The Story of The Living Room:
| Our Executive Team | – who leads us. |
| Our Therapeutic Team | – how we deliver our services. |
| Data Protection | – how we protect people. |
| Board of Trustees | – how we’re governed. |
| Become a Trustee | – how you can help shape our future. |
| Founder & Honorary Life President | – where our journey began. |
| Patrons | – who champions us today. |
Executive Team
Adrienne Arthurs (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer
Adrienne has led The Living Room since October 2016, bringing together experience from the charity, business and education sectors with a collaborative and values-led approach to leadership. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people to rebuild their lives and believes that recovery is possible for everyone with the right support.
Adrienne also brings lived experience as the family member of someone who found recovery through The Living Room. Witnessing the positive impact the charity had on her own family inspired her to join the organisation, helping more people and families discover the same hope and lasting change.
Under Adrienne’s leadership, The Living Room has strengthened its services, expanded support for families and carers, developed new partnerships, and championed the value of lived experience in recovery. She is committed to ensuring the charity remains innovative, compassionate and responsive to the changing needs of the communities it serves.
Adrienne has a particular passion for improving outcomes for children and young people affected by a loved one’s substance use or addictive behaviours, helping to break the cycle for future generations.
Alongside her role as Chief Executive, Adrienne is Chair of Revival (The Living Room) CIC, the charity’s trading subsidiary, and has strategic responsibility for safeguarding, ensuring The Living Room remains a safe, welcoming and supportive place for everyone.
Mark Wiseman
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Mark is Deputy Chief Executive of The Living Room, bringing together extensive experience in communications, fundraising and organisational development with lived and living experience of recovery.
His personal journey, combined with his professional expertise, gives him a unique perspective on the life-changing impact of recovery and the importance of making support available to everyone who needs it. As part of The Living Room’s leadership team, Mark helps shape the charity’s strategic direction and future growth.
Mark leads on fundraising, partnerships and communications, securing vital income from trusts, foundations, businesses and community supporters to keep our services free and accessible. He also develops relationships that strengthen The Living Room’s impact, increase awareness of recovery, and help more people access support across Hertfordshire.
Alongside his role at The Living Room, Mark serves as Company Secretary for Revival (The Living Room) CIC, supporting the governance of the charity’s trading subsidiary. He is a passionate advocate for recovery and believes that everyone should be able to access high-quality support regardless of their financial circumstances. He is committed to protecting free recovery services so that cost is never a barrier to hope, recovery and lasting change.
Debbie Coote
Therapeutic Director
Debbie has been part of The Living Room since 2012 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the charity’s therapeutic services. During her time with the organisation, she established our St Albans centre, led the Watford service as Counselling Manager, and has worked across all three centres, helping to develop consistent, high-quality support for people in recovery.
In July 2024, Debbie joined the Executive Team as Therapeutic Services Director, recognising her extensive experience, clinical expertise and inspirational leadership. She now provides strategic leadership for our therapeutic services, ensuring they remain compassionate, evidence-informed and responsive to the changing needs of the people we support.
Debbie brings together lived and living experience of recovery with professional expertise as a qualified counsellor, holding a Level 7 Diploma in Counselling. Her personal and professional insight enables her to lead with authenticity, empathy and hope, inspiring both colleagues and the people who access our services.
Passionate about helping people rebuild their lives, Debbie is committed to delivering safe, person-centred support that empowers individuals and families to achieve lasting recovery. She believes everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion and the opportunity to realise their full potential.
Lindsey Culver
Director of Finance and Asset Management
Lindsey joined The Living Room in 2025, bringing a wealth of experience in financial management, governance and organisational leadership from both the charity and commercial sectors. An ACCA Fellow with a degree in Mathematics, she has built her career helping organisations strengthen financial controls, improve reporting and make informed strategic decisions.
Following a successful probation period, Lindsey joined the Executive Team in recognition of her exceptional expertise and the strategic contribution she makes to the organisation. As Director of Finance and Asset Management, she leads the charity’s financial management, compliance and asset strategy, ensuring The Living Room remains financially resilient, well governed and prepared for the future.
