Meet the Team

Nick Black

CEO / Contact Lens and Low Vision Practitioner

Nick is CEO of BBR – a contact lens optician and low vision practitioner. He joined the practice in 2000 and also runs a hospital contact lens clinic.

Nick’s hero is Brendon McCullum (former New Zealand cricketer & captain) because he was an inspirational guy who allowed a team to perform better than the sum of parts, but in a fair respectful way and with a smile.

If he could have dinner with anyone it would be Brain Lahore – coach to the All Blacks for the first world cup. He developed a professional attitude in an amateur era that put New Zealand years ahead of the competition and, you could argue, defined the modern era we see today in terms of win ratio.

As you might have guessed, Nick hails from the beautiful New Zealand.

His favourite BBR product is the Lindberg Air Rim Titanium range as it’s versatile, practical and comfortable.

Magda Peppa

Dispensing Optician / Contact Lens Practitioner

Magda joined BBR Optometry in December 2014 as a qualified Dispensing Optician. She completed her undergraduate studies in Optics and Optometry at I.R.S.O.O. (The Research Institute of Studies in Optics and Optometry) in Vinci, Italy in 2003. In addition, she completed one year of studies at the Sector of Medium Executives of Enterprises in Management & Finance. She previously worked as a DO-Optometrist in Greece and is fluent in Greek, English and Italian.

Magda's main interest is the best treatment of her patients and the satisfaction that she feels when she is able to effectively help with specific problems. Her future plan is to continue her education and follow further postgraduate studies in her professional field so that she can continue to expand her knowledge.

When not working, Magda spends her spare time with her family and children. She loves travelling, particularly to the Greek islands, and she is a keen skier and water sports enthusiast.

Daniel Read

Practice Manager / Dispensing Optician

Daniel qualified in 2001 and spent some years working for a small group of independent practices in Gloucester. He joined BBR as Practice Manager and Dispensing Optician in February 2015. Daniel has a real passion for eyewear and has spent time curating our collection of eyewear brand to ensure our patients have the best selection of frames to choose from.

Laura Fensom

Dispensing Optician

Laura joined the team as a Clinical Assistant in 2010 and in the summer if 2022 became our fourth Dispensing Optician to complete ABDO’s Dispensing Optician degree.

When not at work, Laura is kept busy by her two young children! She is a keen photographer and enjoys taking long country walks.
When not at the practice, Chris works for the National Diabetic Eye Screening Programme, and at the Victoria Eye Unit, working with the Intravitreal Injection Service. He is also the Treasurer of the Local Optical Committee and is involved in the community shared care schemes.

The father of two, and husband to Lucy, somehow manages to find time for rowing, cycling and swimming as well! He is a keen member of Hereford Rowing Club, cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2019, completed the Great North Swim (10km in open water), and swam from Tenby to Saundersfoot.

Andy Bell

Dispensing Optician

Andy joined BBR in March 2023. Originally from Essex, he trained as a Dispensing Optician in London.

Outside of the practice he enjoys strategy and co-op games.

Andy is very patient and attentive to his patient's needs.

Nicola Rees

Dispensing Optician / Contact Lens Optician

Lisa Strevens

Staff Resources Manager

Lisa is one of the longest standing members of BBR; she joined the team back in 1988 as a receptionist. She gradually moved into a more administrative role and, in 2004, became the Staff Resource Manager. Lisa knows the practice inside out, and this knowledge combined with her organisational skills ensures that the whole practice runs efficiently. Lisa's role also means that she has a close working relationship with all members of staff and she is a friendly face to all.

Lisa has a very busy life out of work as she has two very active children, who attend lots of extra-curricular activities.

Emily Willerton

Technical Support

Emily initially began working at BBR as an Optical Assistant in 2008 until she left in 2011 to travel the world. On returning from her adventures, she re-joined us as a member of the front of house team but has since had a complete role change and she is now the ‘go-to’ person for all IT issues – whether it be sorting out a printer jam, co-ordinating equipment installations and upgrades with suppliers or developing and updating internal procedures. She’s always on the go and likes to be busy.

In October 2019, Emily began studying for a BSc in IT & Computing through the Open University.

When not at work, Emily enjoys adventures with her family, reading and collecting Terry Pratchett books and all things Ghibli.

