Meet our team of UK & Turkish Trustees
Our Turkish Board of Trustees
Jo Turgut - President
Before moving to Türkiye in 2022, Jo was a Chief Operations Officer for a charity in her local town supporting vulnerable woman and those in domestic abuse relationships. Since 2014 Jo has worked within the Charity sector in Management, Leadership and training delivery roles ranging from a variety of industries including life insurance, employability, the prison sector and also working with military Veterans and their families.
Jo’s working career has required her to build strong working partnerships to secure positive successes both financially and outcomes driven.Since Jo has become a volunteer she has rebuilt the board members and created a great volunteer team. She has worked tirelessly on bringing the community and local business together to help the charity move forward in Üzümlü.
Jo lives in Türkiye full time with her husband, their new baby and 2 dogs.
Mel Harland - Vice President
Tech Lead
Anne Kapteinat - Cat Park Manager
Anne is our Queen of cats.
Anne is originally from Germany and worked for Hewlett-Packard for 30 years. After her husband became a pensioner, they moved to Üzümlü with Anne’s parents and their cat in 2018.
Anne met Claire, the former cat-park manager, and when she became sick, Anne took over her responsibilities and also stepped up and joined the board of trustees
Anne had a private unit built in her garden where she runs her own cat hospital recovery centre. When the cats need a place for recovery or additional medication and care, Anne takes them in till they are fit enough to move forward.
Since Anne moved, her furry family grew from one cat to four and two dogs.
Rhian Robinson - Secretary
Rhian spent most of her working career in Operations Management, within a legal environment. Before moving to Türkiye in 2016, Rhian spent a year managing an indoor dog park/daycare/training facility, working alongside trainers from organisations like the Dogs Trust. Rhian also volunteered for Hope Rescue, mainly fostering but also some fundraising.
Since moving to Türkiye, Rhian has been involved in animal rescue - helping out with various charities within the Fethiye area, fostering and volunteering at shelters.
At the end of 2023, Rhian joined the paws Üzümlü board and is responsible for managing our dog park.
Rhian is married, with two grown up children and currently has four dogs - two of whom relocated with her from the UK, the other two are Turkish rescues. Three of the four are actually failed fosters!
Basak Akdemir
HR Lead
Rebecca Parsley
Head of Marketing & Communications
Sue Hale
Sue has a wealth of experience working with animals throughout her working career.
Sue used to be a qualified veterinary nurse when she lived in California. Upon moving back to the UK Sue decided to buy a farm farm on the Lancashire/Yorkshire boards where she ran a successful Livery Yard. Sue competed all her life until she moved to Türkiye in 2013.
Sue is a very committed volunteer to PAWS and currently has 9, large dogs of her own and just as many cats. Most of them are rescue animals that Sue has saved and taken on. Sue is a real animal lover and helps out at both the cat and dog park.
Denise Atkins
Denise has recently relocated back to the UK, after many years of being very much hands on with the local animals, has fostered many street dogs and puppies getting them ready for new homes. Also one of our main fundraisers, arranging many successful events previous when living in Türkiye.
Denise remains very much committed to supporting the animals in Üzümlü and will be fundraising in the UK alongside her role a Dog Sponsorship Team Leader.
Denise has dog training diplomas and vast experience of working with dogs. Her own rescue Turkish dog is now 15 years old and will enjoy her retirement in a cooler climate.
Jackie Slater
Office Manager
Michael Stevenson-Smith
Product Manager
Our UK Board of Trustees
Lynne Chellingworth
I’m Lynne, a retired NHS HR manager living in Dorset. We built our house in Üzümlü back in 2008 and have had many wonderful holidays.
I have supported the street animals of Üzümlü and Fethiye by sponsoring through PAWS and, in the past, by supporting individuals feeding and neutering in the village. I enjoy visiting the cat park regularly on my trips to Üzümlü.
We adopted Clara, a small dog who was dumped on the edge of the village - our first dog! It has been a wonderful experience. Then came Simon, a street cat who regularly came up to our house in Üzümlü. I had him neutered, he forgave me and kept coming back, so we adopted him in November 2023.
Denise Atkins
Denise has recently relocated back to the UK, after many years of being very much hands on with the local animals, has fostered many street dogs and puppies getting them ready for new homes. Also one of our main fundraisers, arranging many successful events.
Denise remains very much committed to supporting the animals in Üzümlü and will be fundraising in the UK alongside her role a Dog Sponsorship Team Leader.
Denise has dog training diplomas and vast experience of working with dogs. Her own rescue Turkish dog is now 15 years old and will enjoy her retirement in a cooler climate.
Liesl Richards
Hello, my name is Liesl and I have been coming to Üzümlü for the last 8 years. I bought a house there 6 years ago with a view to a permanent move upon retiring as a specialist nurse from the NHS.
I have always been a passionate animal lover and have supported the street animals in the village and surrounding areas whenever I can. I also enjoy volunteering at the dog park when I am in the village.
I adopted one of the first forest park dogs 7 years ago - the beautiful Maeve and have just adopted another youngster from the street, the gorgeous Zena.
Justine Sturtivant
Justine is serial animal rescuer, on her first night in Türkiye Justine met a street pup who eventually joined Justine, her husband and their menagerie of rescue cats, pigs and chickens in North Yorkshire, soon to be joined by two rescued Üzümlü street dogs.
Alison Adams
Alison lives in Edinburgh with her husband and 3rd rescue cat Jaffa and has been coming to Üzümlü for 20 years. Impressed the the care provided, Alison has long supported the charity, both as a donor and volunteer.
Alisons background is in pensions and investment administration /operations/business analysis so she brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to our team.