Wilbo’s Blends Advisory Board

Wilbo’s Blends Advisory Board is a group of professionals offering their vast knowledge, expertise and time on a voluntary basis for which we are incredibly grateful.

Their advice helps us shape our strategy to ensure Wilbo’s Blends can maximise the benefits to health research, innovation in the health & social care system and support people using a blended diet through access to real food products. Our common aim is work together to allow the societal and health benefits of Wilbo’s Blends to be realised.    

Dr Tom Waddell

  • Dr Tom Waddell is a consultant oncologist at The Christie Hospital in Manchester where he treats renal and gastro-oesophageal cancers.

    In his work with gastro-oesophageal cancer patients he frequently encounters patients requiring enteral or parenteral feeding due to swallowing difficulties or treatment complications. He understands the challenges that artificial feeds present in terms of nutrition and is a keen supporter of the Wilbo’s Blends aim to facilitate use of organic real food within a blended diet.

    Tom is originally from Glasgow and completed his undergraduate training at Glasgow University in 2003, before completing his UK General Medical Training (MRCP) in 2007. In 2008 he commenced a 4-year training post as a Medical Oncology SpR at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. During his training he also completed an MD(Res) degree in gastro-oesophageal cancer at the University of London.

    In October 2016, following completion of his training, Tom moved to Manchester after successfully obtaining a consultant post at The Christie Hospital. He currently holds PI and CI roles on several national and international trials and is the Renal Cancer Lead at the Christie Hospital.

Dr Iyesha Nadim

  • Dr Iyesha Nadim is a physician who qualified in 2004 with an MB BS from Imperial College, London, and an MA (Hons) Physiological Sciences from the University of Oxford in 2001. She completed her MRCGP in 2009 in East London, and currently works as a General Practitioner, in a large inner-city practice in Manchester. She has also held posts as a Forensic Physician and a Clinical Trials Physician.

    She has recently completed an MSc in Genomic Medicine from the University of Manchester and has an interest in Pharmacogenetics and Rare Diseases.

    Her work and research interests have provided considerable experience with adults and children with disabilities, including many patients requiring enteral and parenteral feeding, and is aware of the multiple challenges that families and carers face.

    She understands the importance of good nutrition and gut health and their wide-ranging benefits to physical and mental wellbeing and is passionate about supporting people with disabilities or illness to access optimal interventions for their health.

    She is a strong advocate for Wilbo’s blended whole food products, which deliver organic, natural and gut friendly nourishment, and provide an alternative or adjunct to artificial formula feeds.

Dr Colette Inkson

  • “It’s a pleasure and honour to be invited as part of Wilbo's Blends Industry Advisory Board, I hope I bring some relevant knowledge to support your growth and I'm delighted to be involved with such a worthy venture.”

    With a background in academic research Colette has 20+ years professional experience working in a variety of life sciences sectors at institutions within the UK, US and Israel.

    As Innovation and Partnerships manager at Manchester University Foundation Health Trust (MFT) Colette manages commercial activity and industry strategy across two major clinical research infrastructure spanning the University and regional NHS trusts, the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and Clinical Research Facilities (CRF).

    Colette has successfully delivered several large-scale projects and multi-partner consortium, delivering translational research spanning multiple HEIs and industry and has built a broad understanding of the challenges for SMEs working in this sector.

Ruth Norris

  • “I am thrilled to be invited to sit upon the Wilbo’s Blends Advisory Board and look forward to contributing in some small way to this incredible organisation’s journey.”

    Ruth has a 20+ year track record delivering change in both commercial and academic sectors and is currently Head of Strategic Partnerships for Digital Health at the University.

    In the position, she currently holds 3 key roles: Operational Director for The Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology; Head of Digital Strategy, Manchester NIHR BioMedical Research Centre, and Programme Manager for the ERDF R&I Accelerator.

