Your Representatives

Council of Governors
(Previouly called the Members Council)

Previously “Council Members” has been the title used to describe representatives on the Members Council. This has now been formerly changed and Council Members will now be called 'Governors' and the Members Council will now be referred to as the 'Council of Governors'.

Council of Governors Handbook

The role of the Council of Governors is to:

  • Advise the Trust’s Board of Directors on how the Trust can meet the needs of the members and local communities
  • Be involved in strategic and forward planning for the Trust
  • Act as guardians to ensure the Trust complies with its obligations
  • Act as a link between the Trust and local communities.

Council of Governors is your representative body and is made up of 45 elected members of the public, Trust staff and appointed representatives of the Trust's partner organisations. 

These people are your voice within the Trust and you can email a Trust Governor to give your views and ideas  about developments within the Trust or contact them via the Trust's Membership Office. 

Click on the following link to view your representative or see below for Governor profiles All Council of Governors .

Community Health Newham Representatives

Asmat Khan (2-year term from 2011)
Asmat has resided in Newham for the past 26 years and has been a user of mental and general health services for most of this time. He is an accountant and is married to an NHS Senior Pharmacist. As an end-user of services, he is familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the health service. He is a strong advocate of Talking Therapies having personal experience of counselling, CBT, psychotherapy and Mindfulness. He has participated in the Expert Patient programme and interacted with Patient Advice and Liaison Services. Asmat has recently joined ASK, a charity which promotes the mental well-being of patients. He is actively involved in monthly meetings where problems about mental health services are discussed and solutions presented. Through ASK, he has participated in the Government’s national consultation programme to improve mental health services, and contributed his views and opinions from a patient’s perspective. He feels strongly that patients’ views should be taken into account to bring about meaningful improvements. Asmat believes there is a link between mind and body, and both should be treated together. He also believes ın a healthy patient-doctor partnership, where all treatment decisions are made jointly. 

Zahida Khan (2-year term from 2011)
With an extensive work history within education, Zahida has a strong knowledge and skills base working in a multicultural and mixed ability setting. She has worked in the role of subject teacher, form tutor, mentor and colleague, and is able to interact with a diverse range of individuals. Zahida is part of the Well London project and qualified as a community champion through East Potential. She undertakes extensive voluntary work including working with people with a long term condition and supporting them in learning how to manage their long-term health problems. She is a carer for her daughter as well as working with the community for several years; she has a wide range of knowledge and experience that she hopes to use to change things for better. Zahida is aware of the difficulties faced by people with mental health problems experience due to lack of opportunity or effective communication. She is keen to minimise the stigma associated with mental ill health. Zahida would like to invest some of her time back into the community by supporting the trust in implementing and furthering developments and contributing to service provisions. One of her aims is to ensure service users are treated with respect and dignity.

Carol Ann Leatherby (2-year term from 2011)
Carol Anne Leatherby was a carer for 15 years and cared for her mother until July 2009. Since then she has become involved with Newham Carer’s Network and in collaboration with them, helped to produce a Bereavement Pack for Carers. A year ago she became a carer’s champion to help carers with advice. She has been a Carers representative on the End of Life Operational Committee and is passionate about improving the care of the elderly and improving End of Life Care. With the growing number of people developing Dementia, she feels improvements in care should be implemented.

Susan Weston-Browne (2-year term from 2011)
Susan's great-grandfather was a prominent member of the medical profession and both her mother and grandmother were nurses. Following in their footsteps, Susan was keen to become involved with the Trust with a view to promoting excellent, positive and compassionate healthcare for all local people. She is interested in the potential for alternative healthcare used with trained practitioners, has an interest in the care for the elderly and feels that a Trust which provides physical and mental health care can bring insight to both areas.

London Borough of Newham Representatives

John William Barfield (Second term, 3-year term from 2009)
As a former patient at East Ham Memorial Hospital, John has considerable experience of the work of the Trust which, he says, has enabled him to return, over a period of 2-3 years, to an almost normal way of life. He was a member the Public Patient Involvement Forum for the Trust from 2005 to 2007 and of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health since 1961.  He is a retired senior manager in local government and empathises with the Trust’s staff, many of whom belong to the Trade Union of which he is a life member.

