Vice Chair
I was born and brought up in North Devon. I have moved around the country with my and my husband’s careers, living in Surrey, West Sussex, and Hampshire and moved to Shropshire to be close to my parents and older sister in 2004. My husband and I are very sociable and I enjoy cooking and entertaining, gardening and needlecraft.
I went to my local comprehensive school in North Devon and then to Surrey University where I met my husband and gained an honours degree in Nursing Studies. I graduated in 1987 worked as a nurse on renal and medical wards and then taught undergraduate nurses at Southampton University before moving into NHS management. In 1989-1990 I undertook a post graduate Diploma in Management Studies at Portsmouth University.
I have held various contracting/commissioning/planning positions in the NHS and in 1998 held my first Director position at Portsmouth Health Authority before becoming Director of Planning for Portsmouth Hospitals and finally Director of Commissioning for Telford and Wrekin PCT/Council. In 2005 my husband and I bought a 28 bed Care Home, Sambrook House, in Shropshire and in 2006 I left the NHS and set up a domiciliary care agency – Supreme Home Care which provides home care in Telford, Shrewsbury and the surrounding areas. In 2023, I sold Supreme Home Care, but continue to be involved in the life of Sambrook House.
I am passionate about older people getting the best ‘deal’ possible in their later life and I try to do this through providing care, influencing both strategic and operational commissioning decisions, and campaigning with older people, and influencing decision takers. I’ve been a Director on the Board of Partners in Care since September 2012 and I joined the Board of Age UK in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin in 2012 and have been the Chair of this local charity since 2017 and a member of the Age UK national campaigning and Influencing committee since 2019.