Laura Newman

Lead Clinical Assistant

Laura is the longest standing member of BBR's reception team, having worked here for more than 15 years. Laura's knowledge of our patients is unparalleled, and her efficient approach ensures all jobs get completed.

When not at work, Laura spends most of her time with her husband and two daughters, but she also enjoys time with friends.

Charlotte Apperley

Optical Assistant

Charlotte joined BBR in April 2017 and has quickly became an integral part of the team. She is mainly based in the workshop, taking care of our incoming spectacle orders and ensuring they meet our high standards.

Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading and going on holiday.

Megan

Optical Assistant

Megan is an integral member of our Reception and Support Staff team. She is primarily based in our workshop, taking care of our incoming spectacle orders and ensuring they meet our high standards. She also maintains our supply of trial contact lenses, no small task for a practice that offers the range of lenses that BBR does!

Outside of work Megan enjoys spending time with her family and a cheeky gin and tonic.

Matthew Steadman

Clinical & Optical Assistant

Matthew joined the practice in 2021 and has stepped into the Clinical and Optical Assistant roles. He aims to provide the best possible care for BBR’s patients by excelling during their screening process. Matt has a fantastic rapport with patients, is very patients and just a little bit cheeky.

Outside of work, Matt spends as much time as he can with his family, especially playing games and watching films with his little girl who is says is growing up way to fast!

Jessica Billington

Clinical Assistant

Jessica joined the BBR team in 2022 and undertook in-house training to become one of our valuable Clinical Assistants.

Oliver Jackson

Optical Assistant

Oliver joined BBR in April 2022 and is currently training as an Optical Assistant.

Has 2 cats called Comet and Smudge, with whom he enjoys the quiet life. He loves reading comics, Lego, and playing Zelda.

Emma Swain

Clinical Assistant

When Emma joined BBR, she brought a wealth of optical knowledge and experience. She is always professional and helpful.

Outside of the practice she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Molly Ridgway

Optical Assistant

Our trainee Optical Assistant Molly loves to be active. She enjoys hiking, horse hiding, and rock climbing.

Austin Timoney

Audiology

Austin has a strong background in science, with degrees in Natural Sciences, Biotechnology and Audiology. He has extensive experience in the assessment and rehabilitation of adults and children with hearing loss, having worked for the NHS prior to joining The Hearing Care Partnership. Austin is dual-registered with the HCPC as a Clinical Scientist and Hearing Aid Dispenser.

With his strong focus on providing patient-centred hearing care, Austin appreciates that his working environment permits ample time and access to the best technology. This ensures he can help his patients to live a life uncompromised by hearing loss.

Austin has a young family and spends his spare time enjoying nature and outdoor pursuits: “I love getting out into the great outdoors, whether hiking or cycling, or just indulging in a round of golf!”

Marcus-Scott Robinson

WRC

Marcus has had a very varied career within the healthcare sector over the past 12 years, having worked in a number of different roles such as dental nursing, teaching and assessing, and most recently adult social services. It was following this stint that Marcus decided to go down a different route, and joined The Hearing Care Partnership as a Wax Removal Clinician.

Marcus loves life at The Hearing Care Partnership because...

"Within my role, I love helping patients when they need it the most. Hearing is such an important sense and when someone has a wax build-up, being able to remove it and restore their hearing levels gives me, and my patient, great satisfaction, so it's a real honour to be a part of."

Outside of work Marcus enjoys...

Travelling across the world to explore different countries, spending time with his family, living the rural life in the Cotswolds, and his two dogs Ryder and Marshall.

Rosa Chester

Hearing Aid Dispenser

Having studied at De Montfort University in Leicester, Rosa is a dedicated Audiologist who has already made a name for herself within the industry. She not only won the prestigious Charles Holland Award, but was also awarded Audiologist of the Year in her previous position. Rosa now joins us at The Hearing Care Partnership.

Rosa loves life at The Hearing Care Partnership because...

"I decided to join The Hearing Care Partnership to take on a new challenge and progress my career within audiology. Working with The Hearing Care Partnership allows me to deliver the best possible patient experience, with fantastic testing capabilities."

Outside of work Rosa enjoys...

Going on adventures, whether that's through travelling or skydiving. She also has a love for architecture and farming, especially pigs and sheep.