Service Users Forum: Help shape our services by joining our service user forum and let us know how we can improve - Find out more
Service Users Forum: Help shape our services by joining our service user forum and let us know how we can improve - Find out more
Meet the senior leaders promoting trust and confidence through excellence.
Sally joins the organisation after 15 years at the YMCA as Development Director. Whilst at the YMCA, Sally championed the needs of the local communities, developing new services and facilities to ensure local children, young people and families can connect with others, access relevant programmes and realise their potential.
Robert has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over a decade, specialising in fundraising, communications, marketing, and events. He’s passionate about stakeholder engagement and helping advance organisations forward through mutually beneficial relationships. He has an MBA, is a Chartered Manager, a Fellow of the CMI, and a Member of CIPR.
In his current role he oversees income generation including fundraising, external communications, PR, marketing, workplace wellbeing training and IT.
Outside of work, Robert is Co-Chair of The Crescent Primary School, a Trustee at Eastleigh Youth and Community Trust, and has a passion for theatre, running, and theme parks.
Sarah has over 17 years’ experience in the voluntary sector, including 8 years as a frontline worker at Solent Mind. Since leaving in 2015 she’s taken a range of roles at Citizens Advice, most recently managing the Advice in Southampton Partnership, and returning to Solent Mind in 2023 as Director of Quality. Sarah’s frontline experience is complemented by a scientific background and her own lived experience of mental health issues, bringing a unique perspective to delivering excellence in our services.
Sarah oversees service quality, evaluation and impact, research, and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Clare has worked in the voluntary sector for over 20 years, and originally joined Solent Mind as a Peer Support Worker in 2015 drawing on her own lived experience to develop opportunities for people with mental health issues to support one another.
In her current role as Acting Director of Services she oversees a number of our services, ensuring ongoing development and alignment with our values. As a mum of 4 and Nan to a young grandchild most of her time away from work is spent with family, who all enjoy being outside and making the most of the local area in Southampton.
Sue has come to share her knowledge and experience of People, Culture and Change from her many years delivering organisational change, project and technical HR experience across a range of corporate sectors. Sue’s career started by qualifying as a solicitor but she stepped away due to a mental health diagnosis and retrained and qualified in HR over 25 years ago. She has her MCIPD and is licenced to deliver MBTI training and to use ProSci Change Management techniques. She is now bringing her strategic thinking to the Senior Management Team and will act as an agent of cultural strategic change.
She stepped away from full time work in 2018 to care for her late father and volunteered for Canine Partners as a Puppy Parent and is now a fosterer for them as required. The next logical step was to join all the dots and bring her whole self to Solent Mind marrying up the lived experience, the HR and legal knowledge with the passion for Pro-People culture in a wellbeing way.
Outside of the office Sue can be found walking her dog Bumble and doing all things horticultural; she’s either in her garden, other people’s gardens, building show gardens, running a school gardening club and is actively involved in local and national horticultural societies
Debbie has worked in the private and public sector for over 30 years working in a number of business sectors. After a career break, Debbie joined Solent Mind in September 2021 hoping to use her experience as an Executive Assistant at Senior Management Team and Board level to use within the current role.
In her current role as Executive Assistant she helps to oversee the Solent Mind Board meetings; Mayfield Nurseries Board meetings; People & Quality sub-committee meetings; Finance Information Risk & Compliance sub-committee meetings; Business Development sub-committee meetings; Leadership Management meetings; Senior Management Team meetings along with extensive work for the CEO of Solent Mind. As a Mum of 2, enjoy spending time outside of work with family, walking the dog in the New Forest area.
