Sally Baines Expand Sally joined the Board of Trustees in 2018 and became Chair of the Board in 2021. Sally has spent more than 35 years in the NHS, initially as a qualified nurse and with 30+ years in Human Resource and Organisational Change roles. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Sally has over 10 years in Board level roles in the NHS in primary care, secondary care, regional, and national NHS organisations. Sally left permanent roles in the NHS in 2017 to develop a portfolio career working on an independent basis providing executive coaching, personal development and senior level HR support to organisations. She has experience of organisational change, leadership development, systems leadership and is a qualified executive coach. "I am passionate about improving the quality of mental health provision and removing the stigma attached to mental health. I have a particular interest in teenage and young adult mental health issues and suicide prevention." Outside of work, Sally spends a lot of time in the Lake District where she enjoys hill walking with her husband and her dog. She also enjoys spending time with her two adult sons, going to the theatre and reading.
George Jenkins Expand George is a qualified accountant with over 25 years of experience in the commercial sector in finance and operational leadership roles. George is currently the Chief Finance Officer at Nescot College, Surrey. "I have a strong interest in mental health and whilst it has always been important the events of the last year have increased its prominence and the need for additional focus. I am delighted to join Mental Health Matters at this time and to support the invaluable work they do which helps so many." Outside of work George enjoys spending time with his wife and family, is interested in most sports, playing tennis, watching football and going on regular dog walks.
Martyn Booth Expand Martyn is an experienced professional covering diverse topics including information security, risk, privacy, governance and digital transformation. Martyn sits on the senior management team at a FTSE 250 company and is an experienced Trustee with another UK charity. Currently completing his MBA at Durham, he wanted to leverage the skillset he has built up over 15 years in consulting and industry to support charities. "I am committed to helping those that need it in any way that I'm most useful". Martyn's hobbies include cycling, tennis, photography, spending time with his family, travelling, cooking and food (in general!)
Jill Lanham Expand Jill joined MHM as a trustee in May 2021. She has extensive experience as a Digital leader at senior and board level across a range of sectors including health, housing, local government and the third sector. Jill is passionate about utilising technology to provide innovative, accessible services for people. She is currently the Director of Digital for an NHS Ambulance Service and led the organisation to be recognised as a Global Digital Exemplar. During her career, Jill has led the delivery of a range of IT and digital transformation services both strategically and operationally. "I am passionate about improving mental health services and removing the stigma which is unfortunately still prevalent. I am delighted to be joining an organisation like MHM and to help to support and build on the great work they do." Outside work she enjoys travel, walking, yoga and food.
Kate Evans Expand Kate works in data and analytics for the UK government. She has led large data and digital transformation programmes to ensure that the UK government has the right data insights to make the best decisions in response to some of our most pressing social problems. Kate has recently completed an Executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics and, with one of her former classmates, has recently founded a social enterprise seeking to use social media and its data to improve the mental wellbeing of teenage girls. I am passionate about doing my bit to help in the invisible global pandemic of mental ill-health. MHM's work is fantastic and desperately needed and I am proud to be on the Board of Trustees. Kate is a single parent and spends much of her spare time jointly exploring whatever interests a young boy (a hamster and two goldfish have recently joined our household.) She also loves art, theatre, and reading.
Dr Carole Kaplan Expand Dr Carole Kaplan is a retired Child Psychiatrist who has continued to work as International Director for CNTW NHS Mental Health Trust in addition to a number of other roles. She is driven by a desire to continuously improve the care offered to everyone, particularly children and young people and their families, who need mental health support and treatment. This work is within the NHS as well as in other organisations both in the UK and internationally. In addition to clinical, academic, and managerial work in the NHS she has served on several National bodies including the Council on Tribunals; NHS Litigation Authority; Advisory Board on Family Law; Family Mediation Standards Board; Voice of the Child, and National Child Contact Centres as well as publishing and teaching widely as an academic. She currently works in the charity sector as a trustee for Research into Practice (Dartington Trust) and joined Mental Health Matters in 2023. She is a Commissioner for the Archbishops' Commission on Families and Households and Relate.
Matthew Atherton Expand Matthew has 21 years' experience in leading business development, marketing, and communications strategy across a diverse range of organisations, including those in the mental healthcare, education, and charity sectors, alongside extensive experience working with the public sector. He spent eight years leading The Priory Group's marketing, communication, and customer contact teams and is currently responsible for business development for a multi-national organisation providing specialist education and care to those with a diagnosis of autism or with social, emotional, or mental health needs. “I am passionate about good communication in mental health, both for those currently accessing services and for the individuals who wish to find out more about it. Reducing stigma and increasing knowledge are essential factors in empowering recovery and MHM plays an important role in making this a reality” Outside of work Matthew spends most of his time with his young family and driving 'Dad's Taxi', with the remainder spent trying to keep up with his younger and considerably faster teammates on a cricket field.