Meet the Judging Panel for the Cora Phillips Award 2025

Laura Cook

Laura is a physiotherapist who specialised in the care and rehabilitation of older people. Laura is the ageing well lead in the London Clinical Networks, and prior to this she managed the London Dementia Clinical Network. The London Dementia Clinical Network brings together clinicians, commissioners, people living with dementia and those important to them to improve care and services across London.

Professor Martin Green OBE

• FIAM, FInstLM, FRSA, FIPSM
• Chief Executive: Care England
• DHSC: Independent Sector Dementia Champion
• Commissioner: Royal Hospital Chelsea

Martin Green has had an extensive career in NGO development, both in the UK and internationally, and is the Chief Executive of Care England, the largest representative body for independent social care services in the UK. A Trustee of the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH), Vice President of The Care Workers Charity, Champion of The National Aids Trust and Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

In 2013 he was appointed Visiting Professor of Social Care at Buckinghamshire New University.

In 2012, in his role as Department of Health and Social Care Independent Sector Dementia Champion, he led the development of the Dementia Care and Support Compact for The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia.

In 2008 he was named care personality of the year and was awarded an OBE for Services to Social Care in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. In 2019 he was presented with the Health Investor Outstanding Contribution Award.

Martin Green writes and broadcasts extensively on social care issues and is on the Editorial Board of Community Care Market News and Care Talk magazine.

Keith Oliver

Keith Oliver is in the 14^th year of a young onset dementia diagnosis

Keith’s professional life as a primary school headteacher and schools’ adviser for Kent County Council ended on 1 April 2011, when at the age of 55 he was diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia (Alzheimer’s in my case). Although his mother was at the time living with Alzheimer’s she was diagnosed in her mid 70s, at a stage in life where I thought Alzheimer’s only featured. Keith was at the time still relatively fit and well physically with lots of energy and a desire to find something to fill the vacuum created by the need to take early retirement and to give up a masters course he was at the time successfully undertaking. After a few months of adjustment, boredom, frustration and worry, but also using this time to sort his power of attorney, will and professional pension he volunteered in a local primary school and began to go in once a week to hear children read. Keith enjoyed this and noticed the children seemed to get something out of it too. Alongside this, during 2011/12 he forged a friendship with a consultant clinical psychologist, and supported by a placement student they began to embark upon a triad of activitists to show how these three elements could work together to raise awareness around Young Onset dementia initially in Kent and then nationally.

Since 2012 he has been involved with the Alzheimer’s Society initially on the Research Network, since 2015 as a Society Ambassador and since 2017 as a steering group member of the 3 Nations Dementia Working Group. Living in Canterbury, he is a founder member and former co-chair of the Kent Forget Me Nots and have supported many DEEP initiatives since 2013, one of which about the rights of people with dementia led me to address the United Nations in Geneva. Keith have attended and spoken at conferences in the UK and US and is the sole or lead author of 5 books on life with dementia alongside being series co-editor of 8 books in the series Dementia Reconsidered (Open University Press). 

Margaret Phillips

Margaret Phillips is Cora’s daughter. 

One of the United Kingdom’s outstanding concert organists and teachers, Margaret Phillips studied with Ralph Downes and Marie-Claire Alain. After her London début, she soon gained an international reputation as a soloist, playing at concert halls and cathedrals throughout Europe and in the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and Mexico. Performance highlights in recent years include celebrity recitals at York Minster, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, and, in 2015, two marathon series, each of 18 concerts, of the complete works of Bach. In June 2016 she played an evening recital at the Royal Festival Hall which was broadcast by BBC Radio 3.

She is much in demand as teacher and masterclass tutor as well as recitalist, and from 1996–2021 she was Professor of Organ at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2022 she was awarded the Medal of the Royal College of Organists, the highest honour given by the College.

Her numerous CDs, which include the complete organ works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns and Stanley, have been highly praised. In 1994, Margaret Phillips and her late husband founded the English Organ School and Museum in former chapel premises in Milborne Port, Somerset, where there is a small collection of organs by English organ builders from the eighteenth century to the present day.

www.margaretphillips.org.uk

Jackie Swapp

Regional Manager – London, Alzheimer’s Society

Jackie has worked with the Alzheimer’s Society since February 2013. As Regional Manager, she provides operational and strategic leadership across London and ensures that safe and secure services are provided for people affected by dementia. 

She came to the Society with 20 plus years working in the voluntary sector in both front line and managerial roles.  She has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities in a variety of settings, including schools, residential homes, supported employment and day services.  She has also worked in Merseyside, working at a homeless hostel for young women and their children, and also facilitating Parent Education classes in the community in Birkenhead.    Her last role before joining the Society was in advocacy, including NHS complaints and Mental Health advocacy.

Jackie has degrees in Behavioural Sciences and Psychology.  She is passionate about advocacy, user involvement and creating inclusive services.