Magdalena Swiecicka

Resources Manager
Magda’s background is in business administration, having worked previously as a training administrator for an IT training company and most recently for Dementia UK, where her main role was to maintain administrative systems, provide support for the training department and manage the training admin team.
Magda lives in London with her family. 
 

Danielle Goodwin

Communications Co-ordinator
Before joining Dementia Pathfinders, Danielle worked with the training department at Dementia UK. She provided administrative support for one-day courses and longer programmes in Kent, liaising with trainers and commissioners to ensure courses delivered the desired outcomes for learners. Her experience of caring for her Nan, who had vascular dementia, gave her a desire to work within the dementia care field.
Danielle enjoys life in historic Rochester, with her husband and their four children
 

Sandra Graham

Resources Co-ordinator
Prior to joining Dementia Pathfinders, Sandra worked at Dementia UK’s regional office in the West Midlands. She provided administrative support for all regional training courses and supported the regional networks of memory clinics and liaison services. Sandra cared for her mum who had vascular dementia, and values the opportunity to work with others who share her passion for improving the lives of people with dementia and their carers. Sandra lives in Wolverhampton and enjoys spending her spare time with her partner and their four children.

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Victoria Smith

Project Lead

Victoria has been working with Dementia Pathfinders since March 2021.  Her previous career was in fashion clothing buying working for Marks and Spencer and Fat Face in the UK and Target in Australia.  When she returned from Australia Victoria worked for Unforgettable.org an online marketplace of products to help people living with dementia where she met Barbara. Victoria’s role with Dementia Pathfinders is to source the product range for our activity packs and online shop.  She is also working with the team to develop new products for individuals from Minority Ethnic Groups who are living with dementia.

 

Victoria has personal experience of her friends mother and a neighbour living with dementia and has been involved with singing groups for people living with dementia.  She lives in Havant which is located on the south coast just off of Chichester Harbour.  She loves all activities related to the beach and sea.  She is married with 2 daughters.

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Barbara Stephens

Chief Executive
Barbara has held a variety of management and leadership positions in the not-for-profit sector, including the post of Chief Executive of Dementia UK, a role she fulfilled for 14 years, until September 2013. Barbara joined Dementia Pathfinders as Chief Executive in February 2014.

Barbara is a firm believer in solution-focused approaches to supporting people. She envisages many opportunities for Dementia Pathfinders to work in partnership with local communities, building relationships and creating resource-rich networks to enhance the well-being and health of people affected by dementia, their families, friends and supporters.

Barbara lives on the Isle of Wight and in her spare time is studying A level Physics... for fun!

Andy Hopwood

Non-Executive Director
Andy is a founding director of Dementia Pathfinders. He previously worked for Dementia UK for 11 years in a variety of IT and management roles. Prior to that he worked in software development roles in telecommunications, direct marketing and logistics. His area of expertise is in information governance, information security and compliance and he is interested in using technology to help improve the lives of those affected by dementia. Outside of work Andy is a keen football fan and likes to play the guitar.

Jude Sweeting

Non-Executive Director

Jude Sweeting has worked with statutory and not for profit health and social care organisations as a nurse, coach, facilitator, manager and service developer.

 

She started developing dementia services in 1998 and values creativity, compassion, care and collaboration. She remains strongly driven to improve the lived experience of dementia for all those touched by it after caring for her own parents, both of whom lived with dementia.

 

Jude is currently a Director of Ladder to the Moon CIC which works to inspire vibrant communities in care homes.  She is also the Chair of Resonate Arts which she co-founded in 2010 when working in the City of Westminster as a Dementia Development Officer.