Trustees

Caroline Thomlinson

Trustee

Caroline has almost 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and is currently a Managing Director at a large European bank. I enjoy what I do but I am looking to add some purpose to my life, spending my time and using my skills doing something that I truly care about and where I can make a difference. The purpose closest to my heart is animals. I am a proud pet owner of four cats, Trixi, Dash, Pepsi and Everest, and one pony, Firefly. The pony was a rescue as the former owner could not afford to keep her. It is the best thing we have ever done and it gives so much joy to my family. My animal behaviour experience is from 40+ years of pet ownership mainly horses, ponies and cats.

Danny Lezer

Trustee

Danny is a digital business consultant within consumer goods and retail, with a career spanning over two decades specialising in direct-to-consumer ecommerce business strategy and growth. Danny has worked within digital across many different industries which include: toys, drinks, tooling and pet food, as well as starting his own business. Outside of digital, soon to be dad Danny likes to ‘switch off’ by exploring the outdoors, travelling throughout the UK as much as possible with his family and very energetic Working Cocker Spaniel, Teddy. The family are also pet parents to a rescue cat, tropical fish and koi and are always contemplating what to rescue next!

John Garratt

Trustee (Chairman)

John joined the trustees in 2022 after completing an MSc in Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for 30 years in a variety of challenging roles both on-board ships, on land operations and in various shore based HQs. Recent HQ roles included teaching operational planning both in the UK and overseas, supporting national resilience planning and two stints at the MoD.

Motivated by compassion for all sentient animals, John became a vegetarian in 2015 and vegan four years later. He and his partner Ethaar have the privilege to share their home with two rescue dogs, a collie-x called Billy and an ex-street dog from Afghanistan called Moosh.

Mel Chapman

Trustee

I’m Mel and I live in Cheshire with my husband Neil and our 4 hens and 2 hives of bees.

I have always been an animal lover and from an early age I knew I needed to be a veterinary surgeon! As a vet I love to see all animals (although if I’m being honest, my favourites patients are chickens!), and I enjoy discussions with clients. Most days as a vet are cats and dogs but one particular day I remember opening my consult door to the waiting room and there sat a Valais Blackface ram, a 5ft lizard, a hedgehog, a bearded dragon and a Snowy Owl! And I thought “gosh, I am just like James Herriott!”.

My other job, is as a lecturer at Liverpool Vet School, where I get to shape the veterinary graduates of the future, this is a role I find to be really satisfying and I feel I’m doing my bit for my profession by producing quality graduates. I particularly enjoy it when students go into practice for the first time and they come back to uni absolutely fizzing with excitement for their future career. It's an honour to work with the students.

I am hoping to add my veterinary and education skill sets to the NAWT board of trustees, and I am really excited to see what we can achieve together.

Sharmini Julita Paramasivam

Trustee

Sharmini Julita Paramasivam graduated as a veterinary surgeon in 2008 from Universiti Putra Malaysia. She started work in small animal practice and moved on to zoological medicine practice for a few years before working as an academic at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey in 2015. Sharmini has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh and focuses her teaching and practice on animal behaviour, animal husbandry and human animal interaction.

Sharmini is based in Surrey but leads the Animal Neighbours Project in Malaysia which aims to reduce negative interactions between wildlife and humans in urban spaces.  Improving the quality of life of captive animals is very important to Sharmini and believes a positive emotional health is key to achieving this.

Ben Brilot

Trustee

I’m a passionate believer that we can and should do better for the animals that share our lives: whether companion, working, livestock animals or wildlife. I’m also of the view that science and evidence-based practice are the best way for us to choose how to make those improvements and, very importantly, make the case to others that our choices are necessary and justified. From a very early age I was fascinated with the question of why animals do the things that they do and what that means for how we interact with them. As such I pursued a research career in animal behaviour and welfare science from a degree in zoology, a PhD in animal behaviour and a decade of research in animal welfare at several universities. My primary focus has been about how the behaviour of animals can tell us about whether and how they might be experiencing the world (in the sense of the potential for emotion states). I'm interested in this question both from a practical point of view: can we assess and improve the welfare of animals in our care, and a theoretical point of view: why have emotions evolved, and how should animals (including humans) express them?

At present I’m the Associate Head of the Animal department at Hartpury University. I lead a team of 20 individuals in delivering animal-based degree programmes to over 500 students a year. I really enjoy my leadership and lecturing roles and see them as a great opportunity to generate impact: by developing the knowledge, critical analysis and reflective skills of the young people who will form the future of animal care and campaigning, we have the potential to effect genuine positive change. I’m also thrilled to have been given responsibility as a trustee for NAWT. Again, I think we are an organisation that can have major real-world impact. Through our preventative and rehoming work we can ensure that owners have the best available pet care knowledge to ensure that their lives, and the lives of their pets, are harmonious and fulfilling.

Lucy Parker

Trustee

I have always had a passionate interest in animals, and found myself forever wondering what they think about and how they feel. This curiosity led me to complete a degree in BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare which fuelled my appreciation for animals and further developed my curiosity.

My compassion for animal welfare has encouraged me to raise my voice for those who don't have one, which is why I became vegan 8 years ago, spent time volunteering in an animal sanctuary in Namibia, and have contributed to animal rights campaigns for issues like puppy farming and the ivory trade.

I currently work in the Health, Safety and Environment industry with an ambition to eventually focus on environmental issues for animals and humans alike, hopefully making the world a slightly better place!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a trustee at NAWT.

Kate Brown

Trustee

Kate joined the board of Trustees in 2024 shortly after completing a NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management. In her day job she is an Environmental Health and Safety Manager for a large medical devices company and her remit covers the North Western Europe region consisting of 9 countries. On top of the traditional health and safety topics, Kate is also heavily involved in programs relating to mental health and wellbeing, women's health and sustainability.

Cats have played a huge part in Kate's life and she has grown up with cats for most of her life. Kate and her fiancé adopted their cat Freyja from the NAWT Clacton branch in 2020 and she spends much of her free time playing with and pampering her. Kate wanted to become a trustee to help as many animals as possible get the love and care that they deserve and to help find them a loving home.

Jess Duke

Trustee

I have always been passionate about animals from a young age. My love for animals inspired me to become vegetarian at the age of 7, and eventually leading me to transition to veganism in the past couple of years.

After volunteering at animal rescue centres with my family from the age of 12, I have always enforced the motto of adopt don’t shop. Overall, my family and I have had over 25 four-legged friends, ranging from dogs to guinea pigs, from rescue centres in the UK and abroad. All of which have contributed to our lives in the most amazing ways.

I currently work as an Environmental Advisor, which I enjoy. However, wanting to combine my love for animal with sustainability, I realised I also wanted to do more. I am achieving this aspiration through my role at NAWT and my current PhD research at Cardiff University.

My PhD research aims to revolutionise the role of sustainability within animal rescue centres in the UK, making the planet a better place for all.

I am honoured to be chosen to represent the NAWT as a trustee, and reach my aspirations of making the planet a safe and happy place for all animals, through implementing the NAWT manifesto of ‘We Never Stop Caring.’