Diane’s first contact with The Rumba Foundation was as a guest at our 2016 Ascot fundraising event. Conversations with Founding Trustee Fiona Hindle quickly revealed that Diane was a passionate animal lover and was intrigued to learn more about our activities. This immediate rapport, together with Diane’s own background as a human medical doctor, convinced Fiona that she would make a wonderful Ambassador for Rumba. She was delighted when Diane agreed to become directly involved. Diane says that she accepted the invitation because of her own deeply-held belief in the value of companion animals as aids to human health and wellbeing. 

As a medical doctor for over 30 years she has seen the joy and healing animals bring to humans, often reaching the lost and lonely when other people have failed.

An avid crafter, Eunice combines her skills with a lifelong love of animals by making cards for animal charities.  She and her husband Paul share their lives with beautiful ginger and white tom, ‘Sonny’.

Eunice is a great fan of ‘Supervet’ Noel Fitzpatrick and was keen to offer the proceeds of her card sales to support owners in need of help to pay for their pets’ medical treatment. Not being a charity itself, Fitzpatrick Referrals put her in touch with Rumba Founding Trustee, Fiona Hindle.

Eunice was thrilled to become an Ambassador for The Rumba Foundation and says: “I hope to be able to contribute to the fundraising effort and so help the foundation with the wonderful work they are doing with companion animals who bring us so much joy.”

Simon first contacted Rumba after he lost his beloved dog, Alfie, to cancer in 2018. After visiting three specialists to find a cure for Alfie’s cancer he realised that, although treatment was available, it would only have prolonged his life for a few months at best.

With the determination to do something positive in Alfie’s name, he came across The Rumba Foundation. 

Simon says: “I was delighted when Fiona and Jim asked me to be an Ambassador. I will be supporting the Foundation in every way I can - with fundraising and marketing. I come with a wealth of ideas to increase awareness of Rumba and its ground-breaking work.”

Growing up in Dublin, Lisa-Ann’s first animal love was a neighbour’s border collie who shared fun and companionship in her early years.

Later, as an adult living in West London, she and her housemates adopted Billy - a ginger tom cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. A cherished addition to their colourful and animated household, Billy ultimately moved to a more permanent home with a wonderful family in the neighbourhood. Lisa-Ann is excited to catch glimpses of him whenever she visits.

Working full-time in the interiors industry, she knows it would be unfair to have a cat or dog alone at home all day. And so, she was delighted to become part of the Rumba Foundation.  She’s enthusiastic about raising awareness of our work and developing some exciting fundraising initiatives.

Very much a member of the Rumba family, Becky was PA to Founding Partner Jim Hindle for four and a half years. During that time, she had plenty of opportunities to get hands-on with our fundraising activities. She helped organise three annual events at Ascot Racecourse and helped Jim put together a series of MIPIM Challenges -  rallies of classic sports cars driving from London to Cannes. Today, Becky looks after Rumba’s website and generates our social media activity.

Becky has always been an animal lover, having grown up with dogs and a cat. Sadly, two of her family’s three cocker spaniels were lost to cancer, so Rumba’s determination to support veterinary oncology, among other medical and research disciplines, is very close to her heart. She is doggy mummy to French Bulldog Negan. 

Most animal lovers admit to being either a ‘dog’ or a ‘cat’ person, but Sarah passionately embraces both labels. At the age of three she begged her mother for a pet – and never looked back. Since then she has shared sofas with three dogs, ten cats and two litters of kittens. When further pressed, she can reel off the names of four hamsters, three tortoises, two rabbits and countless goldfish. Not forgetting a husband and two daughters – all, thankfully, animal lovers as well.

When she’s not buying pet food or walking Flynn, her beloved Lurcher, Sarah looks after Rumba’s marketing communications. She has become enthusiastically involved in our activities, and spreading the word of Rumba’s plans and achievements is something she’s very keen to do, both personally and professionally.