1. South West Peninsula/Somerset & Dorset/Channel Islands

Jane Bell

Jane is a self-employed optometrist and has been an AOP councillor since 2006.  She has had an optometry clinic in a medical centre since February 2002 dealing with referral refinement and management of anterior segment eye diseases.  She was an examiner for College of Optometrists from 1997 to 2006, has been a member of Dorset LOC since 1990 and Chair since 1994.  In her spare time she enjoys scuba diving and driving RIBs. 

2. Hampshire & Isle of Wight

Thurka Sivapalan

Thurka Sivapalan qualified as an Optometrist in 2002 from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.  She has extensive domiciliary experience and represents the AOP on such issues.  She currently works for The Outside Clinic and also for Specsavers Opticians in Brighton.  She is involved with her Local Optometry Committee in West Sussex.

3. Surrey & Sussex/South West London

Elizabeth Frost

Liz joined the AOP Council in 1995 becoming a board member in 1997.  She is currently on the Public Affairs Committee and represents the AOP on OVCC and OCCS.  She provides a small domiciliary service in Surrey, does some locum work and is an optometric advisor to PCTs.  She also undertakes hospital-based diabetic retinopathy screening.  Her outside interests include teaching in junior church, playing badminton, and walking.

4. Kent & Medway/South East London

Robin Banks

Robin has been AOP councillor for Kent and S.E. London since 1998. Recently retired from full time practice, he continues to work as a locum optometrist as well as undertaking a number of LOC and AOP posts.  Currently the Chairman of Finance committee and enjoys driving vintage motor vehicles.

5. Essex/North East London

Kennedy Rath

Kennedy is an Essex-born, self-employed, single-practice owner. He qualified as a dispensing optician in 1968 and as an optometrist in 1985. He is a husband and father of 2 girls and a qualified Anglican lay preacher. His other interests include playing tenor saxophone in a church music group, being a season ticket holder at Chelsea FC, and fast cars.

6. Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire

Lynn White

Lynn qualified in Manchester and ran two practices there for many years. In 2002 she travelled to Trinidad to live and work but is now based in Great Yarmouth. She has a deep interest in contact lenses, particularly relating to keratoconus, and this is the focus of her work, she has been a Councillor since 2005.

7. Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire/North Central London

Sue Leighter

Biography not available

8. North West London

David M. Shannon

David graduated with a Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee in 1986. He divides his time between the family practice in Notting Hill and Johnson and Johnson Vision Care where he acts as a professional affairs consultant.  David is the AOP Board member responsible for Optometry Today and the Chair of the Education Committee.

9. Thames Valley

Susan Glass

Biography not available

10. Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire/West Midlands South

Francesca Marchetti

Francesca graduated from Caledonian University in 1984. She then moved to the midlands and trained with D & A and continued to work with them until 1992. Since then she has been a Locum Optometrist working with in independent practice, multiples and the Hospital sector. At present she works with the Midland eye institute in their laser clinic and spends the rest of the time in practices throughout the west Midlands. She is married to an Optometrist and has two daughters.

11. Birmingham & the Black Country/Shropshire & Staffordshire

Ian Lucas

Ian joined the council in 2001. He has been in independent practice in Staffordshire since 1995 having previously worked for Boots Opticians. Currently the AOP 'golden shareholder' on the board of Sight Care Group, Ian is also a member of Staffordshire LOC with responsibility for their website.

12. Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland/Trent

Peter Warren

Biography not available

13. Cheshire & Merseyside

Lyndon Taylor

Biography not available

14. Greater Manchester

Charles Wass

Charles is a third generation optometrist and married to an optometrist.  They run the family business in Droylsden, Manchester.  He has been an AOP councillor for 10 years.  He was recently elected to the GOC and is Chairman of West Pennine LOC and optometric advisor to Oldham PCT.

15. South Yorkshire/West Yorkshire

John H Goacher

John is an optometrist based in Leeds.  He has run his own practice as an independent, worked for a multiple, worked part time in hospital and now practices as a locum.  He has been both Secretary and President of the Yorkshire Optical Society, and Treasurer of the Leeds LOC.

16. North & East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire

Vivian Bush

Vivian is a 5th generation optometrist and dedicated to the success of the profession.  Primary and secondary care development and business are his keen interests.  As for leisure, he feels that we only come this way once in life and it is there to be enjoyed.

17. County Durham & Tees Valley/Northumberland, Tyne & Wear

Andrew McGregor

Andrew works with his wife, Lucy, in independent practice in Ashington, Northumberland.  He is an optometric adviser and a PEC member.  He qualified 1990 after obtaining a degree from Bradford University.  He also served 7 years as a Royal Engineers Officer after gaining a degree in Materials Science from Sheffield University in 1980.  His outside interests are Skiing, sailing, mountaineering and Politics and he is local councillor.

18.  Cumbria & Lancashire & Isle of Man

Ian Shaw

Ian qualified in 1960 at Glasgow. He has worked in a multiple and an independent practice and as a sessional optometrist culminating in owning an indepenent business with 5 practices.  He sold this in 2005 and has returned to part-time sessional work.  He has served on the Council for 15 years mainly on the Membership Committee.

19. Ayrshire & Arran/Dumfries & Galloway/Lanarkshire

Alison McClune

Alison has been a councillor, representing the south west of Scotland, for 6 years and a Board member since 2007. She works as a part time locum which allows her time to raise her two young children. She plays Hockey in her spare time.

20.  Borders/Lothian/Fife

Kevin Wallace

Kevin has been an AOP Councillor since 2006. He has his own practice in Edinburgh with a particular interest in contact lenses and sports vision. He is a keen cyclist, commuting by bicycle every day of the year and has recently taken up tennis. He is married and father to two young boys.

21. Greater Glasgow

Johnathan Waugh

Johnathan lives and works in South Glasgow. He qualified in 2000 and worked for 3 years as a locum before working for ASDA Opticians for 2 1/2 years. A year ago he moved to a position within the Hospital Eye Service. He is married and enjoys a variety of hobbies from golf to singing.

22. Argyle & Clyde/Forth Valley/Highland/Western Isles

Hugh Campbell

Hugh is in private practice in the Highland region of Scotland. In addition to being a regional AOP councillor he sits on the Public Affairs Committee and AOP Scottish Council. He is currently Chair of the Highland AOC with a special interest in co-managed care and triage by community optometrists.

23. Grampian/Orkney/Shetland/Tayside

John Dean-Perrin

Biography not available

24. South East Wales

Mike George

Mike has represented employed optometrists on the AOP Council since 2003.  He practises in Blackwood, South Wales and is an Associate Tutor at the School of Optometry in Cardiff.

25. Mid and West Wales

Michael Charlton owns a practice in Fishguard and is Chairman of  the AOP and a past Chairman of Optometry Wales. In his spare time he sails.

26. North Wales

Robert Roger

Biography not available

27. Northern Ireland – Eastern/Northern Ireland – Northern

Julie-Anne Little

Julie-Anne represents Area 27 in Northern Ireland.  She is a lecturer in optometry at the University of Ulster.  She also holds a research post in Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and is a locum optometrist.  She has a keen interest in local optometry and represents the AOP at ECOO and WCO.

28. Northern Ireland – Southern/Northern Ireland - Western

Barry Curran

Barry graduated from Aston University in 1987, completing his pre-registration year at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.  He then returned to his native Co Tyrone to commence work as an independent optometrist. Barry gained an MSC in Biomedical Science in 1988; he is past president of the Northern Ireland Optometric Society and also works part-time in the local Hospital Eye Service.