James Lyons, formerly director of strategic communications at No. 10, has joined the board of trustees at charity Leukaemia UK.
Prior to No. 10 he led corporate and policy communications for TikTok, Europe, and directed communications for NHS England, where he played a key role in the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The chair of trustees at Leukaemia UK, Ian McCafferty CBE, said: “We are thrilled to welcome James to our board, and he joins us at a pivotal moment as we prepare to launch our ambitious new five-year strategy. His understanding of how to influence change at a national level will be invaluable as we continue to work with the government to ensure policy changes deliver earlier diagnosis, improved survival and better quality of life for people with leukaemia.”
Alongside his professional expertise, Lyons holds a “deeply personal connection to leukaemia that has shaped his commitment to the charity’s mission to save and improve the lives of people affected by leukaemia”.
In 2008 his father-in-law was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Just months later in April 2009 Lyons’ father was diagnosed with the same rare type of leukaemia.
Lyons also lost a great aunt to leukaemia a few years ago, but despite so much experience of the disease he never thought it might be the cause when a friend started to feel very unwell.
After initially putting his symptoms down to flu, his friend, a teacher, was subsequently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2025.
Lyons said: “It felt very timely. I had left No. 10 and saw an opportunity to devote some time to a cause that is important to me. Hopefully, my skills and experience mean I can help contribute to the charity’s work to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for those affected by leukaemia, and I have the lived experience to understand some of what patients go through.”
“Leukaemia is too often forgotten, and if people think of it at all it is often as a children’s disease. I am looking forward to playing my part in raising money to fund research into life-changing new treatments like the one that my friend Martin has benefited from,” he added.
In addition to the appointment of Lyons, existing trustee Karen Cracknell has been confirmed as deputy chair.