Julie Fountain – CEO/Trustee
julie@matthewsfriends.org
When Emma asked me to help her set up Matthew’s Friends in 2004, little did I know what was in store for the future! Having seen the benefit of a (relatively) simple diet, completely transform my Godson Matthew’s life and the lives of his family, I was keen to help make a difference to the huge number of families that could potentially also benefit. I am very proud of the difference our charity has made and continues to make, not only in supporting fragile families at a time of immense worry and fear, but in supporting the medical profession in treating those families too.
Julie Fountain (r) pictured with Emma Williams MBE, Charity Founder
Julie’s responsibilities include managing the fund-raising events, conferences and training meetings we often host. There is never a dull moment at Matthew’s Friends and everything we do is about getting the very best outcome for the babies, children and adults that are affected by drug-resistant epilepsy.
From July 2023, Julie has stepped into the CEO role and continues the work of the charity. She is keen to continue the important collaborations with our partner organisations to further the future benefits of ketogenic dietary therapies.
Julie was lead organiser for the three biennial Global Symposiums for Ketogenic Therapies hosted by Matthew’s Friends in the UK to date; Edinburgh 2010, Liverpool 2014 & Brighton 2021 (hybrid) and serves on the INKS Organising Committee for San Diego 2023 – the 8th Global Symposium.
In 2016, Julie co-founded KetoCollege, working with a highly skilled team of national and international mentors, delivering training for ketogenic teams via eLearning, webinars and in-person Advance meetings.
In 2021, Julie became an inaugural Executive Committee Member & Treasurer of the newly formed International Neurological Ketogenic Society (INKS), of which Matthew’s Friends are Founding Patrons.
“Julie likes to stay in the background as much as she can, but the truth of the matter is that she is the person that keeps everything together!….I know that she is a massive help to families online and through social media as well and to be quite honest, without Julie we would not have come as far as we have as she puts in a huge amount of work. She has also been there for me throughout all of the ups and downs with Matthew and helped me to set up the charity. I am very proud to call her my best friend, confidant and Godmother to both Matthew and Alice.”
Val Aldridge – Trustee/Ketogenic Family Support
val@matthewsfriends.org
Val Aldridge
Val’s experience in nursing began in 1980 through roles in dental and auxiliary nursing. She qualified as an enrolled nurse in 1984, then as a registered nurse in 1990, quickly specialising in coronary care. She has 2 children, Robyn and Greg. Greg’s seizures started when he was 4 and that is also when his behaviour changed. After 4 very difficult years, Val met Emma Williams and learnt about the ketogenic diet. She also met Professor Cross on a surgical referral and when surgery was not an option, Greg was started on the MCT Ketogenic diet as part of the GOSH trial and it changed not only Greg’s life but also the whole family, such was the improvement in Greg’s quality of life and seizure management.
Soon after this time, Emma contacted Val and asked if she would like to be involved with a charity she was thinking of starting up and Val readily agreed. 20 years on and Val is still a Trustee for the charity and used both her nursing and keto parent background working as Ketogenic Assistant with our clinical team in the support of patients in the MF Clinics for 10 years.
She has gained a wealth of experience in implementing dietary therapies both personally with Greg and through clinics and supporting our families. She has also gained a vocational certificate in epilepsy care via distance learning to gain a broader knowledge of epilepsy.
Val has now come full circle and is back to the charity side supporting families as Ketogenic Family Support.
Greg wouldn’t be the person he is now, if he hadn’t had the chance to go on the diet and when I see him enjoying his life and taking part in all the sports that he loves so much, doing voluntary work and learning to drive, it makes me very passionate that everyone should be given the same chance he had and that is why I love what I do at Matthew’s Friends
Teresa Stein – Office Manager/Administration/Accounts
teresa@matthewsfriends.org
I have worked with the Matthew’s Friends team since they settled their office in Lingfield, Surrey.
Having a strong background in office management, I endeavour to ensure smooth day-to-day running of the office, whilst helping with the organisation of events, conferences and meetings.
I consider my role to be the support of my colleagues, enabling them to concentrate on Ketogenic Dietary Therapies, allowing them to help the people that matter the most to us.
Matthew’s Friends are very passionate about what we do, it really is a great pleasure to be part of such a wonderful team.
Sam Doe – Charity Administration Assistant
sam@matthewsfriends.org
Sam volunteered for the charity in the early days, helping out where she could, but as the charity got larger, it became apparent regular support and help was essential to continue with our work. Sam works 10 hours a week in the MF office supporting the fundraising activities, preparing resources for meetings and sending information out to families and ketogenic centres around the UK and Ireland.
Maureen Benn (Mo) – Keto Cook
ketokitchen@matthewsfriends.org
Maureen has an extensive background in cooking and hotel catering and as a keen supporter of Matthews Friends she combined her passion for food and support of our charity. It was in 2012 when she joined Neil (Ketochef) in being a ketocook for us.
Mo is responsible for recipe development and very much enjoys helping families that are struggling to produce tasty meals using their prescriptions.
Mo and Neil were later joined by Chef Derek. The trio have extensive knowledge and talent for producing great recipes that now resemble ‘normal’ meals and treats. Because of this we can truly say that the Ketogenic Diet is no longer unpalatable!
Mo is always up for a challenge and you can see her demonstrating some of her recipes on our Keto Cooking Channel.
Lee Morgan – Passionate Volunteer at Matthews Friends
lee@matthewsfriends.org
Lee is an adult with a remarkable story about the positive impact of the ketogenic diet. Since starting the diet in 2016, he has experienced:
- Significantly improved seizure control
- Enhanced quality of life
- Dramatic improvement in cognitive function
Lee’s experience transformed him from someone struggling with medication side effects to someone with the mental clarity to pursue higher education. He graduated with a degree in Clinical Nutrition and is now highly motivated to improve ketogenic services, particularly for adults, as resources are scarce in the UK.
Sharing his knowledge and experience:
- Presented his story at KetoCollege in 2019.
- In 2020, Lee started “Virtual Cuppa & Chat” Zoom sessions for Matthews Friends’ secure Facebook group (which he also helps manage). These weekly sessions, alternating between Mondays and Tuesdays, sometimes feature guest speakers to discuss specific ketogenic topics and answer questions from the community.
- Lee expanded his volunteer role in 2023 by becoming a Mentor Support for KetoCollege Advance. He also contributes by creating surveys and updating leaflets.
Driven by passion to help others:
Lee’s enthusiasm for the ketogenic diet extends beyond Matthews Friends. He actively supports ketogenic dietitians within the Ketogenic Dietitians Research Network.
Lee’s dedication and personal story make him a valuable asset to Matthews Friends and the wider ketogenic community.