Norfolk and Waveney Mind - Patrons, Ambassadors & Trustees

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Our Trustees

Norfolk and Waveney Mind, as a registered charity exists to fulfil its charitable purposes. Trustees have a responsibility to understand the environment in which the charity is operating in the area of mental health and to lead the charity in fulfilling its purposes as effectively as possible with the resources available.

The board of trustees must be effective and work well together, with shared vision to deliver the purpose of Norfolk and Waveney Mind. A good board involves people who represent a broad spectrum of experience, perspectives and opinions and recognises that there will be disagreement at times, but is able to deal with this and see it as a strength.

Diversity is critical for a board to be effective; enabling varied discussions, active debate and decision making, so that together we can have the greatest impact. We encourage applications from people with lived experience of mental health problems and from all ethnic, socio-economic, religious and professional and personal backgrounds.

Our Trustees are responsible for:

Ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy.
Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document (ie its trust deed, constitution or memorandum and articles of association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its charitable objects (ie the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public.
Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets and scrutinises the impact of the organisation.
Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation.
Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place.
Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation.
Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds.
Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the chief executive (if the charity employs staff).
Leading the organisation towards fully achieving its commitment to a society where everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.

Meet our Trustees

Nikki Gray - Chair of Trustees

Nikki is a Non-Executive Director at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust, where she sits on the Hospital Charity Committee and chairs the Finance, Investments and Performance Committee.

Nikki qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young, before pursuing a career across the financial services and energy sectors, latterly as COO at an insurance start-up in Norwich. She has been the Trustee Treasurer of the Norwich Puppet Theatre and until February 25, was a governor at City College Norwich, a role she held for eight years. Nikki is particularly interested in the wellbeing of young people and the role education can play in achieving and maintaining good mental and physical health.

Nikki holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Birmingham University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Abeku Mensah - Trustee

Abeku Mensah, originally from Ghana, came to the UK as an international student, completing his first undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at The University of Southampton.

His passion for learning and caring for people led him to study Medicine at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. During his medical training, Abeku completed an elective rotation at Little Plumstead Hospital, which ignited his interest in working with individuals suffering from mental health issues, culminating in his specialisation in Psychiatry.

Outside of his professional commitments, Abeku enjoys singing and playing the keyboard. He is enthusiastic about providing support to Norfolk and Waveney Mind, as he believes in the diverse, extensive, and highly valuable work and services they offer in supporting others.

Alastair Roy - Trustee

Alastair Roy retired early from a long career in management in the NHS and has been involved in the third sector for over a decade. As a Chief Executive in the NHS for over 20 years, he managed mental health services and developed a special interest in public health, which informed his passion for tackling health and wellbeing inequalities including poverty.

He is the Chair of Age UK Norwich, and also brings experience from other local charities including Community Action Norfolk, Horizon Health and Break. Alastair has also supported councillors to maintain the standards expected in public life and brings lots of knowledge around governance as well as a passion about the voices and rights of older people.

Originally from Scotland, he has been in Norfolk for more than 50 years and is a longstanding supporter of Norwich City FC.

Nick Francis - Trustee

Nick is a Chartered Accountant, now retired after a career with PwC . This involved advising businesses, from small to global, on their taxes, with a particular focus on technical aspects of UK tax law. He has been a Trustee, and Honorary Treasurer, of the charity since 2017.

Nick says, "My interest in mental health, and my determination to improve the lives of others in Norfolk and Waveney, stems from my own experience of living with poor mental health and the continuous recovery path I journey along. I am lucky; others need more support, and I want to help with that."

Nick lives near Norwich, is a keen and active rower and rowing coach, and like other Trustees, carries the burden of a season ticket at Norwich City!

Graham Goodwin - Trustee

Graham was born in Nottingham and moved to Norfolk in 1965, and so feels he is ‘an adopted son’ of the county. He worked as an accountant in King's Lynn all his working life until September 2016, when he had to take early retirement as a result of kidney failure. He is now making good progress following a kidney transplant in January 2019.

Graham has been a carer for over 40 years and was honoured to become a Trustee of West Norfolk Mind in 2013. Graham is now the Carers Champion on the Board of Trustees at Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

Graham enjoys long walks in his spare time, and has undertaken several half-marathon walks for charity, including one for Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

Graham was appointed Company Secretary in September 2021.