    Ruth provides senior operational leadership and support for multi-disciplinary teams to deliver digital health and technology research and innovation, facilitating collaboration to magnify impact across the UK and internationally. Ruth is an advocate and agent for change through the application of team science and interdisciplinary methods to research and innovation.

Dr Alex Thompson

  • Alex Thompson is a Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics based at the Manchester Centre for Health Economics (MCHE) at the University of Manchester.

    He helps develop, evaluate and deploy cost-effective diagnostics, MedTech, medical devices and digital technologies within the health and social care system. These types of technologies are often created by academic/clinicians with a special interest in the area, patient representatives seeking to improve the situation they have experienced or small to medium companies (SMEs) with particular insights and a desire for change.

    In short, these technologies are often developed by groups of individuals who understand ‘the problem’ and are seeking to change things for the better. However, the process and ‘pipeline’ to create and implement new health and care technologies is often challenging and difficult to navigate.

    Alex helps developers through this process using health economic concepts and tools. Ultimately, he seeks to support the most promising new innovators and innovations, allowing patient and societal benefits to be realised.

Helen Pidd

  • “I’m honoured to be invited to sit on the Advisory Board for Wilbo’s Blends, and I am looking forward to working with the team to achieve their aims of supporting all who wish to use a blended diet.”

    With a background in Nursing, Helen has 30+ years of working with patients, families and carers.

    Prior to her recent retirement from the NHS, Helen was the Operational Director for a Clinical Research Facility (CRF) in Manchester and the Director for the United Kingdom Clinical Research Facility Network.

    Helen provided senior operational leadership to teams delivering clinical trials for patients of all ages and across all disease and treatment areas.

    In her role as UKCRF Director she led on the development of best practice guidelines across all aspects of operational activity in CRFs across the UK and Ireland.

Nathan Emmerich

  • Nathan is an experienced Public Relations and Communications professional with a track record of generating high-profile and localised comms across national, regional, and international media platforms.

    Nathan has experience working in Parliament, for the Local Government Association and the Nursing & Midwifery Council, and he is currently an Media Manager at Counter Terrorism Policing. Throughout his career, he has delivered high profile campaigns across a range of policy areas such as health, welfare, development, education, improvement and innovation, and national security.

    His experience caring for his mother-in-law during her terminal illness made him aware of the lack of alternatives to artificial formula feeds. He is a strong advocate of Wilbo’s Blends and the broader mission to raise awareness of conditions that require blended diets and the need to provide varied and genuinely nutritious food for people living with these conditions.

Dr Sarah Durnan

  • Has worked with tube-fed children and young people and their families for twelve years as a dietitian at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. In clinical practice she saw firsthand the benefits blended diet can have on physical symptoms such as reflux, retching and vomiting. In 2014, Sarah undertook a three month travelling scholarship to the USA to learn how dietitians there support their patients, she was lucky to be invited to stay with several families who use blended diet giving her unique insight into the day to day practicalities. Her doctoral research explored individual parents’ experiences of choosing a blended diet for their tube fed child. Her work found that parents perceive there to be social and emotional as well as physical benefits to blended diet and gave rich understanding of the challenges faced by families such as engaging health care teams. Subsequently, Dr Durnan was invited to co-lead the review of the British Dietetic Association’s (BDA) Position Statement (2019) and Practice Toolkit (2021) on the use of blended diet with enteral feeding tubes. Dr Durnan is an expert on the topic and has been invited to present her work at international conferences such as European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) and European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). Dr Durnan continues to research blended diet as Honorary Assistant Professor at the Centre for Children and Young People's Health Research (CYP-HR) at the University of Nottingham.

Wilbo’s Blends Co-founders

The co-founders of Wilbo’s Blends have a collection of skills from across NHS, University, Research, Public Sector and Technology Sector backgrounds.

All co-founders are parents of children with disabilities meaning they really understand the challenges that come with caring for someone that must access various health & social care services. Most importantly, Gareth and Rhiannon bring a lived experience of the blended diet to the development of Wilbo’s Blends through their son William – the true inspiration behind the company.     

