Umbreen David Public Page

09/04/2026

This week, Gatwick Audiology Ltd & Phonak invited me to lunch at Denbies Wine Estate to talk about hearing, technology, and access.

The venue was busy with poor acoustics. Of course my heart sank. But that was precisely the point. A beautiful venue but a challenging environment for those with hearing loss to put the Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio to the test.

Hearing loss is exhausting. It’s also deeply excluding. Conversations demand extra effort that others never need to think about. Noisy environments become places you try to avoid rather than navigate. You’re left out of group dynamics, workplace meetings, family gatherings. The effort of trying to participate often outweighs the connection itself. It’s not just tiring. It’s isolating.

The Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio claims to filters speech clarity from noise so the burden shifts away from you. It certainly appears to deliver - I noticed it immediately at that lunch, in the very environment designed to be challenging. No straining, no apology, no repeating, no repeating again because you still didn’t catch it. Just the simple pleasure of holding a conversation from a distance. That’s the difference.

We also had the chance to trial the Roger wireless microphone which closes the distance gap even more. One couple trialling it together discovered with great mirth they could actually hear each other clearly.
The delight and animation in those conversations was uplifting, the kind of joy that comes when technology suddenly opens a door that was locked before. We weren’t testing a product. We were discovering what is possible.

This is why AI matters in this context: not as hype, but as a tool that removes real barriers. When technology meets genuine human need, that’s the true gift of AI.

I’m looking forward to experimenting with both over the next couple of weeks, putting them through their paces in daily life, and offering more detailed feedback on what actually changes for someone navigating the business world and home life with hearing loss.

Sincere thanks to Prince P Punnoose, your fabulous team and Richard Bance for the opportunity to be part of this conversation and for such generous hosting.

29/03/2026

£300,000 in cash prizes. £1.85 million donated to disabled entrepreneurs since 2007. The 18th Stelios Awards For UK Disabled Entrepreneurs are now live.

I was privileged to win last year. Now Sir Stelios and Leonard Cheshire are opening the doors again, offering disabled entrepreneurs real prize money and real recognition.

Disabled entrepreneurs create thriving businesses. We solve problems. We lead. We should be visible.

If you own 50%+ of a UK company with £200k+ turnover and are disabled, this is your opportunity to accelerate your business.

Close date: 30 April 2026.

Applications: https://stelios.foundation/disabled-entrepreneurs-w-leonard-cheshire/stelios-awards-for-uk-disabled-entrepreneurs-2026-now-open-for-applications/

I lift as I climb. And I’m rooting for you to do the same. Please share with your network

Stelios Philanthropic Foundation

25/03/2026

A year ago I wouldn’t have believed I belonged in this room.
Not because I wasn’t building something purposeful. That hadn’t changed. Because I’d never stopped to consider that what I was building counted in a room like this.

Last night I attended the EY Entrepreneur of the Year nominee event as a nominee. A room of founders from construction, education, tech, renewables, consulting, finance, customer service and social care amongst others.

Different sectors. Different scales. One shared challenge — how do you grow, lead and inspire without losing what made you worth growing in the first place?
What pleasantly surprised me was the willingness to share, to lift others, to be genuinely curious about each other’s journeys.
That’s the EY entrepreneurial community. A global network that exists to ask hard questions and answer them together.
I didn’t change my business to earn my place in that room.
I changed my assumption about who these rooms are for.
I came to listen and learn. I left knowing this journey is going to change me as much as I hope to contribute to it.

15/03/2026

Mother’s Day arrives each year wrapped in familiar imagery. Flowers. Cards. Restaurant bookings. Carefully worded tributes to love, sacrifice and gratitude. It is a polished version of motherhood, easy to market and easy to recognise. But real motherhood has never been so tidy. I've captured what it means to me in this article 👇 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quiet-legacy-mothers-umbreen-david-award-winning-entrepreneur--omg6e In the meantime; wishing all mothers and mother figures a Happy Mother’s Day.

