Meet The Team
Rob has been with the charity since 2015. He took over as co-ordinator of the charity in 2019. He previously worked for Citizens Advice and Tameside Welfare Rights. Rob is usually in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Graham started working for GMAVSG in 2013. He has been a welfare rights worker for over 30 years. Previously he has worked as chair of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum UK; the organisation representing asbestos support groups nationally, from 2015 to 2019. Graham is usually in the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Joel started with GMAVSG in 2021. He was previously a welfare rights worker for the Gaddum Centre. He usually works Monday- Friday.
Having been associated with GMAVSG for over 15 years, a former professor at MMU, he wrote Magic Mineral to Killer Dust: Turner & Newall and the Asbestos Hazard (2001), and Defending the Indefensible (2008) with Jock McCulloch.
Tony became a GMAVSG trustee in 2013. He worked for GMAVSG, visiting suffers of asbestos diseases and their families to provide advice and support, from 1999 until his retirement in 2013. Upon retirement, he joined GMAVSG as a trustee.
Lorraine has been a clinical nurse specialist in lung cancer and mesothelioma for almost 30 years. She is currently one of Mesothelioma UK’s Nurse Team Leaders and the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the National Lung Cancer Forum for Nurses.
Anthony is a retired solicitor who spent his working life handling compensation claims by victims of industrial disease, and by victims of asbestos-related illness in particular. He has been involved with GMAVSG in some way for 20 years.
I was one of the original founders of Greater Manchester Hazards Centre (GMHC) in 1987. GMHC set up the group that would later become GMAVSG. Until I retired in 2016 I worked for the NHS and I was very active in the Unison trade union.
Lauren lost husband Frank to mesothelioma when she was 49. Having a young family at the time, she joined the group for support. Lauren has been involved ever since.