Sonja Woodhouse appointed Vice Chair of Carers Trust's Board of Trustees

Carers Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Sonja Woodhouse as the Vice Chair of its Board of Trustees with immediate effect.

The appointment follows Veronica Stonor’s retirement from the Board. Veronica has served two terms as a trustee of Carers Trust since 2015, including a three year term as Vice Chair of its Board of Trustees from 2018.

Although stepping down from the Board of Trustees, Veronica will remain closely involved in the work of Carers Trust in her continuing role as a member of the Board that oversees the work of the recently launched Princess Royal Respite Fund for Carers.

Sonja brings a wealth of relevant professional experience and expertise to the role of Vice Chair. She currently serves as the Chief Executive of Carers Trust Heart of England, overseeing regulated carer services as well as enabling unpaid family carers, and the people they care for, to lead positive and sustainable lives.

Before taking on that role, Sonja worked in a range of social care roles within local authorities where she commissioned services for carers. She also has extensive experience of implementing and driving change management across a range of projects, teams and departments. Sonja has been a Carers Trust trustee since July 2020.

Having been a carer to her father, Sonja also has direct, first-hand experience of the complex challenges facing unpaid family carers as they juggle working and family life with their caring responsibilities.

On taking up the role of Vice Chair of Carers Trust’s Board of Trustees, Sonja said:
“I am naturally delighted to have been entrusted with the role Of Vice Chair by my fellow trustees. Over the last eighteen months, unpaid carers have taken on even more caring responsibilities due to lockdowns and the closure of local services. I am greatly looking forward to using my experience of working with, and for, carers to help shape Carers Trust’s long-term strategy and vision to change the lives of the UK’s unpaid carers for the better.”

And reflecting on the change in the Vice Chair of Carers Trust’s Board of Trustees, its Chair, John McLean OBE, said:
“Along with my fellow trustees, I would first like to offer our sincere thanks to Veronica for the wisdom and expertise she has brought to our work over the last six years. We are delighted she will continue to offer that expertise to us in the vital work of guiding our Princess Royal’s Respite Fund For Carers.

And I am thrilled that Sonja has agreed to step up to the role of Vice Chair. On behalf of my fellow trustees and the staff of Carers Trust, I would like to welcome her to the role and am very much looking forward to working closely with her over the coming years to help Carers Trust transform the lives of carers.”

Ends

An image of Sonja Woodhouse is available on request.

For further information, please contact: Matt Whitticase on mwhitticase@carers.org and 07824 539481. 

Carers Trust is a major charity for, with and about carers. We work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. 

We do this with a UK wide network of quality assured independent partners and through the provision of grants to help carers get the extra help they need to live their own lives. With locally based Network Partners we are able to support carers in their homes through the provision of replacement care, and in the community with information, advice, emotional support, hands on practical help and access to much needed breaks. We offer specialist services for carers of people of all ages and conditions and a range of individual tailored support and group activities.  

Our vision is that unpaid carers count and can access the help they need to live their lives.