2007 and since moving to Spain has worked in Jennifer Cunningham's offices and from the start of 2009 as Treasurer for PCN.

Updated 28 May 2010