Jules Steed - Trustee

Originally from the Great West Midlands, Jules has lived in Norfolk for the last 30 odd years and is now close to being naturalised. After a brief foray in IT with Marks and Spencer and Norwich Union after university, Jules re-qualified as a solicitor and has been with Mills & Reeve, based primarily in Norwich, ever since. Although an experienced litigation specialist, Jules is usually more keen on finding a way out of or around a problem than taking it to the Court of Appeal, where he has appeared on several occasions acting for a wide variety of landowners in connection with their property related disputes.

In what seems to be increasingly limited spare time Jules dabbles in amateur dramatics and is also an active musician and poet, all of which leaves a vanishingly small amount of time for road cycling and other forms of exercise. Jules' first contact with Mind was fund raising (cycling the Tour de Broads) after the loss of a friend to suicide and he has maintained a close interest in the work of the charity ever since then. Jules is passionate about the need both to reduce the remaining stigma around mental health and to enable positive action to combat its effects on both sufferers and their loved ones.

Namita Matkar - Trustee

Namita is a solicitor, specialising in commercial property law. She is from Norfolk and trained at Mills & Reeve LLP in Norwich in 2012. In 2019, Namita moved to Flagship Group, a not-for-profit social housing provider, where she worked as Head of Commercial Property within the legal team. In January 2025 Namita returned to work for Mills & Reeve.

Namita has also trained as a coach and a mentor and provides support to others in these capacities. Namita also really enjoys teaching and has had a couple of roles in higher education as a law tutor which she does alongside her work as a lawyer.

She’s extremely passionate about the valuable work which Norfolk & Waveney Mind do, and feels her values align with those of the charity. Namita’s keen to provide support to Norfolk and Waveney Mind to enable it to continue to provide effective support to others.

Chris Gribble - Trustee

Chris Gribble became CEO of The Forum Trust, Norwich, in October 2023. The Forum sees over one million visitors each year cross its threshold and supports a year-round programme of events and activities to meet the needs those who live in, work in or visit Norwich and Norfolk. Our programme includes Norwich Science Festival , Norwich Games Festival, Norfolk Makers Festival and Norfolk and Norwich Heritage Open Days. The Forum is Norwich’s landmark Millennium Commission building that, alongside the Forum Trust, houses the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, BBC East, Norwich BID, CAB Norwich a café, restaurant and two galleries and an auditorium. Before taking on this role, Chris was CEO of National Centre for Writing, in which role he led Norwich’s successful bid to become the world’s sixth UNESCO City of Literature and raised £2.2m to create a physical home for NCW at Dragon Hall, in the heart of medieval Norwich. While there, he worked with a wide range of partners locally and nationally using the power of writing, words and stories to support mental wellbeing, social cohesion, place making, community and personal development. Chris also sits on the Boards of Norwich Business Improvement District, Norwich Cultural Compact, Norwich 2040 Vision Board, and the Norfolk and Suffolk Culture Board. He has a PhD in German Philosophy, is training to be a counsellor and volunteers for Samaritans.

Our Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors use their communication and network to help raise funds and awareness for the services we provide to support people’s mental health.

They're a friendly face of the charity in our communities, supporting events, networking and giving talks to raise awareness of our services and inspiring people to support us.

Our Ambassadors are responsible for :

Making introductions to key community figures, groups and networks who could either help with fundraising, campaigns or volunteer themselves, and improving mental health services (e.g. MPs, mayors, WI, golf clubs, rotaries etc.)
Sitting on local advisory boards and engaging in dialogue with local professionals, identifying needs within communities and feeding back to our Board of Trustees.
Attending local functions, meetings and fundraising events.
Speaking on behalf of Norfolk and Waveney Mind at cheque collections and events.
Managing stands at community events, galas, fetes, balls and sports events to inspire support for our services.
Taking part in organised bucket collections and providing support at local events.
Researching and exploring local networks and using existing networks to increase support for the charity.
Introducing our fundraising team to decision makers in local companies and the community.

Meet our Ambassadors

Adam Mason - Ambassador

Adam is General Manager of Bilfinger in Great Yarmouth, having previously spent 12 years with Petrofac. With over 20 years of experience in the Oil, Gas and Energy sectors Adam brings many exciting networking opportunities. In addition he is a qualified coach and mentor which lends well to the skill set required to support us.

In 2018 whilst 1st team manager of Great Yarmouth Town football club, where he was manager for four seasons, Adam embarked on a 55-mile walk to one of the club's away games in Stowmarket raising nearly £5K for Norfolk and Waveney Mind. In 2019 Adam and his co-manager Martyn Sinclair helped launch RED January with a presentation for all local RED January participants.

