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• All Board Members
  • Lindsay Burley
  • Lynne Cadenhead
  • Ian Jackson
  • Ali Jarvis
  • Grenville Johnston
  • Neena Mahal
  • Anne McNeill
  • John Mulgrew
  • Elaine Noad
  • Liz Robertson
  • Andrew Thin

Who are you?

As well as my background in careers advice, I have experience in education, equalities work, training and community development work. Through my various roles I was involved in many committees and forums as member or Chair. However, I decided to give up “working full time” to concentrate on spending more time with my two young children. I suppose, for some people, it’s quite unusual to have a Board member who is not in full time paid employment or who has retired. I am often asked what I do in my “day job”. Although I keep my hand in with some freelance training, people do not expect me to say that I am mostly a mum at home with my family.

Why did you want to become a board member?

Having had experience of being on committees I was keen to build on my skills. I felt I could make a contribution to how things work in the health service and wanted to be able to make a difference. I have many family and friends who work in the health service and experience of being a service user. This allowed me to get involved in something that mattered to me. Being able to influence how things are done has always been a huge part of what I enjoy doing whether as a member of a formal committee, community group or school parent council.

What do you bring to the role?

I hope that I bring life experience and a different perspective as someone with a young family. My experience of working with communities and in the equalities field has enabled me to understand the importance of involving people at all levels and understanding that services need to meet different needs of diverse communities. I am able to challenge and ask questions without feeling intimidated although this is a skill I have developed over time by being on the Board and its various sub committees Being able to speak out is crucial to being effective in this role.

What do you get out of it?

It is rewarding to know that I can help make a difference in how things are done and hopefully add value to the work of the Board. Although it can take up a lot of time, I feel I get as much out of it as I put in. Getting to work alongside a wide range of interesting people, the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills through training events and seminars and the ability to combine my family priorities whilst working at a strategic and senior level are all benefits of being on the Board of NHS Lanarkshire.                             

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of applying?

Don’t feel you have to be from a specific background or in a particular job. As long as you are able to speak out, are not afraid to get more information and able to ask questions, it can be a worthwhile and rewarding experience. When applying, treat the process as if you were applying for a job. You need to sell yourself and the contribution you can make!