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About Us

The BDA Benevolent Fund was established in 1883. It is an unincorporated charity, registered with the Charity Commission (number 208146). Our Trustees are elected by the members at an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Read more about who they are below. 

Trustees

Dr Austin Banner

Vice-Chairman

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Ms Julie Chisholm

Trustee

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Dr Peter Crooks

Trustee

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Dr Molly Deykin

Co-Chair

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Dr Jacqui Frederick

Trustee

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Dr Richard Hems

Trustee

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Dr Alex Gormley

Trustee

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Dr Chris Hayward

Treasurer

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Dr Shafaq Hussain

Co-Chair

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Dr Derek Manson

Trustee

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Dr Menna Shykhon

Trustee

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Vice Presidents

Being a Vice-President is an honorary role nominated by the Trustees and elected by the members at an AGM in recognition of the individuals’ past contribution, service or commitment to the Charity. The following are our current Vice Presidents:

Dr Viorica Bergman, Dr Bill Nichols, Dr Mavis Phipps, Dr Ann Rockey, Dr John Sandham, Dr Peter Swiss, Dr Sylvia Theaker, Professor Sir Nairn Wilson, Dr Shirley Zangwill

Dr Viorica Bergman
Dr Richard Elvin
Dr Bill Nichols
Dr Mavis Phipps
Dr Ann Rockey
Dr John Sandham
Dr Peter Swiss
Dr Sylvia Theaker
Professor Sir Nairn Wilson
Dr Shirley Zangwill

Staff

finance and operations Administrator

Faye Serlin

Chief Executive

Laura Hannon

Learn More About Us

Mission and values
Our History
Governance & AGM
News

Dr Austin Banner

Vice-Chairman

  • Trustee since 2010
  • Dental speciality – Retired consultant Orthodontist
  • County – Southern Counties
  • I am a Past President of the BDA Southern Counties Branch with extensive experience in committee, management, teaching, and training.

Dr Peter Crooks

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental Speciality – General Dental Practitioner
  • County – Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • I am the representative of the Principal Executive Committee of the BDA on the BDA Benevolent Fund Board. I hope to continue and foster the close working relationship between the Charity and the BDA, of whose members are also members of the charity. I’m also a Director and Secretary of a charitable company – CHEERS Youth Centre

Dr Molly Deykin

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental speciality – General Dental Practitioner
  • County – London
  • I have been involved in student support groups and I was elected British Dental Student Association President. I worked with the Sands Cox Charity when I was the Dental School Society Vice-President. After graduating I was the Foundation Dentist Representative on the BDA Young Dentists Committee.

Dr Allan Franklin

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2003
  • Dental speciality – General Dental Practitioner for 35 years
  • County – Oldham/ Rochdale
  • I am the Chairman of BDA Oldham & Rochdale Section (and previous Secretary). Chairman for the E.Lancs & E Cheshire Branch of BDA in charge of section regeneration. Previous Chairman of British Society for Dental Hypnosis (as it was then) and involved in Local Dental Committees.

Dr Alex Gormley

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2020
  • Dental Speciality – Academic Clinical Fellow at the University of Bristol
  • County – Bristol
  • I have worked in primary dental care and a maxillofacial unit since graduation. I am continuing my dental core training alongside academic training at the University of Bristol. I also serve as the Early Career Representative as an invited board member at the FDS at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Dr Chris Hayward

Treasurer

  • Trustee since 2013
  • Dental speciality – Associate Specialist in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Lead Clinician Dental Emergency Department Newcastle Dental Hospital, Honorary  Clinical Lecturer Newcastle Dental School
  • County – Newcastle/ Northern Counties
  • I have been active in the BDA at Section, Branch, and National Levels. I was a member of the Rep Board/Body; a former member of the BDA PEC; a Director of International Affairs; and the previous BDA Board.

Dr Philip Henderson

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2006
  • Dental Speciality-Principal Practice Owner and in General Dental Service for 37 years.
  • County – Antrim, Northern Ireland
  • I have been a Church Elder for 34 years with pastoral care responsibility Local Dental Adviser for Dental Protection including attending GDC Hearings and Probity work in NHS Current member “Probing Dental Stress” group in N.I.
  • Past: LDC Chair, N.I.DPC Chair, Northern Ireland Branch BDA President, Director of the BDA’s PEC for two terms

Dr Ros Keeton

Chairman

  • Trustee since 2008
  • Dental Specialty – Leadership and management of Dental Services
  • County – Shropshire
  • I am an experienced NHS Chief Executive and health care leader who combines a dental background with substantial leadership experience. I am also a Chairman of a specialist hospice and EOL charity Compton Care. I am a passionate and committed advocate for dentists in distress.

Dr Stuart Robson

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2006
  • Dental speciality – A General Dental Practitioner
  • County– North Yorkshire
  • Former President of BDA 1999- 2000, previous Vice-Chairman of BDA Council and also Dental Services Committee. On behalf of North Yorkshire LDC, was organiser and lead of the North Yorkshire PASS (Practitioner Advice and Support Scheme) preventing some dentist with problems having dire financial and professional difficulties.

Dr Bill Creedon

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2014
  • Dental speciality – GDP
  • County – Hampshire

  • I have been in general practice for over 20 years as a practice owner in Southampton. The last four years I have been also working at Kings College, London. I am Chair of the BDA’s Wessex branch and Vice Chairman of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight LDC.

Dr Menna Shykhon

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2022
  • Dental speciality – Dental Core Trainee
  • County – West Midlands

  • During university, I joined, then became the Chair of Birmingham Student Action for Refugees, a student-led national charity. As a young dentist, I also appreciate the struggles faced by dental students and recent graduates, especially in the current climate.

Dr Derek Manson

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2022
  • Dental speciality – GDP
  • County – Antrim, Northern Ireland

  • With over 32 years’ experience I have a broad knowledge of our profession from being an Associate to practice owner. I have been the Levy Fund treasurer for over 15 years and helped to set up services following health policy to aid the profession.

Dr Shafaq Hussain

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2022
  • Dental speciality – GDP with an interest in treating the anxious patient
  • County – Yorkshire

  • Working to improve the lives of others is a passion that led me to dentistry. After my Young Onset Parkinson’s diagnosis, I discovered a newfound urgency to maximise my impact. I am involved with several charities in fundraising and awareness campaigns, which has given me media engagement experience and transferrable skills.

Dr Richard Hems

Trustee

  • Trustee since 2022
  • Dental speciality – Endodontics
  • County – Suffolk

  • I founded and ran two practices, one delivering general dentistry, the other a specialist referral centre. I now work as a part time Honorary Lecturer with final year dental students at Queen Mary University of London.  I have also been Chairman and Secretary of the Suffolk and Ipswich BDA section.

Dr Jacqui Frederick

Trustee

  • Co-opted Trustee 2023
  • Dental Specialty – General Dental Practitioner
  • County – Greater Glasgow and Clyde
  • General Practice principal with a long interest in vocational training. Past LDC Chair and current West of Scotland BDA branch Chair. The last five years a career change to group clinical director for a large Scottish corporate have provided board experience with responsibilities for clinical compliance, recruitment, performance, CPD and managing pastoral support for the clinicians.

Ms Julie Chisholm

Trustee

  • Co-opted Trustee 2024
  • County – Tyne and Wear
  • Currently employed as Director of Finance for a UK charity, I have many years’ experience of managing all aspects of finance, HR, IT, and governance, spanning both public and private sectors. I also worked as a senior university lecturer, where I taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.