Julie Kennedy (1- year term from 2011)
Julie first became interested in becoming a Governor when she attended a meeting at the Trust. Julie would like to provide a voice for others and ensure that people who do not feel able to express views can be heard through Julie.  Julie has been a resident in Newham for over 10 years, and with the proposed changes taking place over the next few years, Julie feels it is important that mental health services keep up with these changes.

Shannon O’Neill (Second term, 3-year term from 2010)
As a Governor, Shannon has obtained a good understanding of how the Trust runs and the role of a Governor. Shannon has used mental health services for more than half her life and her experience as a service user made her want to get involved in improving the system. Shannon believes that service users should be at the heart of the Trust as they are able to suggest changes based on the care they have received and make a difference. Shannon is Head of Involvement at Mind, and has a good understanding of national developments in mental health and service user involvement. This knowledge can contribute to the development of new initiatives in the Trust and practical skills in involving members.

Chinedu Udonsi (3-year term from 2010)

Chinedu has lived in East London for more than 5 years. He trained as a medical practitioner, but is currently doing charity work within communities and serving as a school governor. Chinedu has a passion to serve his local community. He has witnessed a relative receive treatment in mental health and this has encouraged him to campaign for and raise the profile of mental health and influence the services received by people with mental illnesses.

Manji Patel-Vekaria (3- year term from 2010)
Manji is a Board Member of the Independent Newham Users Forum (Mental Health) and has been associated with them for nearly 10 years. He is also a Member of the Chartered Management Institute and Managing Director of MP Media Services. Manji has gained experience, knowledge and skills whilst working for other voluntary community organisations as a Board Member (e.g. Newham Voluntary Sector Consortium, Drug & Alcohol Service for London, NuSound Radio, Rights & Equalities in Newham, Stratford Advice Arcade, and Theatre Venture) all of which will be invaluable to his role as a Trust Governor.

Edith Weston (2- year term from 2011)
Edith has worked in Newham for the past 10 years providing support for people with learning disabilities and mental illnesses. With changes to the current government health care reform, Edith feels people with learning disabilities and mental health problems are entitled to have a better and farer understanding to their own health needs and feels that all to often they are not being listened to or communicated to properly when accessing services. Edith is keen to help address this issue. Edith feels promoting better health is essential as well as more accessible information for all health care providers and other agencies to increase awareness and better understanding on issues that people with Learning Disabilities and mental health problems and their families/carers experience. Edith has organised and hosted health awareness events at the organisation she works to highlight health inequalities, well being and lifestyle by joint working with the NHS PCT community care navigators for better awareness. 

Malcolm Williamson (Second term, 3-years from 2009)
Malcolm is a retired qualified Social Worker with almost 30 years experience and a recent graduate of a one-year part-time course in Spirituality Religion and Cultural Care of people with mental health problems which was run by the Trust and certificated by the University of East London. As a Governor, he hopes to encourage others to complete this course and to subsequently establish and maintain voluntary community services to support people with mental health problems in their own locality.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets Representatives

Nassar Hosein (3-year term from 2010)
Nassar has experience of mental health difficulties and can identify with some of the challenges faced by service users in their attempt to live as full a life as possible and in receiving appropriate care. He is dedicated to improving the service user experience of the Trust and places emphasis on working relationships between service user and Trust staff. His priority as a Governor is to work with the Trust to ensure service users receive the best possible treatment and support they require to aid their recovery. Nassar is an active member of the Trust's Working Together Group and has also been a mentor and volunteer at the Trust. Nassar is keen to represent the views of Members and in particular those who use Trust services who have yet to receive the benefits that membership has to offer. It is important to him to know that your views are heard.

