Chris Hill
Chair
Chris is an addiction expert, trainer, public speaker and author of Get Your Life Back: The Road to Freedom from Addiction.
Derek Abel
Derek is a retired General Practitioner. He went to primary and secondary school in Plumstead and Greenwich. He then trained to be a doctor at St Mary’s medical school (now Imperial College).
He has worked as a GP in South East London for over 30 years and has been part of the academic department of Primary Care at Kings .
While being involved in all aspects of general practice he has a special interest in the management of substance misuse and the management of mental health problems and child safeguarding.
At WSUP he is specifically looking at how to develop health service strategies for socially marginalised groups with the views of people with lived experience of physical and mental health problems as the foundation of these strategies and services.
James Billingham
Hi, my name is James Billingham and I am very proud to be a Trustee of WSUP.
After serving eight years in the British Army as an Officer in the Royal Artillery, I am now the Director of my own company Billingham Communications, based in South East London. I serve a variety of clients, including my former Regiment, having first began my work in communications whilst serving in the Army.
I first moved to South East London in 2018 whilst serving at Royal Artillery Barracks and fell in love with area, so much so that I bought my own home in Charlton in 2021. I’ve always been a huge believer in giving back and supporting your local community and helped local restauranteur Sujan Katuwal deliver over 250,000 meals to the homeless, NHS, Key Workers and other worthy individuals in our local area. It was here that I was first introduced to the fantastic work of WSUP, alongside Jas, Chris, Lucy and the team and began to use some of my local contacts and clients to try and support them as much as I could. When I was invited to become a Trustee I couldn’t say no!
David Cordery
David’s career began in computing at SG Warburg’s. In 1984, he led the implementation of equity trading systems ahead of the London Stock Exchange’s 1986 “Big Bang,” transforming trading practices. By 1989, he shifted to publishing, modernising workflows at Morgan Grampian and IPC Media, where he also managed a scanning studio and recognised the potential of digitising heritage materials.
In 1998, David founded Max Communications Ltd, focusing on archive digitisation for institutions like the Science Museum and Natural History Museum. Max earned the Royal Warrant in 2016.
In 2024, Max expanded into the US, with projects in New York, Oregon, and California, and now employs over 100 people. David’s ties to Woolwich led him to support WSUP, becoming a Trustee in 2023.
David has had many connections with Woolwich: studying at Woolwich College, his uncle in the Army, using the dry ski slope, and work experience at Woolwich Equity Building Society in Beresford Square. He also worked for Morgan Grampian/Miller Freeman in Woolwich, and now his company offices are in the Royal Arsenal. Feeling it was only fitting to give back to an area that has given him so much, David actively supports Woolwich’s community.
Tej Virdhee
Tej is an experienced Product Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in business process design/improvement, product proposition, campaign management, digital journey improvements and regulatory changes.