1 minute read
MARIE DA SILVA BLEASDALE
Marie is one of our Service user and carer governors
I’ve lived with anxiety and depression for most of my adult life. As my mum’s carer from childhood until I was 33, I didn’t have time to think about me.
I didn’t realise during those years that I needed help. It was only when I became unwell, went into Mersey Care services and got help that I began to understand.
All this has made me stronger and now I’m doing things that at one time would have terrified me. Like going to college – I'm dyslexic, so I have to work a lot harder in my studies to keep up. At school I’d have been scared to ask but now nothing scares me.
I’ve become a volunteer reader at my daughter’s school and was on the judging panel at her World Book Day event. I’ve just qualified as a mental health first aider. I’m looking forward to the future.
The idea of being a governor came to me when I went to an Annual General Meeting (AGM). I’m passionate about the work of the Trust and I’m in a service user research group, but I honestly thought no one would vote for me.
We’re looking at how to encourage more people to become members. We need their views to know what they need from us. I’ll challenge the Board view – but in a nice way! They’re doing a really good job; we’re all a team wanting the best for people like me.
To learn more about our Council of Governors, go to merseycare.nhs.uk
COME AND JOIN US
You can contact our governors anytime by Email: MerseycareCoG@merseycare.nhs.uk
Find out more about our membership and governors at: Website: merseycare.nhs.uk.
Phone: 0151 471 2303 or 0151 473 2778
Email: membership@merseycare.nhs.uk
Write to: Alison Bacon, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, V7 Building, Kings Business Park, Prescot, Liverpool L34 1PJ