Faizul Islam (3-year term from 2009)
Dr Islam has been working for the community since childhood and would like to continue throughout his life. He is involved in many voluntary organisations to promote education and community development and has campaigned against many social issues. He has been a School Governor for the last 15 years and was a member of a recently abolished Patient Partnership Involvement Forum and LINK. He is also a full-time carer.  He wants to help improve NHS services and represent the community in decision making processes.

Gordon Joly (2-year term from 2010)
Gordon has a background in Mathematics and Computer Science and this enables him to take an analytical approach to problem solving. He is involved with his housing association (Poplar HARCA) where he is a resident member of the Finance and Audit Board and has also taken part in various other groups at the housing association such as the Diversity Policy Advisory Group. He has attended several training courses including ‘being a Board Member’. As a Governor, Gordon is keen to apply his skills and experience at a strategic level, he is all too aware that a lot of time can be spent concentrating on the smallest details when the emphasis should be about seeking a constructive and creative means to move forward. Gordon is a life member of the Manic Depression Fellowship (since 1985)

Marybel Moore (3-year term from 2009)
Marybel has worked in Tower Hamlets for 47 years in a variety of professional roles, including counselling and supervising for all her working life. She has a deep interest in and knowledge of the Trust as a result of her experience as an inpatient she wishes to take an active part in working for the benefit of those suffering acute distress.  The immediate concerns she has are in the admission and discharge procedures, or lack of them, the regular activities in the wards, and the information available, or not, to patients and their families.

Dinah Morley (Second term, 3-year term from 2010)
Dinah was re-elected in 2010 to serve on the Council of Governors for a second term. Dinah has lived in East London for 37 years and has taught and worked in mental health and social services for much of that time. Dinah was Deputy Director at YoungMinds, the children’s mental health charity, and is currently a visiting lecturer at City University. Dinah has also been involved in local voluntary sector groups, has been a local councillor and was a member of City and East London Health Authority and the Family Practitioner Committee. Dinah is strongly committed to the preservation of mental health across the age range, as well as the development of excellent and appropriate services for those whose mental health is not good. 

Peter Nichol (Second term, 3-year term from 2010)
Peter was re-elected in 2010 for a second term. During his first term as a Governor, Peter has been pro-active and committed. He is a member of several committees which include: Tower Hamlets (TH) Acute Care Forum (in-patient services), T.H. Working Together Group T.H. Community Improvement Group (Co-Chair), Isle of Dogs Community Care Forum (Chair), and Borough-wide Community Care Forum Community services to name a few. Peter is a carer for his wife and is a deputy chair of the Mental Health Carers` Forum at the Carers` Centre and is involved with the Council on matters relating to Carers, including the Health and Wellbeing Checks for Carers. As a Governor, Peter’s main priorities are improving patient environments and communication between carers and staff including increased information to, and involvement of, patients and carers.   

Saleha Bibi Rashid (3-year term from 2010)
Saleha has experience of working with people who suffer from mental health illness and also cares for a family member that suffers from Bipolar Disorder. Saleha works as PALS (Patient Advice Liaison Service) and Complaints Officer for another NHS service, this involves working with the Chief Executive, Directors and Senior Managers. In this role Saleha deals with service users complaints. Saleha has extensive knowledge and skills working with diverse culture issues and understanding of sensitive health related topics in relation to the local community. A key priority for Saleha is for the local community to receive excellent care and always work towards making improvements for service users.

London Borough of Hackney Representatives

Brizlall Boodhoo (2- year term from 2011)
Brizlall Boodhoo is a retried nurse with a great amount of experience in this field. Brizlall has worked as a Charge Nurse, Deputy Ward Manager, Accident & Emergency liaison Nurse and Crisis Team Nurse. He has a certificate in post diplomat in Mental Health Intervention. Brizlall’s past involvement includes being a President, Treasurer of different clubs and more recently he has taken up volunteering. Brizlall is passionate about monitoring, influencing, developing and delivering local NHS and social care services. He is a member of Hackney LINk and participated in ‘Acute Services’ development. Brizlall is a Carer for his daughter who suffers from a mental health illness. He is committed to giving his time to attend meetings and participate actively as a Trust Governor and has many ideas that he feels would help improve services.

