About the islastones foundation team
Islastones Foundation was developed by us, Isla’s family and friends, to celebrate Isla’s legacy. By doing so we would like to raise awareness of childhood cancer, by the provision of grants to established research institutions to support biomedical research into their treatment.
We also aim to fundraise to enable grants to be provided to those suffering from or affected by childhood cancers, in particular but not exclusively Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, and their families and carers living in England and Wales by offering grants to assist in the provision of equipment, short breaks or experiences.
We aim to achieve this by making as many smiles as possible, by as many fun activities as possible, whilst painting and hiding #islastones that can travel all around the world raising awareness of childhood cancer.
About the #islastones Team
So you have read all about Isla and why the Islastones Foundation was founded in her memory to support ongoing fundraising into vital research and granting wishes to children and families affected by cancer.
Now we thought you might like to know a little bit about who we are and what is going on behind the scenes to make the Islastones Foundation such an awesome charity to support and fundraise for.
Meet the Trustees
Katherine Tansey and Simon Tansey
Katherine and Simon are Harry and Isla’s parents and founded the
charity in 2019, becoming trustees. They are passionate about maintaining Isla’s legacy and supporting other families that are experiencing the devastating effects of childhood cancer.
As well as being a mummy to Harrison and Isla, Katherine is a qualified Occupational Therapist of over 20 years. She is the driving force of the charity along with her husband Simon.
Simon is always busy with his handyman business that he has set up locally in the past 2 years. He never stops! They (especially Katherine) spends a lot of their spare time planning, plotting and getting very excited about the events and ideas for fundraising with the islastones team. Katherine supports groups at the hideaway with Jinny and Suzanne. We are sure she never sits down! She is the lbig sister to Jackie and Laura (although the smallest), she has a heart of gold and the energy of a shooting star…ooh just say she also won a just giving award for Outstanding Commitment 2019 too!
Jackie Moore 
Auntie Jackie has supported as a trustee for Islastones since 2019. She is also mum to Isla’s two big cousins and hubby to John, who supports lots of the IT work. Jackie is also a registered general nurse and develops a service to support the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness…you may start to see a theme here with Isla’s aunties and mummy with the NHS! She supports the trust by helping with IT and merchandise with John as well as supporting when she can with fundraising and events.
“Supporting to keep Isla’s legacy is so important to us all. If we are struggling I always think of her beautiful fun smile and attitude when she was poorly, it gives you the boost you need. We all miss her so much. Raising smiles and helping others is certainly what Isla would have wanted. Making grants is an amazing moment but equally so sad that it means another child is suffering due to childhood cancer. Knowing we can help to make someone have fun and make memories is so special and it makes fundraising for awareness and research into childhood cancer even more of a driving force for the charity” Auntie Jackie 16.6.2021
Diane Saunders
Naughty auntie Di has been a trustee right from the start as well and supported to get everything up and running. She is our official finance book keeper and keeps us in check. As well as being the chief chocolate and snack provider to all the nieces and nephews, she is a director of a company and somehow manages 5 cats and 2 dogs at home. Diane supports with events and fundraising.
“I am proud to be part of Islastones Foundation team. I feel 100% blessed that I knew our beautiful Isla and was able to spend lots of time (but not enough) with her and our family. It really hits home to me on why it’s so important that we raise some well needed funds for research grants and support children like Isla with granting wishes to bring a bit of fun and laughter when it is truly needed.” Auntie Di 16.6.2021
Laura Smith
Auntie Laura made the first-ever #islastone and set up the facebook group for Isla and her friends with Isla in her bedroom, in 2017. She became a trustee in 2021, because she really was like a trustee anyway so we made it formal! She is super organised and is our spreadsheet queen and top BINGO caller and raffle drawer! She is a busy mummy to Isla’s two cousins and their doggy. Laura is also a registered learning disability nurse and manages a new specialist Autism Team – in which Katherine also now works as of April 2021.
Official Volunteers
Suzanne
Lovely Suzanne is a widow, a mum and retired secretary or was until now! She has kindly taken on the role as the Islastones Foundation’s official secretary. Suzanne kindly continues to offer her spare time to support the charity in so many ways- super stone painter, event maker with her partner in crime Jinny down the hideaway and when the two of them get together with Katherine there is no stopping them. She has set up a fair few tombolas and car boot sales since being with us and as with ALL of our volunteers, we wouldn’t function without her.
“I have a passion for the charity’s ethics and values and I believe our children are our future. I am inspired through Isla, her incredible family and her heart-breaking journey to continue to raise much needed funds for research, along with helping other children and their families who are affected by childhood cancer. I feel very privileged to be part of the islastones family and Isla’s legacy”.