Linked area: Oversight of all areas.Email: JWilderspin@solentmind.org.ukJohn is a leadership coach and independent consultant working in the health and care sector. He previously worked in the NHS running hospitals, community services and commissioning organisations, and leading a number of national programmes. He has a particular interest in partnership working; ensuring that different organisations work together to provide excellent, integrated services for the people they serve. He is a member of the Governing Board of Treloars, a Hampshire charity which runs a school and college for profoundly disabled young people. “I know the impact that mental ill-health can have, from my professional life, but also from personal experience. I am looking forward to working with colleagues in Solent Mind to make a positive difference to people with mental health issues. I really like the way that Solent Mind uses the skills and insights of people with experience of mental ill-health to deliver services and provide practical support, and how it works with other organisations to deliver a personalised, integrated service” |
Additional Role: Chair of the Finance, Information, Risk and Compliance subcommittee, Treasurer of Mayfield Nurseries
Email: RGoater@solentmind.org.uk
Robin was born in Southampton and lived in Hampshire until leaving university. He then worked as an accountant in local government for many years within West Yorkshire, with the last two roles as Chief Accountant in Calderdale then Kirklees Councils.
After moving to Birmingham he worked in the Charity Sector including as Finance Director at Birmingham Mind.
After moving back to Hampshire, he is now using his financial skills and experience in volunteer and trustee roles across a number of charities in Winchester, Hampshire and beyond, including our social enterprise project, Mayfield Nurseries.
Email: RPullen@solentmind.org.uk
Richard has over 35 years’ experience in commercial property having qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1982. He was a founding Director of Palmer Fry Commercial Property Consultants, leading a management buy-out of a business from Royal Insurance. He was Finance Director and Lead Director of the business, involved with the acquisition of four businesses and the eventual merger of the business with the larger Goadsby & Harding Group in 2005 where he was Director of Investments.
He has run his own commercial property consultancy, Pullen Associates for over 10 years, which specialises in providing regional consultancy and agency services to pension funds, property companies, private individuals and occupying businesses. For about 10 years until 2020, he was a trustee of Mayfield Nurseries, during which time he was Chair of the Trustees.
Workstream: Campaigning & Influencing
Email: RPoyner@solentmind.org.uk
Additional role: Chair of the Business Development Subcommittee
Email: HShakoor@solentmind.org.uk
Haseeb is a Senior Commercial Manager currently working for NATS. He grew up in the Greater Manchester area, before studying Aerospace Engineering at Sheffield University. Since leaving university Haseeb has worked for several companies in the Aerospace & Engineering industry with a primary focus on business development and competitive tendering processes.
He takes a keen interest in mental health issues with personal experience of the impact it can have on lives. Haseeb is pleased to be given the opportunity to support Solent Mind as a trustee and is looking forward to working with colleagues to help raise awareness and make a positive impact on people living with mental health issues. Haseeb now lives in Whiteley with his wife and 2 young children.
Additional Roles: Chair of the People & Quality Subcommittee, Safeguarding lead
Email: GGeorge@solentmind.org.uk
Gareth has been a Police Officer for 28 years, starting his career with Hampshire Constabulary. He has worked in various roles as a detective and witnessed the impact mental health and wellbeing has within the emergency services and criminal justice system. 15 years ago, Gareth transferred to national organisations; the National Crime Squad, Serious Organised Crime Agency and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Gareth is currently a Branch Commander for CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection). CEOP is the UK's lead organisation dedicated to tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation. Gareth has always been a strong advocate for the awareness of mental health and is honoured to support Solent Mind.
Email: DVine@solentmind.org.uk
Denise has worked in local government for over 30 years, mostly in supporting economic development. She has been involved in many major regeneration projects and exciting new developments. In her current role, as Group Head of Economy at Arun District Council, she is responsible for business, town centre & tourism support, development implementation of major regeneration projects, securing external funding and maintaining strategic partnerships.
She has led on the delivery of publicly funded employment programmes to help those facing the greatest barriers to work. She is aware of how important employment is to maintaining self-esteem and good mental health. Due to close family caring responsibilities, Denise also has an extensive understanding of the mental health system and the availability of appropriate care. It is this personal lived experience that has prompted Denise to join Solent Mind and to support them to provide ever better services to the community.