Working closely with the Board of Trustees and Executive Team, Lindsey provides the financial insight that supports confident decision-making, effective risk management and long-term sustainability. Her meticulous approach helps safeguard the charity’s resources, enabling us to continue providing free, high-quality recovery services to the people who need them most.
Passionate about making a difference through strong financial stewardship, Lindsey believes that robust governance and sound financial management create the foundations for lasting social impact. Her work helps ensure The Living Room remains a sustainable organisation, able to support people and families for many years to come.
Therapeutic Team
The Living Room’s therapeutic services are delivered by a team of qualified counsellors, all registered with either the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or Addiction Professionals.
Every one of our counsellors brings lived and living experience of recovery alongside their professional qualifications. This unique combination of expertise and personal understanding means they know, both professionally and personally, that recovery is possible.
Their compassion, authenticity and hope help create a safe, non-judgemental environment where people feel understood, valued and supported to rebuild their lives.
Data Protection Officer
Lucy Roe, Head of Business Development, is The Living Room’s appointed Data Protection Officer (DPO).
Lucy oversees the charity’s compliance with UK data protection legislation and is the main point of contact for all data protection and privacy matters.
For any questions about your personal information or our privacy practices, please email [email protected] .
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership, ensuring The Living Room remains true to its charitable purpose, financially sustainable and well governed.
Together, our trustees bring a diverse range of professional expertise alongside lived and living experience of recovery and its impact on individuals, families and communities. This balance of knowledge, personal insight and independent oversight strengthens our decision-making and reflects our commitment as a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO).
As volunteers, our trustees share responsibility for setting the charity’s strategic direction, safeguarding its values and ensuring The Living Room continues to provide high-quality recovery support for those who need it most.
Richard Crofton – Chair
Richard serves as a Partner at PwC, specialising in guiding organisations through transformative changes in their business operations. He excels in assembling powerful teams, known for propelling significant performance enhancements for globally recognised brands. Renowned for his collaborative ethos, Richard creates a nurturing environment that allows teams to flourish. With two decades of experience, he has motivated teams towards achieving remarkable results by rallying them around a shared vision and equipping them with the necessary structure, leadership, tools, and motivation for success.
Before embarking on his corporate journey, Richard dedicated eight years of service to the British Army, achieving the rank of Captain in the King’s Royal Hussars. Now residing in Hertfordshire with his wife and two daughters, he maintains his quest for adventure, embracing any opportunity for sport or new experiences with an enthusiastic ‘yes’. Richard joined TLR in 2024 took over the Chair role July 2026.
Will Roney – Vice-Chair
Will joined the board of The Living Room in January 2025 and became Vice-Chair in July 2026. As a former client, he brings firsthand understanding of the charity’s transformative work with individuals facing addiction and their families.
Growing up in Stevenage, Will has personal experience with challenges many clients of The Living Room face, including alcohol addiction and homelessness. He also volunteers with an LGBTQ+ addiction charity, supporting clients through one-on-one sessions and group workshops at various stages of recovery.
His lived experience and professional training provide a unique perspective as both someone who has access services and provider. Will is particularly passionate about early intervention, widening access to support, and advocating for underrepresented groups, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. He is committed to ensuring that the voices of people that use services and those with lived experience of recovery shape the services they rely on. In his free time, Will enjoys film, theatre, politics, and spending time with his nieces and nephews.
Spencer James – Treasurer
Akhilesh Nair – Trustee
Akhilesh, with a commerce degree and an MBA in Human Resources, recently completed an Executive Program at Wharton Business School. He’s now a member of the Forbes Global HR Council, recognised for his thought leadership in shaping human-machine collaboration. With over 25 years of global corporate experience across 50+ countries, he’s championed diversity and equal opportunities. Akhilesh loves exploring cultures through travel and joined as a trustee in May 2023 to support his community.
Kacey Parker – Trustee
Kacey joined The Living Room as a Trustee in January 2026. She holds an LLB with Criminology and works as a Contract Officer at Hertfordshire County Council, specialising in corporate contracts, governance, and performance management. In her role, she supports procurement processes, drafts contracts, and helps monitor contract performance to ensure services are delivered effectively and meet contractual obligations.
Kacey also has a strong background in learning and development across local authorities and the private sector. She is a qualified trainer and assessor with expertise in safeguarding, bringing a thoughtful and practical perspective to board discussions.