08/03/2026

Celebrating the women who shaped me and helped make the path a little easier for those who come next.

International Women’s Day.

This year the UN theme is:

🎯Rights
🎯Justice
🎯Action
♥️For ALL Women and Girls.

Three words that sound simple, until you stop and think about how many women are still waiting for even one of them.

For some women the barriers are obvious. For others they sit much closer to home, in expectations about silence, endurance, and knowing your place.

Many of us understand that reality more than we might ever care to admit.

But something changes when women decide they will no longer stay silent. When they choose to emerge from what tried to contain them.

Rights matter.
Justice matters.
But ✨ action ✨ is what moves things forward for the women and girls who come next.

Today I’m thinking about the women who shaped me, my mother, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, teachers, friends and mentors.

Women who carried far more than anyone ever saw, and still made things a little easier for their daughters and for others.

And because of them, we try to do the same.

Happy International Women’s Day.

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

Access to healthcare is often discussed as if the main challenges are funding or waiting lists.

But for many disabled women, the first barrier is far more basic.

Can you physically access the service in the first place?

Today I attended Women’s Health in Focus, hosted by Muscular Dystrophy UK in partnership with HB Reavis.
Thank you to the organisers and panelists for creating such an open, sometimes uncomfortable and important conversation.

Several themes kept surfacing throughout the day.

✨Barriers still exist at every stage of care.
From inaccessible examination rooms to appointment structures that don’t accommodate mobility needs. These are not minor inconveniences. They determine whether someone receives care at all.

✨ Design matters far more than we acknowledge.
Healthcare environments are often built around a “default patient” who doesn’t reflect the diversity of people using them. When design is shaped by lived experience, services become safer, more inclusive and ultimately more effective.

✨ Feeling unheard has a real mental health impact.
Many women spoke about the exhaustion of repeatedly explaining their condition or advocating for basic adjustments. Being listened to should not be something patients have to fight for.

✨ Communication across the multidisciplinary team is critical.
For complex conditions, fragmented care creates risk. Joined up thinking between clinicians matters.

✨ One clinical point that stood out was the importance of cardiac monitoring for women who are carriers of dystrophinopathies (linked to Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy). Carriers can develop cardiomyopathy, yet awareness and routine screening still appear inconsistent in practice.

The discussion kept returning to one central idea.

✨✨Autonomy ✨✨

The ability for disabled women to access healthcare independently, safely and without unnecessary barriers.

Early intervention in healthcare is vital. But early intervention only works if people are able to access the system in the first place.

Design plays a huge role here. When healthcare services are shaped using lived experience, they become more responsive, more inclusive and better able to support the people they serve.

There is still much to do, particularly in challenging outdated perceptions around disabled women’s sexual health & autonomy.

A special thanks to Molly Hyslop for the invite

03/03/2026

I’ve written a thought-leadership piece for the February issue of Caring Times magazine, exploring what leadership looks like when it starts with culture.

“Lessons in Leadership: the conversation starts somewhere else entirely; with culture, curiosity and the courage to do things differently.”

For me, leadership has never started with policies or process. It starts with the culture you create, the everyday moments that shape how people feel at work, how they support one another and how they show up for those in their care.

My leadership philosophy, “I lift as I climb,” has become the cultural backbone of our organisation. It’s a mindset that puts empathy at the centre of management, not as an afterthought, but as a practical strategy.
If you’re leading in social care (or anywhere, really), I hope the article sparks reflection on the kind of culture you’re building and the kind of leader you want to be.

You can read it here online https://caring-times.co.uk/magazine/

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss with me.

13/02/2026

Thoroughly enjoyed attending the . It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and meet plenty of new ones too.

These awards always remind me how much thoughtful design shapes experience. Forward-thinking ideas, creativity and user-centred approaches are raising the bar for how we build and adapt spaces across our sector.

For me, events like this reinforce why I’m so invested in the design of Meadow View. We have a real opportunity to create a space that feels therapeutic, resident-focused and closely connected to its community. Getting that balance right matters deeply to me.

