Our Team
Trustees
The Trustees of LIM are responsible for making sure we meet our obligations as a registered charity as well as setting our strategic direction. The team are volunteers and offer their time freely as required by the Charity Commission and in the spirit of service.
Joanna-May Sta. Ana (Chair of the board)
Joanna served as Director of London Insight Meditation, before taking on the role as chair of the board of trustees in 2024. She has a background in engineering and commercial management, and has worked within the construction industry for a number of years. Joanna has studied ancient religions and philosophy with a focus on the traditions of yoga and meditation, and she has a dedicated daily practice.
Patrick Drysdale (Finance)
Patrick is a chartered accountant, having qualified at KPMG in 2009. Since 2014 he has been working in the charity sector in various Finance roles.
He first learnt about Buddhism and meditation in 2010 whilst travelling in Asia and has maintained an interest and practice since then, including doing various retreats.
Derek Bruce (Development)
Derek Bruce joined the Board of Trustees in 2022. He has a background in HR, Leadership, Learning and Talent Management and Organisational Design. He is currently a Learning Strategy and Performance Management lead. He also runs Derek Bruce Associates, a consultancy which supports NGOs, Non Profit and SME on L&D topics. He practices mindfulness, meditation and purposeful living. He is now based in London, having also lived in Europe.
Josie Levine (Sangha)
Josie has been studying and practicing vipassana (insight) meditation since 1990. Before moving back to London in 2023, she lived close to Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California for 40 years.
At SRMC, she attended annual silent retreats, many daylong events, graduated from their Dedicated Practitioners Program, and was a mentor for their E-sangha. She hopes to continue generosity in action through her new trustee role at London Insight Meditation.
Josie also holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology, and continues to have a private practice utilizing mindfulness-based psychotherapy to help alleviate suffering.
Reena Purchase (Programme)
Reena has worked in the third-sector for over thirty years with experience of community development, equity and inclusion, charity management, housing, fundraising and grant-making. She has an MSc in Mindfulness-Based approaches from Bangor University, has taught eight-week mindfulness courses, and is a qualified yoga teacher.
Reena has been attending London Insight events for over a decade, and has a committed practice. As well as attending LIM retreats, she attends a weekly sitting group and longer retreats when possible. Since retiring from full-time work, she has concentrated on teaching mindfulness and yoga and volunteering at LIM events. She also chairs Arhag Housing Association, a housing association that supports migrants and refugees in London.
Manager
Matt Herbertson
Matt manages the day-to-day running of the organisation. He has been a practising Buddhist since 2005, and previously managed a large mindfulness for health project in London. He has a background in communications and PR, and has spent the last seven years managing teams in the market research sector. He enjoys Qi Gong and playing the RAV drum (when no one is listening).
Volunteers Manager
Chen Lu
Chen has a background in art history and the creative industries. She started her meditation journey in 2013, and was introduced to Vipassana meditation in 2021 through a ten-day silent retreat. She keeps a regular meditation practice and continues to explore contemplative practices and experiences.
Event Day Organiser
Uz Afzal
Uz is a mindfulness teacher and trainer and is particularly interested in bringing all parts of people’s identities into her sessions. She is the author of the book, ‘Mindfulness for Children’, and enjoys sharing practices in a range of contexts.
She is currently on the Community Dharma Leaders training run through Gaia House and loves geeking out on the Pali Canon.