Our Team
Our Trustees
Francis Preedy
Chair of Trustees
Francis is a lawyer by profession, having been registered as a Trade Mark Attorney and working within the Intellectual Property departments of McKenna solicitors, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited as well as the very first U K trade mark practice, Trade Mark Owners Association Limited. Today Francis helps at both Kingston University and Surrey University and is a consultant for a number of companies keen to remain on the right side of the law as their business grows, substantially in the United Kingdom.
Francis had been married for twenty years with three children but encountered difficult times to the extent that the only way forward was divorce. His marriage was brought to an end through the courts but his solicitor was a trustee of Surrey Family & Mediation Services. His solicitor recognised his interest in negotiating a settlement rather than fighting a court case and as a result Francis became a Trustee in 2015 and Chair of the Charity in 2022.
Jane Olsen
Trustee
Jane worked for 17 years as a senior HR business partner in a global pharmaceutical company. Prior to that she spent 10 years in commercial roles in central and eastern Europe, including postings in Russia, and before that 5 years in business travel and exhibition organisation in the former Soviet Union. Jane has a degree in Russian.
Now retired, she volunteers at her local foodbank as the warehouse manager, responsible for stock management and order delivery and a team of 30 volunteers.
Since February 2021, she is HR Trustee for Surrey Family and Mediation Services. She experienced work place mediation in her HR career, and is interested in seeing mediation work in other settings, as well as wishing to use her work experience to support local community services.
David Brooks
Trustee
David has had a long career multilateral development banking. These are organisations which channel funds provided by G7 and other member states to support market-based investments in developing countries and to also provide concessional financing such as grants through separate funds. David’s work has included almost 25 years at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where he was Director of Financial Strategy and Budget, responsible for financial policies and planning, as well as resource management across the organisation.
Now in semi-retirement, David is currently consulting for the Finance team at the African Development Bank Group, working on financial innovations to better deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and to support low-income countries.
He originally qualified as a chartered accountant in the 1980s.
David has been the finance trustee of SFMS since April 2020.
Management Team
Tamsin Remnant
Service Manager
Tamsin completed her family mediation training with National Family Mediation in 2017 and attained FMCA status in December 2021. She then went on to train as a Child Inclusive Mediator in November 2022.
Prior to completing her mediation training, Tamsin received a law diploma with CILEX in 2014 and worked as a Family Contact Worker, facilitating contact between for parents and children of separated families.
Tamsin joined SFMS in March 2021 as Deputy Service Manager and was recently promoted to Service Manager in July 2023.
Sheila Parkes
Professional Practice Consultant and Family Mediator
Sheila qualified as a solicitor in Scotland in 1981 and in England in 1986 and continues to practice as a Family lawyer in Hampshire.
She trained as a mediator in 1996 with Hampshire Family Mediation and joined Surrey Family Mediation in 1998. She is a Professional Practice Consultant and also mediates for the Service.
Sheila particularly enjoys the challenge of helping clients with the financial aspects of relationship breakdown, but always endeavours to approach cases with empathy and understanding.
Chloe Evans
Deputy Professional Practice Consultant
More information coming soon
Administration Team
Debbie Wilton
Administrator
Debbie has worked in administration for a number of years. Her roles have included working for Marks & Spencer Head Office and after having her family she worked in the Education sector, in schools and colleges.
Debbie has been with SFMS for over 12 years. Her first role was administrator co-ordinator for the SPIP programme. Debbie then moved over to the mediation team where she has worked ever since.
Catherine Lewis
Administrator
Cath graduated in Law and chose to use the skills gained in that degree to develop a career in Human Resources. For over 25 years she has worked in a number of HR roles in both the commercial and public sectors, most recently in education. Cath is motivated by developing effective working relationships and supporting others.
Cath’s background also includes administrative and organisational activities and she recognises how important it is to treat people fairly and with dignity.
Mediators
Sheila Parkes
Family Mediator
In addition to providing supervision for the mediators, Sheila is also a family mediator and a Child Inclusive Mediator for SFMS.
Romina Kamran
Family Mediator
More information coming soon
Emma Ingham
Family Mediator
Emma previously practiced as a family solicitor in Cardiff. Emma changed career paths by putting her legal skills and knowledge to use in assisting families to navigate their divorce away from acrimonious court proceedings She then trained as a mediator with the National Family Mediation in November 2019, and became fully accredited in January 2023. Emma finds working as a mediator and supporting people who are going through difficult times really rewarding. She strives to provide a safe and positive environment, where clients can share their perspectives and understandings, and are able to make decisions for themselves. Emma recently became a fully accredited CIM mediator and SEND mediator.
Eugenie Brett
Family Mediator
Eugenie is an accredited Family Mediator who qualified with National Family Mediation (NFM) in 2021 and earned accreditation in June 2024. Originally pursuing a career in social sciences, she was driven by a deep-seated interest in understanding human relationships and supporting people through significant life transitions.
Before transitioning to family mediation, Eugenie built a successful career in corporate management and gained valuable experience as a line management coach. insight, and practicality.
She particularly values the opportunity to help clients reach fair and workable solutions, especially in the emotional and financial aspects of family separation, bringing both understanding and a clear structure to her approach.
Child Inclusive Mediators
Tamsin Remnant
Service Manager
As well as managing the service, Tamsin is also a Child Inclusive Mediator for SF&MS.
Sheila Parkes
Professional Practice Consultant and Family Mediator
In addition to providing supervision and family mediation, Sheila is also a Child Inclusive Mediator for SF&MS.
Chloe Evans
Deputy Professional Practice Consultant
In addition to providing supervision for the mediators, Chloe is also a Child Inclusive Mediator for SF&MS.
Emma Ingham
Family Mediator
As well as being a family mediator, Emma is also a Child Inclusive Mediator for SF&MS.
Volunteers
Lisa Dancy
Client Liaison
Lisa is a Volunteer with Surrey Family & Mediation Services as our first point of contact with clients. She listens to the client’s problem and discusses whether mediation might be able to help them.
Lisa’s background is as a solicitor, qualifying in 1996, with extensive experience of Family Law and Practice relating to both child arrangements and the financial aspects of divorce. Lisa has also worked with the College of Law for many years, initially as a lecturer and later as a Presenter and Editor of Legal Updating Television Programmes.
Lisa has a deep interest in helping with conflict resolution, as having been through a complex divorce herself, she knows how valuable Mediation can be in finding the best way forward for couples and their families.
Caroline Robins
Marketing Co-ordinator
Caroline Robins is a Volunteer with Surrey Family & Mediation Services, supporting the team with communications and social media expertise.
Caroline brings over 30 years of experience in event marketing, sales promotion, and strategic partnerships. With a proven track record of working with blue-chip companies across various sectors including, more recently, education, Caroline is passionate about using her skills to assist local families in crisis. She is also an active volunteer at her local Foodbank, committed to making a positive impact in the community.