Council of Governors

Steph Holmes

First term: 01/02/2019 to 31/12/2021

Second term: 01/01/2022 to 31/01/2025

Steph was born and educated in Blackburn, but has lived the last half-century in Darwen. Before she retired, Steph had a varied career as an electronics designer, inventor, ICT manager, and teacher/lecturer. She is now heavily involved in the VCFSE sector, starting and running the award winning Chrysalis Transsexual Support Groups, which offer support and advocacy within the many strands of the NHS, the Police and justice system, the education system, and employment services amongst many others, and incorporates a third party hate crime reporting service. Steph is passionate about supporting young people, working closely with children’s services, and sees education as the primary driver towards greater understanding of trans, giving workshops and presentations countrywide to surgeries, hospitals, schools, councils, and more.

Steph's voluntary roles are many and various and include: at Lancashire Constabulary she is Chair of the East IAG and a member of several teams; she sits on the scrutiny panel at the Crown Prosecution Service; is an Associate Lecturer at UCLan; and is a trans policy consultant for education and business. Steph hopes to bring a different perspective to mental health services having been involved as a service user and advocate.

Hamad Saleem

First Term: 01/02/2019 to 31/12/2021

Second Term: 01/01/2022 to 31/01/2025

Hamad was born into a medical family, with his late father being a GP in the area. Hamad is a pharmacologist and studied locally doing his MSc hons in Medical Sciences. He has worked in pharmaceuticals and has worked in the care sector too. He is passionate about health and is a director of a mental health company. He has vast experience in mental health. He is a huge fan of holistic therapies. He wants to revisit old relationships within Lancashire to make a stronger approach to improving the Trust's working partnerships with local resources.

Mohammed Sidat, MBE

First Term: 01/02/2022 to 31/12/2025

Director of Operations, IMO Charity. Mohammed is the founder of the IMO Charity in Blackburn. The IMO Charity was started in 2006 to help support disadvantaged young people and their families in Blackburn. Mohammed was made an MBE in the Queen’s Honours list in 2020 in recognition of his charitable services to the community.

Zacky Hameed 

First Term: 05/01/2023 to 04/01/2026

Bio to follow.

Sadiq Asmal

First Term: 05/01/2023 to 04/01/2026

Sadiq was born in Preston and continue to reside there with my family. Sadiq is happily married with two sons and a daughter and has a strong passion for improving our NHS. In 2015, he worked closely with PMS and helped raise over £38,000 to help buy life-saving equipment for Royal Preston Hospital. He is aiming to develop stronger links between the Trust and the local community, and wants to bring the community together to help address the needs of local hospitals. Sadiq is keen to make use of his previous experiences, such as when he set up and constructed a charity hospital, to help his colleagues in achieving shared goals.

David Hargreaves, Lead Governor

First Term: 01/02/2020 to 04/01/2023

Second Term: 05/01/2023 to 04/01/2026

David was born, raised and educated in Walton-le-Dale, Preston before moving to live in Cottam, Preston with his wife and young family. David is a Senior Executive in a large multi-national engineering company in Lancashire, having started as an apprentice 25 years ago and performing a number of varied engineering and management roles to date. David has also been a small business owner in the local area for many years and more recently has become a business mentor supporting small and medium businesses nationwide.  

Having had several family members utilise the Trust’s community services, David has a keen interest in improving these services within the Lancashire and South Cumbria area. David has a particular interest in the Trust’s digital, transformation and estate planning agendas and believes his experience working in both large corporate industry and small businesses will help him to fulfil his role effectively as an NHS governor.

Peter Higgins

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027 

Peter recently retired from a long career in Director and Chief Executive roles working with doctors and health care professionals to provide the best services to their patients. Most recently he worked with GPs and their practices across Lancashire and Cumbria.

He has worked in all sectors of healthcare, from front line day-to-day services through to specialist regional services, hospital and primary care services, physical and mental health services. In his role as a Governor, Peter would like to encourage and facilitate greater understanding and integration between the professions and between health and care organisations.

Peter has always wanted to champion the cause of people trying to get the healthcare they need, and knows from personal experience with family and friends how complex it is to navigate your way through the various components of the health service and allied agencies. As a Governor, he would like to represent the people of Central Lancashire, feed in their views and represent their interests as the Trust develops its plans for the services it provides.

Claire Hounslea

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Claire was born and raised in Ormskirk and has lived in North Preston for over 25 years.

She has significant healthcare experience in operational and performance management based roles in both the NHS and private healthcare organisations across the North West of England. The role of Governor will provide her with the opportunity to draw on her skills and experience, add value and give something back to the community in which she lives and works.

