who are we?

Fruitfly Collective has a small core team of scientists, clinicians, artists and designers who collaborate with a range of experts.

Our collaborators include nurses, scientific researchers, visual artists, medics, photographers, clinical psychologists, palliative care social workers, children and young people, and people who have been affected by cancer.

What motivates us?

The word cancer and the smell of hospitals filled me with fear so I carefully avoided them for 20 years.

Caroline Leek

My Dad died of cancer after a very short illness.

As a twelve year old I didn’t know about grief, or how to feel or behave – I just copied adults around me. They seemed to stop talking about Dad so I did too. But the problem is you can’t out run grief, it catches up with you in the end.

I set up Fruit Fly Collective to help families talk about cancer, death and grief, and to support children by giving them coping tools and knowledge that they are not alone.

Meet the Team

  • Dr Caroline Leek BSc MSc PhD FRSA

    FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

    Caroline is the founder of Fruit Fly Collective. Her background is in neuroscience and medicine regulation policy with a strong history of public engagement using artistic methods. She is a RSA Fellow and has an interest in personal stories and using creativity to engage a diverse audience.

  • Dr Jacqueline Coleman Bsc MSc PhD BMBS FRCPATH

    HISTOPATHOLOGIST & DIRECTOR

    Jackie is a NHS Consultant Histopathologist at Imperial Health NHS Trust. Her job mainly involves diagnosing gynaecological diseases. She specialises in woman’s cancers and her interests are in vulval disease.

  • PENNY PHILLIPS

    PARENTING COACH & DIRECTOR

    Penny Phillips is an experienced and skilled resilience practitioner, facilitator and coach. Specialising in resilience and empowerment. Working with schools, community sector organisation and families to improve mental health and wellbeing for young people and parents.

  • EMMA SWINHOE

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Emma is a London based illustrator, who left a ten-year career in mental health nursing to retrain in Graphic Design and Illustration at the University of the Arts, London school of Communication.

    emmaswinhoe.com @swinhoeemma

  • DAPHNE VANDEN BORRE

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Daphne is Fruit Fly Collective’s graphic designer. She has had a lifetime exposure to Advertising & Design as a Creative Director for both Time and Fortune magazines across the British Isles, EMEA and Asia.

  • HAZEL NICHOLLS

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Hazel graduated from Camberwell College of Art in 2000, since then she has mostly worked as a screen printer – producing limited edition artworks which combine her love of words and images.

    @hazelcjnicholls

  • LUCY WALLACE

    PHOTOGRAPHER

    Lucy have been photographing people and products professionally from 2007 and comes from a background in complimentary therapies yoga and dance. She has been Fruit Fly Collective’s resident photographer since the beginning.

    lucywallacephotography.com

  • SONJA FRIEDRICH-LIEBENBERG

    WEB DESIGNER

    In her capacity as owner and Creative Director of Sausage Dog Design she has worked for clients in the charity sector for over 12 years. Her main interest lies with start up businesses that are looking to establish themselves. She had been diagnosed with cancer herself in 2019 and is still going through the ups and downs of the cancer journey.

  • Izzy Warren

    TEACHER

    Izzy is a primary school teacher as well a crafty textile designer. Having created and implemented very successful whole-school personal and health education programmes and inclusion strategies, she understands the importance of empowering children by allowing them ownership of issues in their worlds.

Partners, Funders & SUPPORTERS

Without their support we could not do the work we are doing.

Health and Advisory Team

Our advisory team is made up of experts in the fields of healthcare (nurses, oncology consultants, psychologists, palliative care nurses), social care and family therapy, science and science communication, policy, academic research and education.

Collaborators and Partnerships

Collaboration is a key part of how Fruit Fly Collective operates. We are proud to have multiple partnerships with many organisations including NHS Trusts and hospices across the UK, national and local cancer charities, and arts and health groups.