Email: LRobins@solentmind.org.uk
Lucy is a chartered surveyor and spent the first half of her career working on planning and development projects throughout the UK, initially for commercial and local authority clients and later for the Ministry of Defence. She then spent 16 years working in boarding schools, which were also charities, where she managed the finances and a wide range of estate and infrastructure projects as well as leading support services and commercial operations. Having led large teams, Lucy understands the importance of employee wellbeing, believing a supportive culture is vital to an organisation’s success. She is delighted to be able to use her skills and experience to support Solent Mind
Email: SWickes@solentmind.org.uk
Simon is Chief Operating Officer at Truu, a digital health start-up; and founded Cynapse, a boutique business consultancy advising in business strategy and innovation across SMEs and multinationals. He is also a Non-Executive Director at an NHS GP Federation in Surrey.
He grew up in the Solent region and returned to the area just over ten years ago. Since returning he has been involved with several charities and fundraising activities and coaching youth rugby at a local rugby club.
Simon has personal experience of how important mental health is and its impact on the lives of individuals and their loved ones. He is excited to help raise awareness of the importance of mental health across the region.
Email: HFuge@solentmind.org.uk
Helen has experience in both the public and private sectors and currently works as Head of Talent and HR Support for NATS. Her career has centred on the support for others and she spent over 14 years in Higher Education supporting Students, most recently as an Assistant Director for Student Services at Southampton University.
Helen has a real passion to support Solent Mind due to family caring responsibilities and is driven to support the access points and provision of Mental Health support.
Email: NSahota@solentmind.org.uk
Born and raised in Southampton, Neil is a passionate member of the local community with a strong focus on dedicating his time to help others. With a refreshing perspective and forward thinking ideas, Neil hopes to encourage people of all ages and ethnicities to reach out and feel more confident in receiving mental health support when required.
Email: FQuayle@solentmind.org.uk
Fay has over 30 years communications, PR and marketing experience in the private, public and voluntary sectors. She has a postgrad certificate in strategic communications, gained whilst being an end of life carer.
Fay launched her own PR company in 2011, spending the last 10 years working freelance. In 2020 she joined the NHS as the first Head of Communications for their new People Directorate supporting all 1.3m staff. She is an active member of the Chartered Institute of PR, the Institute of Directors (Hampshire) and Women on Board.
When not working, Fay has a large wildlife garden where she spends time practising mindfulness to support her own mental health.
Additional Role: Chair of the Finance, Information, Risk and Compliance subcommittee
Email: RGoater@solentmind.org.uk
Robin was born in Southampton and lived in Hampshire until leaving university. He then worked as an accountant in local government for many years within West Yorkshire, with the last two roles as Chief Accountant in Calderdale then Kirklees Councils.
After moving to Birmingham he worked in the Charity Sector including as Finance Director at Birmingham Mind.
After moving back to Hampshire, he is now using his financial skills and experience in volunteer and trustee roles across a number of charities in Winchester, Hampshire and beyond, including our social enterprise project, Mayfield Nurseries.
Email: DCarroll@solentmind.org.uk
Debbie Carroll is a garden designer with a passion for nature and understands the role of gardens in supporting well-being. She is experienced in designing gardens for both domestic settings and within care environments. Her experience in designing for care settings lead to an extensive research project to understand what makes for meaningful and active engagement outside for residents living in care, particularly for those living with dementia. Living locally to Mayfield Nurseries she has supported their work for many years in a range of ways though personally she loves nothing better than an excuse to pop in for a chat and to shop for plants for her own garden.
Email: ARahman@solentmind.org.uk
Aysha is an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Adviser at the University of Southampton. She has worked in a variety of work areas, including education, youth justice, charity, and voluntary organisations. She played a key role in the University's success in becoming the first University to achieve Disability Confident Leader status and renewing it. Aysha has a very strong interest in disability equality, in particular "hidden disabilities". She believes that we can all make a difference in breaking the stigma attached to mental health which prevents people from seeking help early on. She has personal experience and supports family members and friends with their mental health and wellbeing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going for long walks and gardening.
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