Kofoworola Adeolu David (3-year term from 2009)
Amongst other things, Kofo is a husband, local activist and carer.  He feels the greatest asset the Trust has are people with the ability to listen to service users, carers, staff and the greater society with a view to addressing issues realistically. Born into a family of a Christian father and a Muslim mother he understands very well the concept of religious and ethnic tolerance.

His priorities are:

  • Home Treatment improvements.
  • Alleviating the stigma attached to mental health.
  • Helping service users and carers get back into work without penalties.
  • Improvement in hospital wards.
  • Push for single sex wards.

Clarissa Rocke-Caton (Second term, 3- year term from 2010)
Clarissa has worked in the Health Service for thirty six years as a Community Nurse Teacher and as a Midwife. She was the chair person for the Community Patient Forum in Hackney. She was a Vice Chair of the Community Health Council for nine years and has been a carer for many years in her family. Reducing stigma and discrimination and increasing openness and partnership working are some of her priorities as a council member.

Anne-Marie Farrugia (Second term, 3-year term from 2009)
Anne-Marie describes herself as a service user whose experience of health services makes her want to change things. As a Governor, she aims to ensure that service users are treated with respect all the time and that staff receive additional training to learn to communicate better with service users.

Matt Jones (3-year term from 2009)
Matt is a communications specialist who is passionate about mental health services and improving them for service users. He works for a well-known advice charity and previously worked for a health organisation, where his work lobbying Parliamentarians on the recent Mental Health Act developed his understanding of mental health issues.  He hopes to help the Trust communicate effectively with the community and with service users and to ensure the proposed inpatient facility for Hackney delivers for both the local community and for service users.

Stuart Maxwell (Second term, 3-year term from 2010)
in his first tern as a Governor, Stuart campaigned on the issues that were agreed. In particular:

  • Single sex accommodation for in-patients
  • A better deal for carers
  • Improved communication with social services for those receiving treatment in the community

Stuart has represented the Trust at many local, regional and national meetings; he sits on various committees and attends the monthly Trust Board meetings with an aim to hold the Trust management to account.

Stuart has lived in Hackney since 1991 and one of his priorities as a Governor is to help the Trust in communicating about mental health issues with the whole community

Other London Boroughs Representative

Brian Sallery (3-year term from 2010)
Brian is an International Coordinator specialising in the Mental Health needs of young people, helping to fight discrimination against this group of people both in the UK and Internationally. He is very committed to serve the local community and has volunteered as a Street/School Pastor and will be undertaking a part time PhD in the commitment of education towards students with disabilities, including mental health needs. Brian has experience of working in Africa as a Headmaster, which he feels has given him a unique perspective and understanding of social patient needs required to be a governor.

City of London Representative

Gerald Hine (3-year term from 2010)
Gerald was born and educated in East London and has now been living in the City of London for the past 30 years. Gerald’s professional career was in the public sector in education. He has considerable recent experience of the NHS as a patient in both primary care and in specialist Foundation Hospital Trusts in East London and Central London. Gerald has a great awareness of the challenges of mental health service provision from the patient’s perspective through supporting a close family member through a long period of mental illness. As a Governor Gerald would like to ensure

  • Patients come first in all planning decisions
  • Patients and staff are treated with dignity and respect.
  • The range and quality of under-resourced mental health facilities and services are rapidly improved in the City and East London and are protected in the forthcoming ‘cuts’
  • The Trust provides adequately for residents, the local workforce and, where appropriate, visitors
  • Mental health needs and issues are better understood by the wider public and professionals, having special regards to older people, dementia, and the “prevention agenda”

Staff Representatives – Mental Health Services

Ruth Benbow (3- year term from 2010)
Ruth has worked for the NHS for 30 years and at the Trust since its formation in 2000. She has gained a great deal of experience in acute PICU, forensic and rehabilitation settings as well as working at corporate level. Ruth is a member of Unison and has represented members both at individual and branch levels on issues including policy development. Ruth is committed to protecting the interests of staff and believes that the best way to ensure that staffs interests are served is by having a strong collective voice through UNISON.

