Bedfordshire and Luton Governors

Fatima is passionate about helping others and has been very active within the Bedfordshire community since 2008 working with different communities and organisations. She is the vice chair of Bedfordshire Women’s Forum since 2009, organising events with various topics and delivering advice and support to local women.  Since 2014 Fatima has been a project manager at the Centre For Youth and Community Development in Bury Park, Luton organising major events, delivering workshops on issues such as Hate crime, Safeguarding, British Values etc. Fatima joined ELFT before she was elected as Councillor on October 2021. Fatima took part on the Big Local Bedford board for a year; to get the area regenerated and consulted local people on to how to spend the money to improve their area. Having the experience and skills of working with people from minority community as well experiencing health issues provides Fatima with the skills to support others.

A firm believer in ELFT’s values, I wish to contribute my skills and enthusiasm towards service improvements for better quality of life and reduced inequalities in our community. 

My career of 5+ years in higher education started as coordinator of outreach activities, improving access to university for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Greater London. Responsibilities of my current role in corporate communications within a large, diverse university include publications, website content, and community relations and stakeholder events.  

Having studied and worked in several countries, I communicate confidently and with cultural sensitivity. I hold a MSc in Corporate and Marketing Communications, an MA in Contemporary Culture, and a BA in Modern Languages. Among other training, I have attended sessions on safeguarding and child protection and understanding mental health issues and how to help.  

Health and duty of care are close to my heart. I believe in equitable, uncomplicated access to ELFT’s services, and in efficient and sustainable integrated services' potential to enhance user and staff experience. As a Governor, I aspire to: 

• Proactively seek suggestions for improvement, e.g. through People Participation, guided by strategic priorities 

• Amplify patients and carers' voices, especially of those harder to reach due to barriers including digital exclusion and poor health 

• Be a critical and kind friend to the Board – diligently considering each matter to provide constructive feedback, without fear of difficult conversations. 

Jamu has lived in Luton for over 40 years. She is a retired qualified dental nurse and also worked part-time with special needs children at a Junior School. Jamu was also a school Governor for three years and on the PTA committee at her children’s school. Jamu is very active, working in various voluntary organisations locally where she has gained an understanding of the social and medical needs of her diverse local community. Jamu wants to represent the views of the public and use her knowledge to ensure she can support ELFT to provide services to meeting the needs of local people.

Jamu Patel is our Deputy Lead Governor as well as a recent (2022) certified Mental Health First Aider.

Recently retired I want to offer to serve in the local community. I am a registered health care professional (SRN, RMN) and a  former university chaplain. I have known of the work of ELFT since moving to Bedford 13 years ago and would like to volunteer to work within the proactive organisation of ELFT. I am an active older person and feel I have experience and knowledge through a range of professional roles that can effectively contribute to the excellent work of ELFT. I am a firm believer in working collaboratively within the organisation and across the sector. In my latest role I have managed, supported, trained and developed a team of paid workers and volunteers - encouraging all in those teams to contribute positively to the overall work of a large organisation. I understand and comprehend issues that can effect a person's mental and physical health through directly working with those suffering, and seeking ongoing support and resolution. I have served on the committee of 'Our Minds Matter - a mental health charity providing education and training for faith communities in Bedfordshire, I am a trustee of both the Bedford Council of Faiths and BRASS - Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker support. 

Having used ELFT’s services, Felicity would like to represent service users to the Council of Governors. Before becoming ill, Felicity worked as a Health Visitor predominantly with ethnic minority families which enabled her to learn about their individual cultures and their needs to access and use the NHS. Felicity is actively involved in ELFT’s People Participation, including the Working Together where she represents service users concerns to senior staff. Felicity is taking a great interest in Community Mental Health Teams transformation, co-production and the plans for a new inpatient mental health unit in Bedford.  

I have been a Radiographer/ Mammographer for 44 years and feel my experience on the front line in both the NHS and the private sector over my career will be useful for being a governor. I have always been a people person and enjoyed my contact and interaction with patients over the years. I am now looking forward to giving something back to the NHS as a governor now that I have retired.

I have lived in Central Bedfordshire for over 20 years and having used ELFT's services. 

I aim to be the voice for the service users and carers that have no voice. I am a firm believer in the service that ELFT provides and delivers to the community. As a Public Governor I aim to ensure that ELFT continues to provide outstanding healthcare to the community and to ensure that the voice of service users and carers are heard.

ELFT is a the forefront of the most progress change being implemented in the NHS at this moment, being involve in QI (Quality Improvement) I would work towards enabling ELFT to "reach beyond the stars".

I am chair of the Residents Forum where I live through which I have empowered the local resident to "be positive about their wellbeing". Since semi-retiring I have worked in the local voluntary sector where I am able to assist and mentor all ages, including teenagers on the DoE Award on being positive and hopeful.

I am a Service User for ELFT’s services and an active member of People Participation, the service user engagement program. I am also an active member for the highly successful Befriending Service, speaking with other Service Users as support each week. 

I have a number of physical and mental health conditions and have been in the system for a number of years. I have 2 children and a grandson. Poor Mental Health runs in my family both up and down the chain, my father and grandfather never spoke about their struggles and I am here to speak up on mine and other Service Users behalf of what is really needed. 

I have experienced a number of challenges with the mental health system and my ultimate aim would be that the right support and the right help is available for everyone at the right time. I regularly speak about the stigma and discrimination around mental health as it prevents people from accessing help in the first place. 

With over 10 years of experience as a Business Process Management, Improvement and Quality Consultant in large UK companies, Suzana actively uses her skills to help improve services across the Trust with focus on service users' experience. She is QI coach in the Trust and was involved in many ELFT’s Quality Improvement projects. For her, daily improvement is a way of living, and in her improvement work she is dedicated and focused on helping to identify and removing various obstacles service users and staff face providing ideas and solutions in order to help them achieve coproduced win-win outcome.  She is also a member of the project group developing and planning new inpatient mental health facility in Bedford. She is passionate about all matters concerning mental health recovery and a better quality of life. To the Council she also brings awareness of the challenges rural landscape of Central Bedfordshire presents to various communities needing services of the Trust.