Meet the team

Our Trustees

Sanjeev Vadhera, Chair of Trustees

Sanjeev is a Chartered Surveyor with over 20 years of varied experience in Real Estate Investment Banking, Retail Operations, Property Development and Finance. He trained with Jones Lang LaSalle in London before leaving to join his retail family business in Newcastle which they subsequently sold in 2016.

Sanjeev is now Director of Retail Operations for James Hall and Co (SPAR) for the North of England. He was appointed Chair of Dragonfly Cancer Trust in 2020 and has been involved as a Trustee since 2018.

As Chair, Sanjeev works closely with the CEO to develop and deliver an ambitious strategy for the charity designed to ensure the longevity of the Trust and to help as many young people as possible.

Neil Sewell, Vice Chair of Trustees

Neil was born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne, he’s married to Jill, has two daughters and a wonderful granddaughter. He has been a Trustee for Dragonfly Cancer Trust for five years, having been involved with the charity for a couple of years prior to this. Neil has enjoyed seeing our growth from a small, local charity to where we are now, supporting a UK network of hospices and hospitals.

For Neil, being a Trustee has allowed him to be a part of creating those special moments with families who are going through one of their toughest moments anyone is ever likely to face. Neil enjoys meeting with hospices and groups to promote our Dragonfly strategy, raising the profile of the Trust and the great work it does to help young people.

David Harker, Treasurer / Trustee

David is an accountant and former partner with Deloitte having worked with clients across government and public services in the UK and internationally.

David now runs his own management consulting business and is a non-executive director at several companies in the UK and abroad.

Ben Dawson, Trustee

Ben is currently First Team Development Coach at Newcastle United Football Club where he has been a coach for over 15 years spanned over two periods at the club. In between his two stints at NUFC he worked for The Football Association as a coach developer in the professional game.

He originally began his coaching career with Newcastle City Council’s Football Development Scheme and moved across to Newcastle United Foundation when the club’s charity was created.

His involvement with Dragonfly Cancer Trust began when the charity made Newcastle its central base at the same time as the loss of his mother to cancer. He has since utilised his sporting connections to help a number of young cancer patients fulfil some of their sporting-related dreams and create memories for those young people and their families.

Sam Lock, Trustee

Sam is a healthcare Executive with nearly 15 years’ experience spanning the public and private sectors. Currently a Regional Chief Operating Officer for HCA Healthcare UK, Sam’s roles have covered operational, commercial and financial remits; including distressed hospital recovery programmes whilst with PwC.

As a Trustee, Sam is passionate about supporting the charity with accessing prospective beneficiaries; aiming to help those who may not have otherwise had the opportunity

He lives with his family, including two energetic sons and a one-eyed French bulldog, in the West Midlands.

Tom Cummings, Trustee

Tom is a well respected Solicitor in Newcastle upon Tyne and offers both strategic and legal guidance to the Trust.

In his spare time, Tom can be found exploring the Northumberland coastline with the help of his Chocolate Labrador, Cooper.