MEET THE TEAM
Say ‘Hello’ to our wonderful team of trustees and storytellers, without whom none of this would be possible.
If you’re interested in finding out more about trustee opportunities please email [email protected]
Our Patron
Bob Hartman
Previously a pastor for a Baptist church in Pittsburgh, Bob has been a famous children’s writer and performance storyteller for many years, travelling widely across the world. He’s a regular at festivals including Spring Harvest and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He’s the author of over fifty books for children including the best-selling Lion Storyteller Bible, Anyone can tell a Bible story and, most recently, The Act-Along Bible. Total sales of his books for Lion are now in excess of one million copies and we are honoured to welcome him to the Truth Be Told team!
“I am looking forward to serving this organisation that really wants to bring intergenerational ministry to life right across the country.”
Our Staff Team
We operate with a small part-time team of four who are highly experienced in governance, relationship management, creative content writing and technical implementation. We draw on the skills and experience of a network of other connections in similar positions and charities to inform our decisions and guide on best practise.
Gemma Gillard
Founder & CEO
Gemma began her career at a publishing house in Soho, helping magazines to replicate internationally before moving to governance and special projects at a cancer charity. In 2014, she gave up the London life to start a storytelling business and has been writing stories and bespoke storytelling sessions ever since. This led to the birth of Truth Be Told, and you can read that story here. Now, Gemma loves leading the organisation and also works for other clients as a consultant including Out of the Ark Music and The Church of England. Her remit includes developing concepts, bringing them to life, writing creative content and supporting strategic leaders and groups. The golden thread through it all is that God has given Gemma an audacious faith to believe, and encourage others, that He might just have more in store for us than we could ever begin to imagine.
Rachel Theunissen
Chief Operating Officer
Rachel has helped to set up several companies, including an international language school, a publishing company and her own child-minding business. She now heads up operations for Truth Be Told, ensuring the smooth running of all the digital media, governance, finance and fundraising. As a passionate storyteller herself, she has published her own writing and continues to write in her spare time. She is also an active member of her local church where she loves to help people find their purpose and live life to the full.
Leanne Smit
Mission Support Officer
Our Trustees
We are so grateful for an involved and supportive Trustee team who are diverse in background and skillset along with other trusted advisors and experts. We are always looking for others with aligned passion and complementary skills to join the Trustee team so if you would like to know more, please contact [email protected]
Jackie Last
Truth Be Told connects everything that I have been passionate about during my work and personal life – family, direct caring, children and older people, my underpinning Christian faith and Church life.
Storytelling, singing and activity provide an innovative and exciting way to engage both young and old together. All involved can ‘belong’ and be part of community. I retired in 2013 as local authority Director of Children’s social care services, after 40+ years working with adults, or children and their families and more than ten years caring for frail parents. I am married to Richard and we have two children and four grandchildren.
Lwanga Chibamba
I’m excited to be part of TBT and love how It brings generations together to tackle loneliness in such a fun and interactive way. It’s such a privilege to be part of an initiative that brings so much joy and hope to older adults. I recognise the great need for TBT as I spend a lot of time with the older generation, working for my family’s home care agency. In my free time I love to sing and play music and also spend a lot of time walking around the Jurassic coast.
Ashley Liddington
I am a husband, dad to two amazing children, a Chaplain, and an ordinand within the church of England.
I am a passionate advocate for Spiritual, Pastoral, Social, Emotional and End of Life Care needs of older people within care, as I have worked in older persons chaplaincy for over 15 years.
I have a special interest in supporting older people with meaningful connections and having worked with TBT in the past, I was excited to be ask to join the trustees to help support this work at an exciting time.
Stuart Taylor
I’ve been working in the charity sector for ten years helping young people with starting their own businesses, and I wanted to bring the experience and skills I’ve gained to support a charity as a trustee with a cause I was passionate about – and Truth Be Told was it!
Truth Be Told mixes some of my favourite things – people, storytelling, music, and faith – all the great ingredients that mix together to create the important bridge in building a sense of community, togetherness and belonging between generations that is both highly impactful and a lot of fun! This is something I feel really privileged and excited to be a part of.
Priscilla Roxburgh
I’m passionate about creating communities where people feel seen, valued and connected across generations. My work focuses on leadership, communication and social impact—helping organisations build cultures of belonging.