Claire believes strongly in delivering high quality safe care to patients, whilst recognising that there is a need to drive efficiencies and ensure value for money. Through her role as Governor, she is keen to ensure that there is greater openness and involvement for staff and patients in any proposed service delivery changes.

Anita Murray

First Term: 05/01/2023 to 04/01/2026

Anita was born and raised in Preston leaving for university in West London with a formative year in France both studying and on work placement but it was her UK placement in the oil and gas logistics role that led to her twenty year career, which also included two years working in Norway and visiting many countries for business and leisure.

Whilst in London she was an avid fencer and won the Middlesex novice trophy and university try colours. Since returning to Preston she has been the West Lancashire area manager for a poker league, in which she has won several trophies, and a couple of Badminton ones too.

Her other hobbies include exploring the outdoors walking, hiking and camping. 

Mark Hindle

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Mark lives in East Lancashire and is a Public Governor for East Lancashire. His working career of 45 years was spent working in the NHS. The majority of that time was working within Mental Health services. Mark is focussed on seeing people with Mental Health and Learning Disabilities get the best support they can with the resources available. This includes ensuring that as many people as possible receive treatment in Lancashire and where possible are not transferred out of area.

Sobia Malik

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Sobia was born an brought up in Burnley, where she was a Local Councillor. Currently she's a Lancashire County Councillor representing Burnley Central East. Sobia is a former additional Ofsted inspector and her work in education over the last 20 years has reinforced her commitment to the mental health of young people including those with learning disabilities. Sobia is also a qualified therapeutic councillor. She recognises the social impact of the voluntary sector and runs a charity in Burnley offering welfare rights advice with wellbeing services to people in socially disadvantaged communities. She ensured the charity base was accessed as a vaccination site at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to support our NHS. She is particularly interested in the Trust's transformation, people and wellbeing work and believes her experience in counselling, education and politics, working within communities, will support her LSCft Governor role.

Michael McFarlane

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Bio to follow.

Asher Ayres, Partnership Organisation

Head of Services at Carers N-Compass

Asher is a Senior Manager with over 10 years experience managing in the non-profit sector. Asher's experience includes managing Carers, Mental Health, Heath Training and Health and Wellbeing Services.

Jez Buffin, Higher Education

Deputy Head of the School of Social Work, Care and Community at the University of Central Lancashire.

Jez has a background in law, social work and education and qualified as a social worker in 1991. Jez has worked in the fields of substance misuse, mental health, homelessness and learning disability in both the voluntary and statutory sectors. Since coming to the university (initially on secondment) in 2000, Jez has specialised in using strengths-based, participatory and community engagement methodologies to develop and manage programmes of work with a range of diverse and 'hard to reach' communities including:

• Black and minority ethnic groups
• Faith groups, including Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist groups
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Roma people
• Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered groups
• Travellers
• Older people
• Offenders
• Mental health service users
• Substance misusers
• People with learning disabilities

Jez has managed several large scale national programmes of work on behalf of the Department of Health and the Home Office, and has worked with regulatory bodies including the Care Quality Commission and the General Medical Council.

Vicky Shepherd, Public Health and Wellbeing

Chief Executive at Age UK Blackburn with Darwen

Vicky's career to date has been spent in the voluntary sector starting in community development. Vicky has over 20 years’ experience of developing, delivering and managing services for older people at a local and regional level and currently chairs the Age UK National Network Services Development Committee focusing on quality, innovation and collaboration. Vicky represents the voluntary sector on a number of strategic boards including the Safeguarding Board, Health and Wellbeing Board and within the Pennine Lancashire Integrated Care Partnership structures. Vicky is also a trustee of two other local charities which focus on supporting people in the community with additional support needs.

Sue Whittam, Public Health and Wellbeing

County Councillor at Lancashire County Council

Sue lives in Fulwood and is married with two children, two step-children and three springer spaniels. 

Sue's background is in Local Government having spent 28 years working for Lancashire County Council and the Environment Agency. Sue is a member of Preston City Council and Lancashire County Councillor for Preston Rural Division (Lead Member for Health).

Steven Gratrix

Second Term: 22/05/2023 to 21/05/2026

Bio to follow.

Dr Jill Hemmington

First Term: 08/01/2024 - 07/01/2027

Jill was born and grew up in Burnley and she now lives in North Lancashire. She is the course leader for Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) qualifying and post-qualifying training at UCLan and she continues to practice as an AMHP. Jill is also a Quality and Education Inspector (AMHP and BIA) with Social Work England and Specialist Member to the First Tier Mental Health Tribunal where she sits on appeals against detention under the Mental Health Act.