Lisa

“Throughout my 20 year career in the NHS I have seen so many examples of how research & innovation can improve health and care outcomes.

As a Mum of three and with parent-carer responsibilities for my eldest son, I understand that the needs of patients, parents & carers must be prioritised and set at the heart of all we do. I am passionate about Wilbo’s Blends and the potential it holds to make peoples lives better and improve their outcomes.”

  • Lisa has worked in biomedical research for more than 20 years, managing a range of commercial, NHS and academic clinical trials and programmes. She currently works as the Operational Director of the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research centre.

    She has a BSC (Hons) in Natural Sciences from The University of Durham and an MSc in Clinical Research from The University of Manchester. She was also a winner of the ‘Northern Power Women Futures Award’ in 2019.

    In addition to her role as BRC Operational Director, she has also held an honorary contract at The University of Manchester as a Senior Lecturer delivering a Clinical Trials module as part of the Pharmaceutical Industrial Advanced Training (PIAT) MSc.

    Lisa also a member of the Autism@Manchester Steering Group and Expert by Experience Group.

  • Lisa is a current member of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme. The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is a workforce development programme for clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, run by NHS England’s Innovation, Research and Life Sciences group and delivered jointly with Anglia Ruskin University.

Rhiannon

“Starting the blended diet was a really challenging journey for our family. But the positive health changes that we saw - and still see - in our son Wilbo were incredible. So why not help others?

Our aim was quite simple. We needed to create balanced, real nutrition without the mess and help make it more convenient. We also felt there needed to be more support, help & guidance for those starting out on this journey. We just want to make the blended diet that little bit easier for people.”

  • Rhiannon is Mum to Wilbo and his two younger siblings. Having spent her entire adult life working in NHS hospitals as a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist, she soon found what life was like on the other side when Wilbo was born, having multiple appointments and prolonged inpatient stays.

    Beyond her post graduate academic achievements, being Wilbo's mum has enriched and added a lived experience and understanding to her clinical practice and difference the blended diet can make.

    As a Specialist Pharmacist in the NHS, Rhiannon has vast experience developing clinical guidelines, leading on the safe and cost-effective use of medicines, working effectively in a patient focused multi-disciplinary team, implementation and delivery of clinical trials and delivering safe and effective patient led care.

Gareth

“For me, a well-balanced healthy diet is fundamental to all our wellbeing, needing a feeding tube doesn’t change that. We started Wilbo’s Blends to improve the understanding and remove the barriers to a healthy real food diet. Creating the Wilbo’s Blends meals is an important part towards achieving this but is only the beginning.”

  • Gareth has more than 20 years experience in technology and data with global organisations. He has first-hand perspective on the impact businesses have on all aspects of society both good and bad.

    Gareth has a firm belief that businesses have a responsibility to the communities within and around them, now and in the future.

    The lived experience of being a Dad to a medically complex child like William has given Gareth a perspective that can only been developed through experience. Turning that experience into application is at the core to helping other people in a similar situation through Wilbo’s Blends.

John

““I believe Wilbo’s Blends can make a positive difference in society, especially when it comes to promoting good nutrition and fitting the blended diet around everyone’s busy schedules. Even if it’s just in a small way, I hope we make people’s lives just a little bit easier.”

  • John has spent over 20 years working in research, project & contract management and marketing teams across both public and private sectors. He has spent time working in central government departments, management consultancies, and most recently works for a global law firm.

    John has a passion for using business as a force for good in society. He has been part of Award-Winning sustainability projects that reduce vehicle emissions, worked on the London Olympics, and consulted on new safety measures to improve logistics operations throughout the UK and Europe.

    He has a BA (Hons) in Geography from The University of Durham, is a certified Prince2 Practitioner and has been Chartered with the Institute of Logistics & Transport.