Our Team - Breathe

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Our Team

Our Team

Breathe is small but mighty.

Our wonderful team bring skills and expertise from a variety of industries and backgrounds, to offer a diverse range of high-quality artistic healthcare experiences for our communities year-round.

Find out more below.

Learn more about our brilliant Board and Research Associates.

Team Members

Yvonne Farquharson

Managing Director and Founder

Yvonne is a seasoned and multi award-winning social entrepreneur who specialises in developing creative, research-led programmes to improve...

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Lydia Hayes

Head of Development

Lydia has over 10 years’ experience in fundraising and development for the arts and health sectors, whilst at...

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Hannah Dye

Head of Programmes

Hannah has worked in the creative industries since 2008, bridging into the arts and health sector in 2017....

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Lorna Greenwood

Head of Scalability

As Head of Scalability, Lorna works on creating sustainable programmes at scale in a strategic way to benefit...

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Bex McGawley

Communications Manager (Maternity Cover)

Bex has worked in communications and content for over 20 years. She specialises in copywriting and is always...

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Georgia Heighway

Communications Manager (Currently on Maternity Leave)

Georgia has worked in arts communications since 2015. She loves to inspire people to take part in creative...

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Dieter Deswarte

Film maker

Alongside filming and editing his own personal work, Dieter is also a Senior Teaching Fellow on the MA...

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Lilli Murdoch

Digital Communications Officer

Lilli has over 7 years’ experience in marketing and events, the last 3 years specifically in the Health...

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Jo Pelly

Programme Manager, Breathe Melodies for Mums

Jo has over 18 years of experience working in theatre access and education, designing and managing programmes for...

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Drew Potter

Programme Manager, Breathe Magic

Drew has worked within the arts sector since 2014, and most notably has worked for two national touring...

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Tim Osborn

Engagement and Support Officer, Breathe Melodies for Mums

Tim combines nearly 3 decades of experience in the health and disability world with his lifelong interest in...

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Marjan Alexander

Bookkeeper

Marjan has a First Class Honours Degree in Business and Economics. For many years she has worked in...

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Hannah Morgan

Company and HR Administrator

Hannah (Han) has been working in the arts sector for over 10 years, managing multiple departments at independent...

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Claire Austen

Programme Coordinator, ICS Arts for Staff Wellbeing

Claire brings multiple years of experience within the arts sector to her work at Breathe, as a performer,...

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Rebecca Fortescue

Clinical Lead, Occupational Therapist

Becca joined the Breathe Magic team as a Magic Trainer in 2015 and continued to volunteer...

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Rebecca Johnson

Clinical Lead, Occupational Therapist

Rebecca has over 16 years of paediatric experience as an Occupational Therapist. Rebecca assesses and treats children with...

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Learn more about our brilliant Board and Research Associates.

Our wider team

We have a small core team, but much of the reason why Breathe can achieve such incredible things is because we are surrounded by an amazing team of artists, researchers, clinicians and volunteers.

Meet just a few of the fantastic people we work with, below.

I love working with Breathe. It is the most progressive, supportive arts organisation I have come across with a wonderfully open, across the board attitude towards staff and participants alike.
Singing Lead Cleo Lane works across a variety of our singing programmes including Melodies for Mums and Breathe Sing for Lung Health. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Cleo knows firsthand the benefits of singing in relation to healthcare. “Singing in a group is a beautifully natural and inclusive way of improving our sense of wellbeing, increasing our feeling of social connection and there are lots of physical benefits too such as improved posture, lung and heart function.” Cleo has performed, at the Royal Albert Hall and has worked with George Michael, Duran Duran, Cliff Richard and is also a songwriter.
The combination of a thriving practice and dedicated study offers a holistic understanding of the importance of creativity to any individual, family, workplace or community.
Todd Henkin, Breathe Resident Musician has a MASc degree in Creative Health and has worked on the International Lullaby Project with Carnegie Hall. Todd, is currently working on our new Breathe Songwriting pilot: "I'm thrilled to be fulfilling a lifelong passion, working with Breathe to pilot a unique songwriting programme within Evelina London Children's Hospital in both the Neonatal Unit and Evelina wards, to support parents in the long-term care of their children." As well as working on the Breathe Songwriting pilot, Todd also runs songwriting workshops with NHS staff.
Watching moments created by the Breathe team, who enable people to take a breath at often very difficult times, is very rewarding.
Kate Smith joined Breathe as a volunteer in 2022 and has not looked back since. Kate speaks fondly of her time at Breathe, including working for the Lunchtime Performances regularly held at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital. Kate recalls a particularly distinctive memory when volunteering for the programme: "There was a Lunchtime Performance on in Central Hall, St Thomas'. I spotted a couple and invited them to sit down on the bench to enjoy the performance. At first, they were hesitant, and I swiftly learnt why as they expressed their son had just gone into surgery and so were understandably feeling incredibly anxious. This was the perfect way to keep their mind of things." Prior to volunteering with Breathe, Kate had an expansive and dynamic career in hairdressing, reflexology and tour management.
This is a space to just be free. To express yourself. I'm loving it. Thank you Breathe!
Naa Dedei Okine, Breathe Dance for Staff Wellbeing lead works across our Breathe Dance for Staff Wellbeing Programme and specialises in dance styles including Afrobeats. "I really see dance as therapy. Knowing that I am teaching NHS staff who are obviously going through a lot... they're working hard. This is a space to just be free. To express yourself."
"I have gained so much more confidence and belief in myself. Breathe Magic changed my life as well as it has for so many others."​
Laura London first began her journey with magic at just 10 years old and has since established a dynamic and magical career which includes starring in TV shows such as ITV's 'The Next Great Magician' and featuring in the BBC's: The One Show. Laura, works across our Breathe magic programmes from spreading joy across the children's wards in Evelina as our resident artist, to supporting our award-winning Breathe Magic for Intensive Therapy Programme as a lead magician. Laura shares: "There is nothing more wonderful than hearing one of our young magicians after two weeks of camp say: I can do this!"