Meet our teams of trustees
Our Turkish Board
Jo Turgut - President
Before moving to Türkiye in 2022, Jo was chief operations officer for a charity in her local town supporting vulnerable woman and those suffering domestic abuse.
Since 2014 she has worked in the voluntary sector in management, leadership and training roles, in industries including life insurance, employability and the prison sector, and with military veterans and their families.
Jo’s career has required her to build strong working partnerships to secure successes, both financially and outcome-driven.
Since becoming a volunteer she has reshaped the board and created a great team. She has worked tirelessly on bringing together the community and local business to help the charity move forward.
Jo lives in Türkiye full time with her husband, their baby and two dogs.
Mel Harland - Vice-President
Before moving to Türkiye full time with her husband, Mel worked in management in the banking industry.
She is responsible for coordinating and organising items donated to the charity, such as clothes and household goods, ahead of our events.
Mel leads the fundraising team items and is also one of our cat park volunteers, giving her time each week to look after the animals who live there.
Anne Kapteinat - Cat Park Manager
Our 'Queen of Cats', Anne is originally from Germany and worked for Hewlett-Packard for 30 years. She and her husband moved to Üzümlü in 2018 after his retirement, along with Anne’s parents and their cat.
After meeting Claire, a former cat park manager, Anne took over the responsibility due to the former's illness. She also joined the board of trustees.
Anne runs a private cat hospital and recovery centre in her own garden, taking in those who need a safe space or additional medication and care until they are well enough to leave.
Since leaving Germany her furry family has grown to include three more cats and two dogs.
Pam Cuerden - Treasurer
Pam has no pets, but feeds street cats every day. As Treasurer, she admits that she is not an accountant but is keen to ensure our money management is audit ready. Every month, she pays 4 Vets by online payments, sends the bank statement & PAWS invoices to the Accountant. Pam was a manager doing office work for DWP for 46 years. Retirement bought her to Turkey where she has made a lot of friends in Uzumlu.
Tuğçe Bengü Kahya – Street Dog Manager
Tuğçe Bengü Kahya – Street Dog Manager
Working at the intersection of field rescue, coordination, and long-term animal welfare, Tuğçe lives between Payamlı and Üzümlü with her husband, son, and her ever-growing family of “8 + 6” dogs and 2 cats. She serves as a board member of Paws Üzümlü and works as a Street Dog Manager, coordinating sterilization programs, rescue operations, and welfare monitoring of village dogs as well as municipal shelter cases.
Her work is rooted in community-driven animal welfare work, aiming to create safer, fairer, and more compassionate lives for animals.
Tuğçe sees her relationship with animals as companionship beyond ownership. She humorously refers to herself as a “failed to foster,” as many of the animals she takes in often become permanent members of her family.
Marion Rivers
Marion has 7 street cats and 1 cat from the UK. She fostered 3 kittens who were left near the school in Uzumlu and ended up adopting them. Marion helps at the cat park one day a week and is currently covering for a member of the Executive Board.
Sue Hale
Sue has worked with animals throughout her career and was a qualified veterinary nurse while living in California.
On returning to the UK, she bought a farm on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border and ran a successful livery yard. She also competed in equestrian events until moving to Türkiye in 2013.
Sue is a committed PAWS volunteer and has nine large dogs of her own plus numerous cats, mostly rescues she has saved.
She helps out at both the cat and dog parks, in addition to taking on many other day-to-day and ad hoc tasks.
Denise Atkins
Denise recently relocated back to the UK after years of being hands-on with the local animals, fostering many street dogs and puppies and preparing them for their new homes.
She is one of our key fundraisers, arranging many successful events, and remains committed to supporting the animals in Üzümlü.
She will fundraise in the UK alongside her role as dog sponsorship team leader.
Denise has vast experience of working with dogs and her own Turkish rescue dog is now 15 years old - and enjoying retirement in a cooler climate.
Jackie Slater
Office Manager
Michael Stevenson-Smith
Product Manager
Our UK Board
Lynne Chellingworth
Lynne is a retired NHS HR manager and has enjoyed many holidays in Üzümlü since she and her husband built a house in the village in 2008.
She is a long-time supporter of street animals, both locally and in the wider Fethiye area, and regularly visits the cat park when she is in Türkiye.
Her first dog was Clara, adopted after being dumped on the edge of the village. In November 2023 she was followed by Simon, a street cat who regularly visited the Chellingworths' house - even after Lynne took him to be neutered!
Denise Atkins
Denise recently relocated back to the UK after years of being hands-on with the local animals, fostering many street dogs and puppies and preparing them for their new homes.
She is one of our key fundraisers, arranging many successful events, and remains committed to supporting the animals in Üzümlü.
She will fundraise in the UK alongside her role as dog sponsorship team leader.
Denise has vast experience of working with dogs and her own Turkish rescue dog is now 15 years old - and enjoying retirement in a cooler climate.
Liesl Richards
Liesl has been a frequent visitor to Üzümlü for the past eight years. She bought a house in the village six years ago and plans to move permanently on retirement as a specialist NHS nurse.
She is a long-time supporter of the street animals, both locally and in the surrounding area, and enjoys volunteering at the dog park whenever she is in Türkiye.
Seven years ago she adopted one of the first forests park dogs, the beautiful Maeve, and more recently took on another youngster, the gorgeous Zena.
Justine Sturtivant
Justine describes herself as a serial animal rescuer.
On her very first night in Türkiye she met a street pup who eventually joined her and her husband, along with their menagerie of rescue cats, pigs and chickens, in North Yorkshire.
They will also soon be joined by two rescued Üzümlü street dogs.
Alison Adams
Alison lives in Edinburgh with her husband and third rescue cat, Jaffa.
They bought their holiday home in Üzümlü in 2008 after first visiting four years earlier, and have travelled there each year.
She has seen great improvements in the care given to the street dogs and cats and has supported the charity through donations and practical help.
Alison is now delighted to play a more active role by joining the PAWS Uzumlu UK board.
She has a background in pensions and investments, a sector in which she worked for over 31 years.