Our Team
Jennifer Reid
Co-Founder and CEO
Jen is responsible for the overall direction of Teddy’s Wish, from strategy and fundraising, to communications and events. After losing her son Eddie in 2014, Jen set up Teddy’s Wish with her husband Chris to support bereaved families and fund life-saving research into the causes of baby loss.
Prior to Teddy’s Wish, Jen held senior Sales and Account Management roles in the tech start-up world. She was part of the founding teams at Eventbrite and at Fitbug, where she led relationships with major corporate clients like Tesco, BP and Vitality. Jen has also worked as a freelance sales and marketing consultant.
Outside of work, Jen is kept busy by her two very active children, Ollie and Chloe.
Chris Reid
Co-Founder and Trustee
Chris co-founded Teddy's Wish in 2014 with his wife Jen. As one of our trustees, he's responsible for the management of our finances, including how we allocate funds. He also engages with other baby loss charities and the All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Alongside his commitment to Teddy's Wish, Chris works in the Private Equity team of GIC. He trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte, and holds a MSc in International Financial Markets from Southampton University and a BA Hons in Geography from Nottingham University. Chris is also a keen sportsman, and has swapped the cricket and rugby fields for the saddle of a bicycle.
Valerie Spencer
Trustee
Valerie is Eddie's grandma and a trustee of Teddy's Wish. With a wealth of fundraising and event experience, she plays an advisory role on our larger fundraising initiatives.
Valerie spent most of her career in advertising before moving to sports retail where she owned a sportswear shop in Hampstead, North London. In recent years, Valerie has dedicated her time to fundraising for the North London Hospice, organising and running their annual Christmas fairs. She’s a keen tennis player and is looking forward to getting back on the court following a recent knee injury.
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Alice Shore
Trustee
Hi all, my name’s Alice and I am so thrilled to have been given the opportunity to become one of Teddy’s Wish’s new Trustees.
Having spent over 10 years as a corporate lawyer, I am currently on a career break taking care of our 3 young children.
When I saw Teddy’s Wish were looking for new trustees I knew I had to apply. Having lost our third baby, Esme, when I was 6 months’ pregnant, I know how important it is for parents to be supported during this time. I also hoped my background as a lawyer would enable me to be a useful Trustee.
I think the fact Teddy’s Wish both supports parents who have suffered a loss, and funds research into the cause of baby loss, makes Teddy’s Wish a unique, invaluable charity.
I feel very privileged to be involved with Teddy’s Wish and look forward to working with Teddy’s Wish in 2021 and doing something positive in Esme's memory.
Alice Pullen
Trustee
Hi, I am Alice Pullen and I am the mother of four children and founder of the Step Up Club, an online coaching business for women.
In 2010, my first child, Bear died 5 days before his due date, the result, doctors believe, of a failed placenta. He was a perfect baby, born on a snowy evening, weighing in at a very impressive 7lbs 4 ounces, and yet we never saw his eyes open, or got to hear his gigle.
The loss of our darling Bear felt like an earthquake hard exploded on our previous lives; nothing felt the same again, and it took a lot of new self-discovery and trust in others to be able to not just try for another child, but to smile again.
I am honoured to be a trustee of Teddy's Wish, a charity set up by my friends, and run the powerful duality of raising money to prevent the loss of more babies, and support bereaved parents.
Katie Zeitlin
Trustee
Katie had a lengthy career in advertising where she was responsible for some of the UK's largest advertising campaigns. For the past 8 years she has been working as an honouree Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist at Camden Psychotherapy Unit, London.
"I am honoured to have been asked to be a trustee for Teddy's Wish. I was lucky to have known Eddie and I am so proud of what Teddy's Wish has achieved to date both in its capacity to offer support to bereaved families alongside the invaluable research they have funded to date. As a mother and therapeutic practitioner, I know how invaluable this charity is"
Helen Watson
Volunteer
Helen is a freelance social media manager who has generously donated her time to Teddy's Wish since 2017. Helen is responsible for our social media strategy and campaigns.
"I volunteer for Teddy's Wish because they do such important work. I didn't realise how common baby loss was and how little we really know about some of the causes. Jen and Chris have set up an amazing charity, supporting bereaved parents and funding research. They somehow manage to do all of this whilst coping with their own loss."
Rebecca Perkins
Volunteer
Rebecca is a digital marketing specialist and is responsible for our social media presence and awareness campaigns on Twitter. Rebecca has a personal connection to Teddy's Wish as she sadly lost her baby boy Alessandro to stillbirth in December 2014.
"When I saw that Teddy's Wish was looking for volunteers with expertise in social media management, I thought it could be a good way to give something back and to help others experiencing the devastation of baby loss. I think the work Jen and Chris do in Eddie's name to raise awareness, provide bereavement support and fund research is truly wonderful. No parent should have to go through the heartache of losing a child but what they are doing to help those who have is making a real difference."
Maja Kalra
Volunteer
Maja is a freelance social media manager and architect who is responsible for all our digital design and helps to manage our Instagram account.
"I volunteer for Teddy's Wish because I wanted to dedicate some of my time to support a great charity which helps so many families who have experienced the devastating loss of a child. I admire what both Chris and Jen are doing through Teddy's Wish to raise funds for research and support bereaved families"
Sophie Payne
Volunteer
Sophie is a freelance copywriter and helps us with all our website and email copy.
"I'm so pleased to help Jen and Chris and the important work they do with Teddy's Wish. Having my own children raised my awareness that it's not plain sailing for all parents. The support that Teddy's Wish gives to bereaved parents is invaluable. And the research they fund is potentially life-saving - it couldn't be more important."
Feri Goy
Admin and Support
Feri joined the Teddy’s Wish team in September 2022 and manages our support enquiries. She is an actor and scriptwriter by trade, originally specialising in comedy and has written on and appeared in shows for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. She also enjoys specialising in medical role play and communication training. The rest of her time is dedicated to her young twin daughters.
“I am honoured to be part of the Teddy’s Wish team and all that is being done in Edward’s name. The work I do in improving communication skills with patients within the medical profession has shown me that patients and parents alike need maximum support when dealing with the worst situation possible. If the communication they encounter is not sensitive or informed, an already devastating situation can be made worse. Having had a medically complex and unexpectedly challenging start to motherhood myself, I have seen first-hand the crucial need for caring communication with parents during difficult times. I hope my skills can transfer to my work with Teddy’s Wish and ensure that parents receive the best and most sensitive support they can be offered when they first get in touch with us.”