Eastern Governors

Our Eastern Governors represent East Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and the Rest of England.

Rachel Noar

Rachel Noar

Rachel was elected as a public governor in 2019 and re-elected in 2022 for a further three years.

Rachel is Deaf and her family’s first language is British Sign Language (BSL). Rachel lives in Ottery St Mary. She worked with young Deaf people at Derby College, as an independent support worker, encouraging them to develop independent living skills. She went on to study Contemporary Arts/ Computer Animation, gaining an MA. She became a consultant for a disability board for East Midlands Art Council and was a member of the board of EQUATA, an arts agency for Deaf/disabled. She worked as an  advisory deaf inclusion worker for Devon County Council. Rachel supported hearing families with deaf babies/toddlers. This job centred on giving parents confidence to develop their children’s language skills. She also worked with nurseries and schools to develop the inclusion of Deaf children in mainstream situations. Since developing multiple sclerosis, she has become the full-time mother of two boys.

Fred Caygill

Fred Caygill

Fred was elected as a public governor in September 2024 for a term of three years. 

Born in Exmouth, Fred has had a varied career serving with the British Army for eight years. He worked for 16 years in the Civil Service for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, coordinating search and rescue for five years, as a press and public relations officer for nine years and two years as a sector officer.  He then went on to work for the South West Ambulance Service Trust for four years in resilience and logistics before giving up work to care for his wife, who has now sadly passed away suffering with vascular dementia.

Fred is an elected councillor with Exmouth Town Council. He also volunteers as an ambassador for Dementia UK, a carers ambassador for Devon Carers and is currently Chair of the Exmouth Imperial Surgery Practice Patient Group.

Peter Evans

Peter Evans

Peter was elected as a public governor in September 2024 for a term of two years.     

After graduating in modern languages, Peter taught in Canada before returning to start a career in business. He qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC and has held senior roles with KPMG, Renault and Fruehauf, including periods working in France and Germany. He also spent six years working for James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, during which he undertook a number of projects, including the installation of a hyperbaric medical unit at the Trust. For the past 20 years he has been Finance Director of the UK Schaeffler Group and chair of a large pension scheme.

Peter has always had a particular interest in the NHS and hopes his experience in management and governance will be useful as he serves the Trust as governor.

Sarah Hughes

Sarah Hughes

Sarah was elected as a public governor in September 2024 for a term of two years.

Sarah worked extensively in Somerset although now lives in Devon. Briefly a nurse at Guy’s Hospital, she went on to be a teacher specializing in drama and special education. She has worked in many environments, from schools, as the voluntary workforce manager at SCC, an adult advice and guidance tutor working with vulnerable and hard to reach groups, to being project manager setting up the Somerset Village Agent Scheme, which helped to reduce hospital admissions. Sarah has a MA Professional Development Certificate in Guidance and Group Work and received an NHS award for ‘Prescriptions for Learning’.  As a magistrate specialising in family issues, she was inspired to set up Somerset ’Pause’, which works to improve the lives of women who have had – or are at risk of having – more than one child removed from their care.

Sarah is dedicated to working within communities to empower and enable.

Nigel Richards

Nigel Richards

Nigel was elected as a public governor in September 2023 for a term of two years.

Nigel has a very wide business background, a Masters in Musicology and an MBA. He was a CEO and a successful entrepreneur for forty years alongside several non-executive directorships and some consultancy. He built his HR business to 400 employees and is experienced in complex project management, strategy, business planning and large scale revenue development. He is on the Cranfield Trust register of voluntary consultants providing pro bono consultancy to smaller charities and is working with a community services provider on a five year business plan and governance. A keen singer, he was responsible for developing and managing the friends, patrons and sponsors for the Exeter Festival Chorus for ten years. He hopes to give something back to the NHS which has been there for him and his family all his life.