George Paton (3- year term from 2009)
George has worked as a registered Mental Health Nurse since 1979 and has worked with the Trust since 2001 in Newham and more recently in City & Hackney. George has been involved with Unison since 2004 as a result of the preliminary work involved in the introduction of Agenda for Change and has a keen interest in Trade Union issues. George is keen for Unison to have a strong representation on the Council of Governors and that this representation reflects the views of staff members.

John Peers (Second Term, 3- year term from 2010)
John is a Unison Member and believes it is important for Unison to have representation on the Council of Governors to ensure Unison’s aims and policies are made clear and raised at Council of Governor Meetings, thus ensuring Unison staff member’s views are being heard.

Betsy Scott (2-Year term from 2011)
Betsy has worked for the Trust in its various forms since qualifying as a nurse in 1996 and now works as a Practice Experience Manager supporting student nurses and the staff who support them in practice.

Basseer Somally (Second Term, 3- year term from 2010)
Basseer has worked as a Mental Health Nurse for about 30 years. As a Governor, one of Basseer’s priorities is to contribute to the development of the Trust, assisting the Trust to set high standards of planning for the future and ensuring the Trust is responsive to the needs of the patients and the local community. Basseer would like to provide a voice for staff members and ensure staff views are represented and communicated effectively. Basseer would like to talk with staff to identify examples of good practice and areas of concern and feedback staff views to the Board of Directors as well as promote the work of Staff Governors across the Trust

Uduak Ukpeh (3- year term from 2009)
Uduak Joined the Trust in 1999 and is very much aware of the Trust’s activities and programmes. As a Staff Governor, Uduak would like provide a link between the Council of Governors and staff Membership and protect the interests of staff to ensure they feel supported, valued, have a work environment devoid of fear and receive the necessary training required for their work. Uduak has been a Unison activist for many years representing the interests of staff. Uduak is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the Joint Staff Committee of the Trust. Uduak possesses good communication and managerial skills and has the ability to critically analyse and argue appropriately relevant points from a given piece of Information.

Staff Representatives - Community Health Newham  

Bibi Sajida Khan (2-year term from 2011)
Bibi Sajida Khan has worked in Newham for two years, within the Community Health Newham Directorate. She has lived in East London for 40 years. She is interested in making a difference and being involved in shaping the future of health services within Newham. As well as her own experience of working within the NHS, Bibi has also been an advocate for a close relative who has had mental health difficulties so is aware of the impact it can have. Bibi believes in making your voice heard to try to make a difference to bring about improvements and benefits to staff and patients.

Jenny Noschese (2-year term from 2011)
Jenny has worked as an Occupational Therapist in Newham for 3 years, initially for Social Services and now within the Community Health Newham Directorate.  She has been qualified for 11 years.  Since then she has worked in a variety of settings, including housing, the acute care environment, community rehabilitation services and the social care sector. Outside work, Jenny is an enthusiastic runner and fundraiser and has completed 5 marathons, raising money for much needed voluntary organisations, both locally in East London and for communities in Africa. She has always emphasised the importance of quality care provision for service users and as a Governor would be keen to ensure that they are empowered to share their views, to be independent and have the opportunity to access the necessary service provision at a high standard. 

Appointed Representatives - Partnership Organisation Governors

Will Huxter (Appointed June 2011) East London & the City Commissioning Alliance
Will is the Director of Procurement, Contracting and Performance in the Commissioning Support Service within NHS East London and the Cit, covering City & Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.  In this role, Will is the lead Director for the negotiation and management of the local NHS contract with ELFT, for both mental health and community health services.  He works closely with GP colleagues in the local clinical commissioning groups to support them as they take on responsibility for commissioning these services. Will has experience of commissioning mental health services for a local authority as well as for the NHS, and previously managed a hospital-based neuropsychiatry service.  Will has also commissioned specialist mental health, including prison-based services.