Jinny
Super charity fundraiser, planner, stone varnisher and auction extraordinaire – Jinny is one of the key players in the Islastones Foundation has been supporting the charity right from the off (and way before). She shares all her skills from her 14 years of experience as a Petty Officer and 1st LT (second in command) for the Hinckley Sea Cadets with us. She is married with two grown-up boys and is now a grandma to boot so we really appreciate all that she does. You can visit Jinny down at the #islastones hideaway where she will welcome you for a chat or she will be busy cooking up ideas for the next stall, event and adopting teddies or setting up epic teddy tombolas along with Suzanne.
” I volunteer for islastones to help raise funds for childhood cancer research and to support families facing the same issues which Isla and her family faced. I never got to meet Isla personally, but the love she gave and that radiates through her family has made me feel part of the #islastones family…. Isla and islastones is and always will be a part of my life” Jinny 14.6.2021
#islastones Admin Team & Volunteers
Along with the Trustees, Suzanne and Jinny, these peeps keep the Facebook group up and running! We are lucky enough to have some amazing friends and family that support the upkeep of the #islastones Facebook group which was set up when Isla was alive. It has grown to become a friendly and caring community where people share their artwork and the stones they have hidden or found. You’ll notice a theme here about our admin team…
Lynn 
Very busy working mum of twins, Lynn helps us stay on top of how Facebook runs and links in with other admin groups to help us figure out glitches and problems. Lynn also supports with events and fundraising whenever she can.
Sam 
Very busy Specialist learning disability nurse and mum of two small boys. Sam helps check out the content and keep us on track for spotting any posts or problems. Sam will offer her time to help with events whenever she can too.
Jenny
Another very busy mummy of two, whilst running and working in her own business with her husband Jamie. As well as jumping out a plane with some of the trustees and family, Jenny also spots problems, helps with enquiries and any disputes (this is rare in the islastones community, but we do our best as a team to spot any problems). They have raised lots of funds for the charity as a family too!
Jo
Jo is also a busy mum of two, she helps on the admin team and also manages the islastones Instagram account (as she is cooler than the trustees and knows how to do that!). Jo supports with fundraising events when she can and is always there to boost the day with a smile. She did lots of crazy dancing for Isla when she was poorly. A huge support and friend to ‘Team Tansey’ and Islastones.
Lizi 
Super Lizi is also a busy working mummy of three, and despite only just having her third baby (at the time of writing this) she is doing even more to support the team. With baby strapped on she has been fundraising at car boots throughout May 2021! Again, checking posts, accepting requests and supporting the admin with any issues she is a big support and friend to Katherine and the team.
Auntie Jackie T
Jackie T, Isla’s auntie has two grown-up children and tends to work behind the scenes to help with the Facebook page. She will be there accepting friend requests to the group and approving posts whenever she can. We have snuck in a lovely photo of Isla’s Nan Anne here too.
Did you know: every post that is submitted to the #islastones facebook group is approved by one of our team.
Any questions that are submitted are responded to as soon as we can. Despite all our efforts, we can not guarantee that we see 100% of all the comments within the group so if there are any concerns people are asked to contact the team and we will help wherever we can.
Behind the scenes
IT support, shop maker, and helpful Uncle John
John Moore (aka Uncle John) Supports the Trustees with the development of the webpages, email account and the set-up of the shop. We use a third party company for the printing/production of our islastones products that John supervises. He is teaching Jackie to help with the web page too.
Facebook Volunteers Group
We are grateful and lucky enough to have a wider group of volunteers that come to help us whenever they can, whom we can not THANK enough. Without them the events would not happen.
We have a Facebook group for volunteers where people can join and make contact if you are interested in helping out. This could be several ways from manning a stall, supporting with stone painting tables, sewing, making, car booting or market trading…you name it they might do it!
Jinny, Suzanne and Katherine will post ideas, events and planned stalls on the page to check out who is available to help. Our amazing volunteers can choose exactly what they can do and when and there is no pressure.
As a team, we appreciate any time that is offered to support at any of the events. Dates, times and schedules will be provided in plenty of time. We like to ensure enough people can cover events to allow each other to have a break, join the fun from the other side, or just head back home.
Jinny and Suzanne will always keep a log of any events and the volunteers that have supported them.
At the events we will have our Islastones Foundation gazebo and signs so we stand out in a crowd. The Islastones Foundation are happy to join in at local events to help spread awareness, fundraise and make smiles.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please see the Islastones Foundation Page or #islastones Facebook group to message us or contact the team at info@islastones.com