Born and bred in Caister-On-Sea, Adam has two teenage daughters who are both currently pursuing further education. Adam has remained a continual supporter and promoter of Norfolk and Waveney Mind and will bring enthusiasm and energy to the organisation as well as strong links both on a professional and community basis.

Adam said: “I’m honoured to be representing such an important Charity as an ambassador and will work hard, with others to promote and support fundraising and raise awareness the good name of Norfolk and Waveney Mind.”

Richard Gorrod - Ambassador

Richard Gorrod is a doctor who has worked at the coalface of patient care for over 30 years. He qualified at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine and has been a GP in Norfolk for over 20 years. He has also been training director for Norfolk Accident Rescue Service and a Surgeon Lt Cdr in the Royal Naval Reserve both for many years. He worked in a 15,000 patient practice at Fakenham.

In 2014 he became very ill with depression which knocked him for six for a few years and necessitated him being a psychiatric inpatient for over 4 months. Severely depressed and suicidal for 3-4 years in total, it had a devastating effect on him and his family.

Now passionate about improving mental health care in the county, he regularly lectures to doctors, medical students at the UEA and University of Cambridge, paramedics, physician associates, other healthcare workers and the general public.

He is a fully trained Police Hostage and Crisis Negotiator lecturing to the police nationally.

His particular interests are suicide prevention, self-care and the better integration of physical and mental health.

He is married with three children, two dogs, three cats, fourteen Norfolk Grey chickens and fifteen Indian Runner ducks. Loves football (Norwich City Season Ticket holder) and rugby. Plays the saxophone (badly).

David Alfie Ward - Ambassador

David Alfie Ward is originally from Walthamstow in east London and is a professional stand-up comedian and podcaster. In his time as a comedian David has played some of the biggest comedy clubs around the world, as far as New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

In 2018 David moved to Norfolk after a mental health breakdown and a suicide attempt in London. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has spend the few years learning, understanding his condition and helping others who have been suffering quietly alone. He has featured on TalkSport, BT Sport, and the BBC World Service. As well as promoting his comedy on these platforms he makes sure he can talk about his mental health struggles to make sure others know they are not alone.

In the first lockdown David worried about people’s mental health due to loneliness so he started a virtual coffee club where people could arrange a date and time, grab a tea or coffee and just have a video chat with a comedian. Some were friends, some callers were total strangers from all over the world.

In his spare time David likes to walk his dog George Michael (actually his name). David is a big sports fan and does Tottenham Hotspur podcasting.

David is very passionate and thankful for the services Norfolk and Waveney Mind offer having being on the receiving end of them himself, and he can’t wait to help play his part for such a great organisation.

The Venerable Arthur Hawes - Ambassador

Arthur Hawes retired as Archdeacon of Lincoln and a Canon of Lincoln Cathedral in September 2008. Mental health has always featured in his ministry beginning in 1971 when he was Founder Chairman of the North Worcestershire Association for Mental Health.

From 1976 to 1992 he was Chaplain for the Acute Psychiatric Units in Norwich and from 1986 to 1995 a Mental Health Act Commissioner where he led visiting teams to both Broadmoor and Rampton hospitals and hospitals and Social Service units in East Anglia and North East Thames Regional Health Authorities. He also chaired the Section 57 group of the Commission.

In 1995 he was appointed Chair of the Church of England’s Mental Health Advisory Group and, as a member of the Mission and Public Affairs Council, he has presented two debates in the General Synod of the Church of England on mental health issues. The first debate included the launch of the Parish Pack – Promoting Mental Health: A resource for spiritual and pastoral care.

In 1996 he was appointed a Jubilee Patron of Mind and in 1999 was a member of Mind’s National Reference Group. From 1998-2006 he was a non-executive Director of the Mental Health Trust in Lincolnshire. His particular responsibilities were to chair the Mental Health Act Sub Committee of the Trust and to have a responsibility for managers’ appeals and renewals. His other roles have included being a member of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Policy Committee; Chairman of the East Midlands NIMHE/CSIP Regional Development Centre; a member of the Criminal Justice Mental Health Research Group at Lincoln University; Mental Health Act Adviser and Training Consultant to the Lincolnshire Partnership Trust; a member and co-chairman of the National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum. He was a visiting Fellow of Staffordshire University 2009-13 and was one of the two vice presidents of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality.