Jill has completed a PhD with research involving power, communication and shared decision-making in Mental Health assessments. She is a keen advocate of co-produced research, relational approaches and allyship with people with lived experience of mental distress. Jill is also a Trustee of ISPS (International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis) UK.

Natallia Robertson

First Term: 08/01/2024 - 07/01/2027

Bio to follow.

Sue Denford

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Bio to follow.

Colin Ranshaw

First Term: 01/02/2022 to 31/01/2025

Colin was a registered Pharmacist for 40 years and worked in both Hospital and Community Pharmacies also within Academia and the Pharmaceutical Industry. Colin has been involved at senior level with many major NHS changes in my previous roles as a Hospital Consultant Pharmacist, Chairman of the Welsh Executive and Council Member of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Colin has chaired professional organisations and working committees at Local and National levels.

Colin is currently the Chairman of South Lakeland Hydrotherapy Ltd (Sandgate Hydrotherapy Pool, Kendal) and has been a Trustee of Cumbria County Volunteering Services for over five years (presently Deputy Chairman). Colin was a Public Governor at Cumbria Partnership NHS FT and whilst at University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS FT held the role of Deputy Head Governor and subsequently Head Governor.

Outside of ‘Health’ Colin is a Trustee of Stricklandgate House Trust, South Lakes Citizens Advice and Sunderland University Alumni where he was Chairman of the University of Sunderland Students’ Union (2014-2019) and held an appointment as an Honorary Professor at the School of Pharmacy at Nottingham University (2014-18).

Colin was honoured with the award of Fellowship of the University of Sunderland in 2019 (his alma mater).

Mark Wilson

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Mark Wilson was previously a Headteacher and Social Support Worker. In 2013, he was elected as County Councillor for his local area. He then became a Governor of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in order to gain more knowledge in relation to the factors that affect all of his residents. As a Governor of Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Mark is enthusiastic about NHS and healthcare developments which have occurred since the pandemic and is looking forward to the new age of digital health.

Candace Bedu-Mensah, Corporate Services Constituency 

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Bio to follow. 

Joseph Cawley, Nursing Professions and Support Staff Constituency

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Bio to follow.

Angela Layton, Administrative and Clerical Constituency
First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Angela has worked for the NHS in the area of Mental Health for over 10 years, and over 3 years as a Medical Secretary here at LSCft. Previously Angela was an IT Office Manager at the University of Manchester and previously worked for the Head of Faculty Administration within the senior leadership team. Angela recently completed the BA (Hons) in Psychological Studies with the Open University and joined a local choir. Angela is married and has two grown up children.

Angela has vast experience of working within Mental Health inpatient settings and believes this understanding of patient experience will help her fulfil the role of Staff Governor, working alongside colleagues.

Justin Ponnamdanthil, Nursing Professions and Support Staff Constituency

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Bio to follow.

Emily Richardson, Nursing Professions and Support Staff Constituency

First Term: 05/01/2023 to 04/01/2026

Emily is from the Lancaster area and works in Chorley as a Mental Health Nurse, managing a female acute ward. Emily is passionate about improving patient care and ensuring that the team delivers compassionate care.

Emily loves to be involved in quality improvement work and champions this within the team. Emily has an interest in the Governor role and she is keen to represent the views of frontline nursing staff and to ensure that the patient's voice is heard and represented in organisational discussions.

Selina Toussaint-Peterson

First Term: 08/01/2024 to 07/01/2027

Selina works as a CBT Therapist and Equality Diversity, Inclusion and BAME champion for the Trust, roles which involve seeing and hearing the challenges met by both staff and patients. Making positive changes within the Trust is a value she strives to achieve for both patients and staff.

Lancashire is Selina’s home county and over the years she has lived and worked in both England and Canada. This has provided her with a multicultural perspective around race, religion, neurodiversity needs and the importance of respecting cultural values.

As part of the second generation of black people to be born in Lancashire, Selina understands the challenges of diaspora, immigrant people and being part of the working class. Taking part in local community activities such as youth clubs, BAME communities events and being a buddy keeps Lancashire close to her heart. 

Having worked in the NHS for over 13 years within various roles, she has lived experience of delivering inpatient and community care within both physical and mental health. She embraces any opportunity and takes part in board meetings, interviews, Trust talks, CPDs and mentoring programs. As a dyslexic, black woman working in Lancashire Selina believes she can bring an alternative perspective to building a more inclusive Trust for all. Her goals as a Governor are learning and making change.

1x Staff Governor vacancy, Medical Staff Constituency