The Team
Meet the team of Trustees and Management Commitee Members that help us achieve our goals.
Matthew Byrne
Trustee
I founded We Are Donors after working on a transplant ward as a student, where I saw how the gift of organ donation could transform someone’s life. Before a kidney transplant, patients had to spend all day connected to a dialysis machine, and the week after they were out of the hospital and able to live their life to the fullest again. I knew then that we needed to do more to educate young people about the impact their decision can have on the lives of other people.I work as an academic surgeon at the University of Oxford, and my research looks at understanding why kidney and bladder problems occur, and improving education for healthcare workers.
Charlotte Brathwaite-Shirley
Trustee
I joined We Are Donors after seeing the transformational impact organ and blood donation can have on a person’s life. We Are Donors is one of the only charities that’s focuses on changing attitudes through peer led student education.
As diversity lead our programme focuses on organ and blood donation in ethnic minorities because of the critical need to address the disparities these communities face. We aim to raise awareness, promote donor registration, and support initiatives that ensure equitable access to life-saving transplants for all, regardless of their ethnic background. This cause resonates with me deeply, as it combines my passion for healthcare equality with the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
I am an anaesthetist based in South London, dedicated to mentoring colleagues and medical students. My passion for mentoring and my commitment to professional development reflect my dedication to improving healthcare outcomes and supporting the next generation of medical professionals.
Matthew Symington
Trustee
In 2016 I made up part of the small team that established the first We Are Donors group in Newcastle University. I have had the pleasure of being involved at every level of the organisation from delivering talks to pupils, leading a local group and now overseeing the operations at a national level on the board of trustees. In my role as a children’s doctor I have seen first hand the transformational impact of organ and blood donation on people’s lives. It is this that has motivated me to continue the vital work this charity does with children and young people.
Laura Whitter
Trustee
I initially got involved with We Are Donors when I was an undergraduate student in Bristol. I’d always been passionate about donating blood and realised that many other students didn’t realise how easy and important it is to be a donor. Around the time that I became president of University of Bristol’s blood donation society, we merged with We Are Donors, and after I graduated I expanded our blood donation project to the other We Are Donors locations.
Now, as Blood Donation Lead and a Trustee for the charity, I use my experience as a student and from working part-time for NHS Blood and Transplant to help our local groups run blood donor events all over the UK.I’ve recently graduated from medical school and will soon be starting work as a junior doctor in Merseyside. I’m not sure which field of medicine I’d like to pursue, but after my training I want to spend time working for humanitarian organisations in parts of the world where blood products are often scarce. This goal has motivated me to continue advocating for young people’s health education and raise awareness of the importance of sustainable blood stocks and other resources.
Joseph Battle
Trustee
I joined We Are Donors in 2020 after having seen the impact of their work during my time as a student at Newcastle University. The effect that our sessions have on young people and the enthusiasm of our volunteers are the reasons why I love working for We Are Donors. I am currently training to be a Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon in Bristol and I hope to continue my work with We Are Donors to enable us to have a meaningful impact on Blood and Organ donation across the UK.
Jenny Whitby
Trustee
I joined We Are Donors as Education Lead in 2020 and I am passionate about raising awareness of the importance of organ donation amongst young people. As a children’s doctor I have seen firsthand how organ donation can save or transform a child’s life. But I have also looked after children who have tragically died while still on the waiting list. I believe that education of young people is key to changing this and I am delighted that our work at We Are Donors has already made a real change across the UK in empowering young people to speak to their families about organ donation and make a informed decision that is right for them.
Sophie Hughes
Recruitment Lead
My interest in organ donation began in school when the Welsh government announced they were going to implement an opt out organ donation system. As a young person in Wales, this was a law that could impact both my own and my family’s future, so I decided to find out more about it. Several years later in 2018 whilst at university, I came across We Are Donors. After hearing about the aims and messages of this charity I knew I wanted to be part of this organisation to raise awareness of these important issues. I began my journey with We Are Donors as a volunteer before becoming the National Recruitment Lead several years later, helping to recruit new volunteers to the national committee as well as new groups throughout the UK.
In my day job, I am a medical doctor, often caring for patients diagnosed with organ failure. From my job, I can see first hand how organ donation has the potential to benefit people’s lives and transform them for the better.
Jade Mckeown
Social Media Lead
Hello! I’ve been a proud member of We Are Donors for two years. My journey with the charity began when the first local group in Northern Ireland was set up from the incredible work of Fionntán and his family, witnessing their dedication to promoting education and sparking conversations around organ and blood donation was truly inspiring.
As a medical student, I had the unforgettable experience of witnessing an organ transplant for a man with an autoimmune chronic kidney disorder. Hearing from him and his family about how the transplant would transform his life – freeing him from the gruelling routine of dialysis and greatly improving his quality of life, leaving a profound impact on me and my views on donation. This inspired me to join We Are Donors, a charity that uniquely harnesses the power of students’ voices to raise awareness and break down barriers to donation.
Currently, I’m in my fifth year at Queens University, and I’ll be graduating in 2025 and hope to continue raising awareness as a clinician. I absolutely love being creative and working with our fantastic social media team to craft engaging and educational content for all our platforms. Within the national committee, I also enjoy developing and designing leaflets and posters to help promote our mission.
Outside of my work with We Are Donors, I love exploring new places, and hunting for new experiences and delicious food. I’m also an outdoor enthusiast—whether it’s hiking with my dog, kayaking, or snorkeling, I’m always up for an adventure.
Olalekan Obisesan
Charity Manager
I joined We Are Donors in June 2024, inspired by its vital mission to save lives through educational initiatives about blood and organ donation.
Before joining We Are Donors, I spent over seven years at The ONE Campaign, a global non-profit dedicated to ending extreme poverty and preventable diseases. There, I led the global volunteer programme and was involved in various campaigns focused on education, gender, and health system strengthening among others.
At We Are Donors, I serve as the Charity Manager – I manage volunteers, plan and deliver events and strategic initiatives, and help to improve processes to achieve impactful results.
Beyond my professional work, I enjoy volunteering and contributing my time and skills. I have volunteered with organisations such as Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Nigeria and I currently serve as a School Governor with the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT).