Truth Be Told drew me in because it brings young and old together in a simple, transformative way, using story, creativity and shared experience to strengthen connection at a time of rising loneliness.
Alongside my work in church and community settings, I bring a strategic lens around growth, culture and long‑term sustainability. As a trustee, I’m committed to helping Truth Be Told deepen its impact and stay rooted in what makes it powerful: spaces where people belong and stories are honoured.
Irwin Buchanan
TBT offers a wonderful way to connect with refugee and other migrant children and adults while sharing Christ. For the past 14 years, I have worked alongside my wife, Rosalie, with a local Christian refugee support charity, focusing on management, finances, and teaching ESOL to asylum seekers.
Alongside my role with TBT, I also serve as a trustee for two other charities. In our spare time, we enjoy spending time with our ten grandchildren, travelling, exploring new cultures, and being involved in global mission activities through our church.
Some of our storytellers
Jill Andrews
Dorchester
I’m Jill and I love presenting TBT to the different generations. It’s so rewarding seeing them interacting with each other and watching their eyes light up. Our biggest delight was seeing a lady who suffers with severe anxiety join a session. That is just what we hope for in each gathering to bring love, joy, and peace into people’s lives. Running TBT is so rewarding for me, a widow with three sons and nine grandchildren. In my spare time I love singing, counted cross stitch, knitting and reading.
Paul and Julie Barnett
Poole
We live in Poole and are a part of a local Christian Church. We both took early retirement – me from working with Dorset police and Julie from being a nursing sister in the NHS. We have children and now grandchildren whom we love – so it’s natural & kind to working with TBT alongside children, parents and our older friends, sharing Gods love with them.
Sophie Campbell
Christchurch
I am a wife and mother of four, part time squash coach, cleaner and charity Trustee! I had a brief encounter with nursing and midwifery, during which I loved the short season I had working with both the older generation and helping to bring new life into the world! I am passionate about family and I am excited to be involved with Truth Be Told , enabling children and older residents to build friendships and bring joy to one another all whilst having fun together. I love meeting people and some of my favourite things are puzzles, tea and Uganda!
Yvonne Bright
Sherborne
Throughout my life I have enjoyed working with and around all age groups and so bringing them together as TBT does is an amazing project that encapsulates community. I am privileged to work for my Church as a children and families coordinator and as part of my role I run TBT sessions alongside the amazing Abbey View care home and also within toddler groups. TBT sessions give us the opportunity to share stories, build relationships, share the love of Jesus and the truths that knowing him bring to our lives.
Karen Priest
Bournemouth
I am a wife and mother of two little ones, and we all enjoy sharing stories, music and songs. I love hearing my 3 year old retell Bible stories and sing his own songs to Jesus, whilst my 18 month old ‘la’s’ along beside him or tries to copy his actions. Seeing them in the group with me, greeting friends of all ages, sharing cuddles with some of the other parents/carers and our older friends has been so precious. It encapsulates my heart for seeing all of the generations together like one big family. People from all backgrounds, all ages, with so many different life experiences and outlooks, all finding love, acceptance, friendship, joy and freedom together.
Nikki Mandley
Birmingham
Hi, I’m Nikki Mandley and I’m a part of OIKOS Church in Birmingham. I love getting to share the gospel with people, sharing food with friends and music. I work as a full-time first-culture missionary and have 3 wonderful children with my husband Dan who is the pastor of our church. We’re using TBT as a monthly special in our multi-cultural playgroup with many guests whose first language isn’t English. We love seeing it connect with the mums, like seeds being planted.
Charley Leighton
West Moors
My name is Charley, and I am a Christian, a wife, and a mummy to a beautiful three-year-old daughter and her eighteen-month-old twin sisters. I also serve as the Community Outreach Coordinator at Pinehurst Community Church in West Moors and work as a professional singer, vocal coach, and workshop facilitator!
I love building relationships within the community and have a real passion for tackling loneliness and isolation through music and storytelling.
Leading Truth Be Told sessions feels like the perfect fit for me. It’s such a joy to share the love of Jesus with people of all ages and backgrounds in so many different places. One of the added blessings is that I get to take my girls along on the journey too!