Kolil Miah, (Appointed September 2011) BME Voluntary Organisation, Tower Hamlets
Kolil is currently the Chair of Bangladeshi Mental Health Forum (BMHF) and has been involved in the mental health profession for over 12 years. Kolil previously worked as a Nursing Assistant on an acute mental health ward for over 4 years prior to moving to the voluntary sector to work as a Mental Health Support Worker in Tower Hamlets for the past 8 years. He has lived in Tower Hamlets for 12 years and is now a resident in Newham since 2004. Kolil is a father of 3 children and also a School Governor in Newham for past 2 years serving as the Inclusion Link Governor.  Kolil is also very much involved in serving various community organisations in a voluntary capacity. Kolil is active in football and has been running Abohani Football Club since its origin in 2001 in various capacities, currently serving as the club Secretary. Furthermore, at present he is the Vice Chair at the Bangladesh Football Association, The Referees Secretary at Inner London Football and a qualified football referee and coach.

Virginia Rounding (Appointed December 2011) City Of London
Though Virginia is a City of London Councilman, she actually lives in Hackney and has done so for several years, which is why she was particularly keen to be appointed as a Governor of the East London NHS Foundation Trust.  Her first introduction to the Trust was several years ago, when she was approached one Saturday morning in Hoxton Street Market to sign up to receive regular mailings, and she has been wanting to get more involved ever since.

By profession, Virginia is an author, having written books on Russian and French history, and a writing consultant, working particularly with students to improve their essay-writing techniques.  She also works as Clerk to the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners.  In both these aspects of her life, communication is central, and she aims to bring her skill and experience in communication to bear in her role as a Trust Governor.  Her experience as a service user is related to eye-care rather than mental health, as she is a regular outpatient at Moorfields Eye Hospital, but she believes that many of the same issues apply to the treatment of all users of the NHS: in particular, the need for clear and non-patronising communication, empathy with service users and their carers and, perhaps above all, the importance for health professionals of listening rather than telling.

Stephen Stansfeld (Appointed 2007) Queen Mary University London
Stephen Stansfeld is Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Centre for Psychiatry at Barts and the London, Queen Mary University of London. His research interests include the effects of the physical and social environment on mental health. He has been involved in several studies examining environmental noise and mental health and more recently on noise and children's health and cognition. He was previously Co-Director of the Whitehall II Study and is particularly interested in the psychosocial work environment and social support as predictors of mental health. He is also interested in prevention of mental ill health at work and has co-edited books on psychosocial pathways to coronary heart disease and the impact of the environment on psychiatric disorder.  He is principal investigator of the RELACHS Study, a longitudinal cohort study of adolescent mental health in east London. This multidisciplinary study has explored risk and protective factors for adolescent mental health and what factors convey resilience including educational achievement, social support and cultural identity. In 2009 he carried out a similar study in Cape Town Schools in collaboration with the University of Cape Town. He also works as a consultant psychiatrist in psychiatric rehabilitation in the East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Sahdia Warraich (Appointed 2007) BME Voluntary Organisation, Newham
Sahdia Warraich (Director) has worked and led the Forum for Health and Wellbeing (Previously known as the Black and Ethnic Minority Community Care Forum) for 17 years. The Forum based in Newham, enables local people to have a voice in health and social care planning and it also provides capacity building support to third sector groups in the borough. The Forum primarily aims to work with BME communities although it’s unique as being a BME led organisation working with all communities. The Forum for Health and Wellbeing are currently the Host of the Newham LINk tackling huge health inequalities and improving social care in the Borough. The Forum are the only BME led Host agency of a LINK across the country.
The ground breaking work that has been done over the years led by Sahdia has helped the Forum recently gain HSJ awards for tackling long term health conditions as well as being Capgemini national winners under the prevention category with their partnership work with NHS Newham. These awards were for the Communities of Health initiative which awards local community groups for the work they do to improve people’s health.

Awaiting profiles for:

Bill Turner (Appointed July 2011), London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Charlene Mclean, (Appointed July 2011) London Borough of Newham.