In 2016 he was awarded the Archbishop Langton Award for Service to the Community by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He is married to Melanie who trained at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in the City of London and they have four grandchildren. They have now retired to Norfolk where they live in an old farmhouse.

Pauline Davies - Ambassador

Pauline moved to Norfolk over 15 years ago and is looking forward to the opportunity as a Norfolk and Waveney Ambassador to support local services strengthening people's mental health in the region.

As a former school governor, board, and committee member of various organisations, in the charitable, public and professional sectors, she has actively supported initiatives to improve awareness, resources, and effectiveness and created new services or new ways of delivering services.

Professionally she has been involved with the delivery of local mental health services and prior to that had international private, public, and health sectors leadership and management experience.

She has extensive HR, corporate and clinical operations experience with an MBA with HR, employment law, and training qualifications. Currently undertaking post-graduate research into health service workforce issues, she works clinically part-time as a registered nurse.

Chris Rees - Ambassador

Meet our Patrons

Lady Dannatt - Patron

Philippa Dannatt was born into an old Norfolk family. She remains a partner in her family farm. Whilst serving as a military wife she trained as a professional counsellor, formerly volunteering at the Sue Lambert Trust in Norwich to help survivors of abuse.

Lady Dannatt has served as High Sheriff, taking mental health as her theme. She is a Lay Canon of Norwich Cathedral, Vice President of SSAFA and a former Deputy Chair of its Adoption Panel. She is also President of The Army Widows’ Association, President of The Norfolk Club and active Patron of numerous county-based organisations, particularly those involved with mental health.

Lady Dannatt lives in Keswick near Norwich with her husband Richard. They have four married children and eight young grandsons and a granddaughter.

Lady Dannatt was appointed as HM Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk in August 2019.

William Armstrong OBE, LL.D - Patron

Lawyer William Armstrong served for almost two decades as Coroner in Norfolk. He has had a long-standing interest in and passion for mental health issues - practising as a solicitor in the field of mental health law, training other professionals and sitting as a Mental Health Tribunal Judge for 30 years. He was also a Legal Assessor to the General Medical Council.

He has a master's degree in medical law, a postgraduate diploma in mental health law, and has been awarded an honorary doctorate in law by the University of East Anglia.

William Armstrong has taken a leading role in a number of local organisations. He is a past Sheriff of Norwich, the founder Chair of Healthwatch Norfolk and a Lay Canon of Norwich Cathedral.

A Norfolk man, he is married with two daughters, three grandsons and a granddaughter.

Penny Middleditch - Patron

Penny Middleditch MA (Cantab) practised as a solicitor with Linklaters in London before coming to Norwich to join Mills & Reeve in 1986 where she worked on and off for five years before retiring from legal practice to raise her four children.

Between 1993 and 2015 Penny carried out a variety of pro bono work; including tax commissioner, CAB advisor, Samaritan, Responsible Adult (supporting and advising young and vulnerable people when taken into police custody). Penny has also been Chairman, trustee and company secretary for Broadlands Riding for Disabled (specialising in riding for adults with learning and physical disabilities) and Chairman, trustee and company secretary for Great Yarmouth and Waveney Mind before it merged to become part of Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

Penny Middleditch has lived in Catfield, a small Broadland village, for 34 years and has 4 adult children.

Nick Prior - Patron

Mr Nick Prior is an Entrepreneur (Minderful) and Doctor (NHS) who brings experience from a Physics degree, 7,000-mile solo bike ride and the KPMG graduate scheme. He currently splits his time between Core Psychiatry Training & Minderful.

As a Doctor he cares deeply about his clinical work but is acutely aware of the greater potential impact of social enterprise - hence Minderful. He is Norfolk born and bred and cannot wait to start his work as a Patron.

Han Yang Yap - Patron

Mr Han Yang Yap qualified as a solicitor in Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK. He practised at Freshfields before joining Reuters as General Counsel Asia based in Hong Kong.

He actively supports the arts in Norfolk. In 2011, he collaborated with the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in staging one of the highlight events of the Festival that year. He now sits on the Board of Trustees of the Theatre Royal Norwich.

He is also involved in fundraising for his local Parochial Church Council and the Norfolk Churches Trust. He is currently a Deputy Lieutenant.

if you have any queries related to Trustees/Patrons/Ambassadors please contact boardsecretary@norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk

Head Office

50 Sale Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR7 9TP
Tel: 0300 330 5488

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