Our Leadership Team

Emma Peake

CEO

Emma has worked in the charity sector for over 25 years.  Starting out as a Charity Shop Manager, she rose through the ranks to Deputy CEO/Interim CEO for The Air Ambulance Service.  She was instrumental in developing their retail and reuse business from scratch to over 65 stores, including opening one of the country’s first superstores.  Emma joined as Chief Executive Officer of RSPCA Woodside, covering Leicestershire, Peterborough and Rutland in July 2023.

Emma also serves as a non-executive Director and Chair of the of the Charity Retail Association, as well as a non-executive director at Midland Air Ambulance.

She passionately believes people are the beating heart of any organisation and here at RSPCA Woodside she strives to ensure that everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Outside of work, Leicestershire has always been Emma’s home; She lives not far from the home of the Pork Pie and loves to take walks in the countryside with her very spoilt dog!

Frances Mills

Head of Finance

Frances has worked in finance for over 40 years, starting off as an accounts clerk, twenty years of which have been in the charity sector.  She is very passionate about animals and considers her role as her vocation and not a job.  Frances always knew that her ideal career would be working in an animal charity and always wanted to work for the RSPCA, where she has been now for over 11 years.

Frances lives with her husband on the outskirts of Leicestershire with their 2 dogs, both of which are rescues.  One dog is now 13 years old and the other 2 years old and both are very much loved and spoilt!

Neil Everall

Head of Fundraising and Marketing

Neil has been a professional fundraiser for nearly 20 years, and has been at RSPCA Woodside for 4 years, have spent the previous 15 years working for a RAF charity.

Before working in the charity sector, he worked in the travel industry and was lucky enough to travel the world before moving to live in Germany working for the UK Armed Forces.

As Head of Fundraising and Marketing he has responsibility to generate funds for the Branch while ensuring its brand, image and communications to the donors, supporters and the general public are relevant and dynamic.

He lives with his wife and crazy dog and is passionate about animals, in the past having had several rescue cats and a beautiful rescue Newfoundland dog.

Hayley Warren

Lead Vet

Hayley qualified as a vet in 2012 and has since worked in a small animal practice, first near Doncaster and then back in Leicestershire at a busy small animal hospital. She has been closely involved with the RSPCA since her first days in practice, acting as a visiting vet to Doncaster RSPCA and also for Woodside. 

She joined the Woodside team full time in November 2022. Hayley has undertaken further study in diagnostic imaging and holds a certificate in this subject. She is passionate about being able to help as many animals as possible by working with the RSPCA, and enjoys educating the vets of tomorrow on the work that the charity does.

Outside of work Hayley is a keen outdoor swimmer, particularly distance events, her longest swim is 8 miles. Hayley also enjoys spending time in the countryside with her rescue dog Nellie.

Jade Burton

Head of Operations

Jade has been a part of Woodside Animal Centre for over 22 years. Jade’s extensive knowledge spans many areas of the charity, culminating in her current position as Head of Operations. In this role, she has to navigate the challenges of the animal welfare sector.

Jade’s commitment to the mission of Woodside Animal Centre is evident not only in her professional work but also in her personal life. Although she has adopted only one dog—a senior French Bulldog named Skye—Jade has fostered many animals in need. One of her most recent foster successes was Victoria, a dog who had been a victim of cruelty. This little lady had a huge distrust of people and other animals.

Outside of work, Jade enjoys spending time with her close-knit group of friends, often exploring the outdoors together on walks.

Mary Lockhart

Head of Trading

Mary has worked in retail and customer service for 14 years. After a varied career at Sainsburys, working in store management and Head office-based roles including a position working on a nationwide HR transformation project, she made the move into charity retail.

Before joining the team at Woodside, Mary’s role of Deputy Retail Manager at LOROS Hospice kept her busy for the past 5 years, successfully opening several new shops, overseeing a growing online sales team, staff recruitment and a huge volunteer base.

Mary believes in spreading positivity at work and leading by example.  She loves to spend time in shops working alongside the team and celebrating successes.

Raichel Phipps

Executive Support Assistant

Raichel joined Woodside in October 2023. Formerly a Teacher of English and Head of Careers in secondary education, as well as a Head of Systems Development, freelance journalist and a small business owner, she loves the challenging fast-paced environment at Woodside, where no two days are the same. She brings a breadth of experience to the team, as well as an enviable amount of energy!

Outside of work, Raichel loves being in the great outdoors, whether that be walking or running. She lives with her two sons and two much-loved and pampered rescue cats Lunar and Beans.

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