GOVERNOR PROFILE
SUE MARTIN
Public governor
As a young person in the 60s I had lots of different jobs. While I was living and working as crew on a horse drawn barge, I met a mental welfare officer and thought ‘this might be the career for me’.
I
decided I’d best get myself some qualifications; that was when I discovered I had dyspraxia. It explained why I’d always struggled at school.
I’ve always found a way to get things done – I’d be ok on a desert island! Yet again I had to learn to do things differently, but I managed to develop skills and gain qualifications, culminating in a PhD in human evolutionary biology. I think neurodiversity is something to be proud of. My husband was studying when we became parents, so I was the breadwinner. At one point we had four children all at different
COME AND
schools – I was glad to see the back of that morning run. Together we have born, fostered, step and adopted children – we have the full set! I’m lucky that my home is my happy place. I love spending time in the charity shop I set up near where I live. It’s like a little community. I’ve been involved in supporting the mental health of local people for 40 years. I was very surprised and thrilled to receive an MBE for my services! It’s good to see that we now understand the impact of trauma in therapy and the need to be compassionate towards yourself.
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Photo: Joel Goodman
I’ve always wanted to speak up for people who don’t have a voice. What do I hope to achieve as a governor? Throughout my life I’ve always wanted to speak up for people who don’t have a voice. I feel ordinary people sometimes don’t get a say. My mum and dad were lovely people, who taught me that you should pass on your luck and your skills. My dad used to say ‘You’re as good as anybody and better than nobody.’ His words have stayed with me ever since. To learn more about our Council of Governors, go to merseycare.nhs.uk
Our 2022 elections will begin soon to fill eight seats on the Council of Governors. If you would like to find out what a governor role involves this information can be found on our website: merseycare.nhs.uk/council-of-governors
Find out more about our membership and governors at: merseycare.nhs.uk. Tel: 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
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