Committee

Phil Humphreys - Chairman
Phil is married to Chris, our Conference & National Co-ordinator, and together they have five children and three grandchildren. As foster carers with 42 years’ experience, they have adopted three children. Phil worked in South Wales & Gwent Police Force for thirty years, before retiring in 1992. Since then, Phil has worked in residential homes for adults with learning difficulties and has been a primary school caretaker. More recently, he was a driver/escort for schoolchildren with additional needs, before retiring in 2009. Phil has been a member of the Gwent Police Choir since 1971 and is currently the Committee Chairman. His involvement with the LMBB Society came in 1995, with the diagnosis of his son. Phil joined the LMBBS Committee in 2002 and became Chairman in 2003. Phil is a director of LMBBS Clinics Ltd (non-remunerative) and is also a member of the LMBBS Finance Sub-Committee.

Kevin Sales - Treasurer
Kevin is married to Julie, our Secretary, and together they have two daughters, both of whom have LMBBS. They attended their first Conference in 1998, following their children’s diagnosis. Kevin worked in the Pensions Industry for 24 years until being made redundant in 2003. This allowed him to retrain as a bookkeeper which is his current employment. Kevin has also worked as a Student Support worker at a local College for the Visually Impaired. Kevin joined the LMBBS Committee in 1999 and became Treasurer in 2000. He is a director of LMBBS Clinics Ltd (Non-remunerative) and is also the Company’s Book keeper. Kevin also Chairs the Finance sub-committee of the LMBBS management committee.

Julie Sales - Secretary
Julie is married to Kevin, our Treasurer, and together they have two daughters with LMBBS. They were made aware of the charity when the girls were diagnosed in 1997 and first became involved on the committee as observers in 1998. Julie has worked in various professions, including secretarial, catering, physiotherapy, and learning support. She has undertaken independent study with the Open University and has completed a counselling course. Julie is now the LMBBS Family Support Worker, co-ordinating BBS clinics at Guys Hospital, London, and QEH Birmingham.  She is a director of LMBBS Clinics Limited (Non-remunerative). Julie joined the LMBBS Committee in 1999 and has been Secretary for five years. She is Childcare Co-ordinator for the Conference Weekend Outing and has previously helped with the Society’s Helpline.

Chris Humphreys - Conference and National Co-ordinator
Chris is married to our Chairman, Phil, and together they have five children and three grandchildren. As foster carers with 42 years’ experience, they have adopted three children. Chris worked in the South Wales Police Force, where she met Phil. She became Officer in Charge of a Children’s Home, before leaving to focus on fostering and childminding. With the arrival of James, a 3 week old baby, life changed, and Chris’s involvement with LMBBS came in 1995 when, at 13 years old, James was finally diagnosed with the syndrome. Chris became a committee member in 1996 as Fundraising Officer and later as Secretary, before her current role as Conference & National Co-ordinator. Chris is also a director of LMBBS Clinics Ltd (non-remunerative).  Previously, Chris has worked with prospective new carers as a member of the Social Services Fostering Team. Chris has been working with GIG (Wales), Ciliopathy Alliance UK and is the LMBBS Clinic Admin Support Worker.

Tonia Hymers - Newsletter Editor
Tonia is married to Rob and together they have two sons,  the oldest of whom has LMBBS. They went to their first Conference in 1998 and were both coerced onto the Committee soon after that. Tonia was Fundraising Co-ordinator for five years, before taking on the role of Newsletter Editor. She is also the Conference Childcare Co-ordinator for the Creche. Tonia worked for Barclays Bank for fifteen years before leaving to concentrate on raising her family. In 2005, she enrolled with the Open University and in, 2010, she completed her studies, gaining a BSc in Social Sciences. In April 2010, Tonia became the Admin/Clinic Co-ordinator for LMBBS Clinics Ltd and the Family Support Worker for BBS Clinics at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and Birmingham Children's hospital. Tonia is also a director of LMBBS Clinics Limited (non-remunerative).

Allan Clark
Allan Clark has been a committee member since 2009. Allan works for Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland and manages a volunteer service, supporting those affected by cancer. He has three children with his wife Jacqueline and both his sons have LMBBS. Allan has been involved in campaigning with GIG in Scotland, was part of the school speaker programme for Jeans for Genes.  Alan has successfully raised funds for the Society by walking 96 miles of the West Highland Way in 2011.

Richard Zimbler
Richard was diagnosed with LMBBS when he was six years old. He went to Welshpool High School and continued his studies at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) in Hereford. Richard has worked for Disability Arts, Shropshire (Dash), Masquerade Integrated Drama and DD Aware Ltd on a voluntary basis and has been a Student Ambassador Volunteer for the Open University, Powys. He is a member of ‘Look’, the National Federation for Parents with Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired and has attended Sight Village with the group. Richard is also the Chair for Oldford Communities First. Richard is a performing artist and likes to act, sing and play the drums, both African hand drums and full kit. He was elected to the LMBBS Committee in 2010 and is committed to helping to further the aims of the Society and to helping those with a visual impairment.

Steve Burge - Vice Chairman
Steve was diagnosed with LMBBS at eleven years old, lost his vision at the age of 21 and has been involved with the Society since 1997. Music has always played a big part in Steve’s life and he credits his love of music, especially his drumming, with helping him cope with having the syndrome. In 2000, Steve qualified as a sound engineer from the Royal National College in Hereford and has since been involved in numerous professional recording projects, both as a drummer and as a sound engineer. Since 2006, Steve has been the Disability and inclusion director for RBCR Ltd., a company set up to help give opportunities to blind and partially sighted people who want to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. More recently, in early 2010, Steve qualified as a teacher and has started a new business, Sunstream Multimedia. Steve is also our adult contact, he is more than happy for members to contacthim  for support and advice regarding LMBBS.  Steve became Vice Chairman in 2013