Meet the team and trustees
Di Archer
CEO & Co-founder of tastelife UK
Di is a trainer, writer and speaker with a theological background. Family experience led to her co-founding and now heading up tastelife. She loves working with the gifted tastelife team and volunteers, and is delighted that together they offer such innovative and effective resources for those affected by eating disorders.
Di and her husband Graham have three grownup children, an assortment of gorgeous grandchildren . . . and a hot tub. The latter for medicinal purposes, of course!
Di Archer MA with Distinction, Theology, Nottingham University, PTLLS (Adult Education), BA Lancaster University
Di Archer
Jean Hart
Co-founder of tastelife UK
Now retired from tastelife, Jean was a licensed lay minister in the Church of England. She trained in integrative psychotherapy and then specialised in eating disorder counselling. She knows only too well the trauma experienced by families trying to cope with this all too common mental condition. With Di Archer, she wrote the tastelife course, and together they founded the charity tastelife. She loves spending time with her ever growing, noisy family as well as cooking, gardening and walking her dog.
Jean Hart BA Advanced Diploma Integrative Psychotherapy, Certificate in Bereavement Counselling, Southampton University. Previously part of a research team for Southampton University looking at the use of video and family sculpting in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.
Both of our founders have daughters who suffered from eating disorders
‘We found very little to help us survive the struggle at the time, so decided something had to be done to fill the gap in support and treatment. Thankfully, our daughters are all now recovered. But eating disorders are on the increase, and the NHS can only see a small proportion of those directly affected by eating disorders, often only the most severe cases. Our course is suitable for all, and the recovery tools it offers may be used by anyone.’
Marie DoveMarie Dove
Operations Coordinator
Marie is our brilliant organiser and makes sure the plates keep spinning and all the balls stay in the air! Marie trained as a tastelife leader in 2015 and has run several courses face to face in Hastings and more recently online courses via Zoom. She became a key trainer in 2017 and is now the training lead, coordinating the three training weekends which run each year.
She lives in Hastings on the South Coast and enjoys films, days out with the family and swimming (but sea swimming only in the summer!).
Contact Marie at marie.dove@tastelifeuk.org
Cherry DakinCherry Dakin
Youth Track Coordinator
Our Youth Track Coordinator, Cherry, works to get our resources for young people and kids into youth groups and schools. Cherry loves supporting people to use our resources to teach young people about eating disorders and how to avoid developing one. Cherry’s background in teaching and marketing makes her a great fit for this role.
In her spare time, Cherry loves to explore historic London, go on country walks and bake yummy things!
Contact Cherry at cherry.dakin@tastelifeuk.org
Maisie KearseyMaisie Kearsey
Youth Track Administrator & Social Media Coordinator
Maisie is our Youth Track Administrator, meaning that she supports Cherry with all things Youth related within tastelife. She is also our social media coordinator meaning she has a keen eye for design and finds opportunities to get creative. Maisie is also a trained tastelife leader and loves getting stuck in with all things tastelife.
In her spare time, Maisie loves knitting, baking yummy treats and loves going to see shows in the West End with friends and family.
Contact Maisie at maisie.kearsey@tastelifeuk.org
Fiona TipsonFiona Tipson
Network Administrator
Contact Fiona at fiona.tipson@tastelifeuk.org
Bob DudleyBob Dudley
tastelife Trustee & Secretary
Bob is our secret weapon! He is the secretary to the trustee body as well as being a huge support to the office team Bob is a pro at masterminding databases, finance and all things IT. When it comes to all things tech, Bob is our go to guy!
When he has the occasional spare moment, Bob is a keen cyclist, and loves tackling the great outdoors. He also works hard managing his very large, very friendly dog.
Contact Bob at bob.dudley@tastelifeuk.org
Trustees
Richard MasonRichard Mason
Chair of Trustees
Richard is tastelife’s brilliant Chair of Trustees as well as being a trustee at the church he attends in his local area of Rugby. Richard runs a finance consultancy business where he acts as a mentor, business coach and consultant to a portfolio of clients. He also works on a number of finance raising projects.
Richard is a proud husband and a dad to 3 children. In his free time, other than ‘husbanding’ and ‘dadding’, Richard loves nothing more than getting out on his bike as he is a very keen cyclist!
Peter JacksonPeter Jackson
Treasurer
Peter is tastelife’s trusty treasurer as he is a qualified accountant with over 25 years experience of voluntarily helping charities. His favourite thing about being a tastelife trustee is participating in a team that makes a clear impact on those they are able to support.
In his spare time, Peter loves going on the occasional bike ride and walks with friends (not forgetting to stop for coffee and cake of course!) He also assists his wife – the chief gardener – in tending their garden.
Jo HurstJo Hurst
Trustee
Jo has been involved with tastelife for 10 years, having been a participant in the tastelife community course and then training as a leader. She has a professional background in occupational therapy and currently works as an Assistant Professor with a special interest in research related to eating disorders.
Jo supports tastelife today because of her passion for bringing hope and help for recovery to those who need it through using her experiences to support the growth and development of the charity.
Debbie NiblettDebbie Niblett
Trustee
Debbie started her journey with tastelife as their administrator and first employee in 2015 when the charity was in its infancy. She now works for Coventry Diocese but is passionate about helping people and so became a tastelife trustee in 2023. We are so pleased to have Debbie on board!
In her spare time, Debbie keeps herself very busy. You can often find Debbie at the gym, at a parkrun on a Saturday morning, a football game in the afternoon and a gig in the evening! She somehow makes room for her love of motorbikes too!
Zoe MasonZoë Mason
Trustee
Zoë’s been a trustee for tastelife for since 2017, with her passion for helping those struggling with eating disorders and their families starting at a young age. Zoë loves seeing the positive impact tastelife has had on so many people, and can’t wait to see all that the charity can achieve in the future.
On a weekend Zoë will most likely be found pottering round some slightly-too-expensive shops, out for a run with her husband or seeing friends over an IPA at the local pub! We love having Zoë on the trustee team and are so grateful for her.
Ros SimpsonRos Simpson
Trustee
As a GP and medical trainer, Dr Ros has been involved with tastelife from its inception, providing guidance for the creation of the community course. As a key contributor to the training of course leaders, and a tastelife trustee, Ros is committed to seeing tastelife offer its services to as many people as possible.
Ros also works for the charity Caraway, a service for the elderly in Southampton. She flits off around the world whenever she gets the chance; and helps others as well as herself to explore expression and freedom through creative arts.