Passionate about supporting individuals through life’s challenges and strengthening resilience in communities, Kacey is delighted to contribute to The Living Room’s mission in addiction recovery.
Kacey lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and enjoys cooking, reading, travelling, and exploring local heritage in her spare time.
Claire Evans – Trustee
Claire is the Director of Technology & Digital Transformation at The Good Care Group. She is responsible for the organisation’s IT strategy and services. Her expertise includes technology support for clients, carers and care managers and managing business systems, cybersecurity, process automation, platform capability, data management, and AI integration.
Claire enjoys working in the care sector, where she is a strategic IT leader with over 25 years of experience managing complex digital transformations and delivering large-scale operational efficiencies across the UK’s care sector, including Live-in Care, Domiciliary Care, Neuro, Mental Health, and Learning Disabilities for both adults and CAMHS.
Ashley Vaughan – Trustee
Ashley was elected to The Living Room’s Board of Trustees in July 2026. A commercial manager and self-employed consultant in the construction sector, he brings experience in commercial and financial oversight, risk management, contract administration, strategic planning and team development.
Ashley is passionate about giving back to the recovery community and believes that sound governance and sustainable decision-making provide the strong foundations needed to support people for many years to come.
Become a Trustee
The Living Room is always keen to hear from people who share our vision and would like to help shape the future of the charity.
As a Trustee, you will work alongside an experienced and supportive Board, helping to provide strategic leadership, good governance and oversight of a charity that changes lives across Hertfordshire. Whether you bring professional expertise, lived or living experience, or a fresh perspective, your contribution can make a real difference.
We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are passionate about supporting their local community, but we welcome enquiries from anyone who believes their skills, experience or perspective would strengthen our Board.
Trustees meet four times a year, with meetings held both in person in Stevenage and online. The role is voluntary and reasonable expenses are reimbursed. Trustees also have the opportunity to join one of our Board committees, which meet approximately every other month online to support specific areas of the charity’s work.
If you would like an informal conversation about becoming a Trustee, please contact our Chief Executive, Adrienne Arthurs, at [email protected]
Before applying, we recommend reading the Charity Commission’s guidance, The Essential Trustee: What You Need to Know, What You Need to Do.
Founder and Honorary Life President
Janis Rogers MBE founded The Living Room in May 2000 after recognising the need for a different approach to recovery—one that was welcoming, community-based and centred on hope. At a time when treatment options were limited, she envisioned a day service where people could access professional support while rebuilding their lives within their own communities.
Driven by that vision, Janis spent more than a year securing funding, building partnerships and inspiring others to believe that recovery was possible. Her determination laid the foundations for The Living Room, which has since supported 8000+ people and their families across Hertfordshire.
Although Janis retired in 2016, her vision continues to shape everything we do. As our Founder and Honorary Life President, her legacy lives on through our trustees, staff, volunteers, partners and supporters, who remain committed to providing compassionate, person-centred recovery support and ensuring hope remains at the heart of The Living Room.
Patrons
Dr Sally Burton DL has been Patron of The Living Room since June 2023. Following her year as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire (2022–2023), during which she championed greater awareness of the impact of alcohol and drug use across the county, Sally continues to be a passionate advocate for people affected by addiction and related challenges.
As our Patron and a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, she helps raise awareness of the issues faced by the people we support, encourages collaboration between organisations, and champions the importance of accessible recovery services. We are proud to have Sally promoting The Living Room’s work and helping us increase understanding, reduce stigma, and strengthen support across Hertfordshire.
Claire Austin became Patron of The Living Room in 2026.
Claire is the Managing Director of Austin’s Funeral Services, a long-established, family-run business serving communities across Hertfordshire.
Through her work, Claire supports individuals and families at some of the most difficult times in their lives, providing care, dignity and compassion. She understands the lasting impact that grief, trauma and loss can have, and is passionate about ensuring people receive the support they need to move forward.
As a Patron of The Living Room, Claire champions our work with people affected by addiction and addictive behaviours. She helps raise awareness of the importance of recovery, reduce stigma, and encourage communities to recognise that lasting change is possible with the right support. We are delighted to have Claire’s support in helping us bring hope and recovery to more people across Hertfordshire.