Huge congratulations to all the finalists and winners. You’re helping shape better healthcare environments for the future and I look forward to learning from you.

A huge thank you the marvellous team at Life at Bishop Fleming Chartered Accountants for being such wonderful hosts.

04/02/2026

Proud moment to share. I’m featured in the Feb/March issue of Care Home Management Magazine discussing why resilience must become a strategic priority for care home managers not “nice to have”.
Across social care, we’re seeing the real impact of sustained pressure: burn-out, decision fatigue, and leaders running on empty while trying to hold everything together for residents, families and teams.
In the article, I share why resilience isn’t about “being tougher” or simply coping better. It’s about building systems, habits and support structures that protect you and your people so you can lead with clarity, compassion and consistency.
If you read the piece, I’d love to hear what resonates and what resilience looks like in your setting. Read it here 👇
https://lnkd.in/eiapxzvV

21/01/2026

Incredibly proud of my team following this inspection outcome.

Within the report, CQC gave Iden Manor the highest possible score for learning, improvement and innovation.

For me, that recognises a shared commitment to keep learning, keep questioning and keep raising the bar, even when things are already working well.

Thank you to our residents, families and stakeholders for the thoughtful, positive feedback on the difference Iden Manor is making. It really does mean a lot

We’ve got wonderful news to share from Iden Manor Nursing Home.
Following our latest CQC inspection, we’re delighted to say Iden Manor has achieved GOOD in all five areas:
✅ Safe
✅ Effective
✅ Caring
✅ Responsive
✅ Well-led

The report praised the home for:
🌟 Managing risk effectively to keep people safe
🌟 Safe medicines management
🌟 Having enough skilled staff and nurses, supported by training and supervision
🌟 Strong infection control and health & safety checks
🌟 Visible leadership and a positive culture where staff feel supported
🌟 Listening to residents and relatives, using feedback to keep improving
🌟 Working towards Gold Standard Framework accreditation

And we’re especially proud of what families shared with inspectors, including:
💬 “I am really happy with the care in this home.”
💬 “Communication is amazing… there is nothing that I’d improve upon.”

Thank you to our residents, families and our brilliant team. This is a shared achievement and a reflection of the care, kindness and professionalism shown every day. 👏💙

We look forward to continuing to serve our local community and the NHS with the care and support we offer.

22/12/2025

As we come to the final days of the year, I’ve been taking a moment to reflect on 2025 — and what a year it has been.
It’s been a year of growth, both professionally and personally, in ways I could never have predicted back in January. From the successful refinancing of Hoama Group, to receiving the Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award and the international Stevie Award, this year has given me a platform and clarity of voice that has been both overwhelming at times (as a natural introvert!) and quietly liberating too.
Iden Manor has also had a strong year. I’m incredibly proud of the resilience and confidence within the team, and of the work we’ve done to redefine our values — I can truly feel the difference this has made. Meadow View has moved from a hopeful idea to a real, carefully considered plan, and there’s a genuine sense of momentum and excitement about what’s ahead.
Beyond work, I’ve cherished the conversations, collaborations and mentoring opportunities that have shaped me just as much as any formal achievement. Making time for travel, learning and connection has been a reminder of how important balance and perspective really are.
Looking ahead to 2026, my hopes are simple: to keep raising standards at Iden, to break ground at Meadow View, to continue advocacy work that feels meaningful, and to make space for joy and connection along the way.
Finally, I know this time of year can be difficult for some. If you’re feeling lonely or finding things hard, please know you’re not alone. I’m always happy to make time for a coffee, even a virtual one, or a chat if it helps. And if you need urgent support, the Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123.
To everyone in health and social care, especially those working through the holidays and our frontline teams: you are the quiet superheroes of our sector. Your dedication and sacrifices are deeply valued.
Wishing you all a restorative Christmas and a hopeful start to the New Year.
Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Leonard Cheshire The Stevie Awards The LILAC Centre