Meet the trustees

Paul Jenkins – Trustee (Chair)

Paul is the Chief Executive of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist mental health trust focused on psychological, social and developmental approaches to understanding and treating emotional disturbance and mental ill health, and to promoting mental health.

Paul was previously the Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, a leading national mental health membership charity working to help those affected by severe mental illness. He has an MBA from Manchester Business School and has over 30 years of experience in management and policy-making in the Central Government and the National Health Service (NHS). He has been involved in the implementation of a number of major national government initiatives and was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2002 for his role in setting up NHS Direct. Paul is Chair of the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network and of the Cavendish Square Group of the London Mental Health Trusts.  He is a Trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Mark Winstanley – Trustee

Mark has been with Rethink Mental Illness for over 30 years in a variety of roles, becoming Chief Executive in February 2014. His previous roles have included Deputy CEO and  various Director positions including Corporate Affairs, Operations (North) and HR.  He has filled several front-line and operational management roles at local, regional and national levels.

Outside the charity he is a current member of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Mental Health Act White paper, a member of the NHS long-term plan Mental Health Steering Group and a Director of the Association of Mental Health Providers. He was also a member of the Mental Health Hospitals and Chair of the working group reviewing the implications on the Mental Health Act on families and carers.

He has also previously held a wide range of public appointments having been Chair of a Primary Care Trust (now Clinical Commissioning Group), Vice Chair of the national patient watchdog, a member of the Mental Health Task Force and Vice-Chair of a Strategic Health Authority.  He is also a past member of the predecessor to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Specialist Training Authority of the Joint Royal Medical Colleges, and a complaints adjudicator for several North-West local authorities.  He remains an independent adviser to the NHS in relation to independent mental health inquiries.

By profession, Mark is a qualified adult education teacher and HR professional, has been a guest lecturer at several universities and a is Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Nick Ward – Trustee

Nick joined Change Mental Health at the end of 2021 to be their new CEO. Previously Nick was the Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland where he led the successful campaigns for mandatory autism training for teachers and for the world’s first autism and learning disability commissioner. He was, before that, a regional director for the education charity Teach First. Nick comes from an education professional background having started his career working as an English teacher in deprived schools in East and South London.

Originally from Dundee, Nick went to Edinburgh University where he studied classics before moving south to London. He spent the next 10 years there working first as a teacher and senior leader in disadvantaged schools before moving into the third sector. He gained a Masters degree from UCL in leadership and was elected as a local authority councillor in Islington. After over a decade in London he returned to Edinburgh to be closer to his family. Nick is a trustee of the charity ‘LGBT Health and Wellbeing,’ a member of the Mental health Commission’s advisory board and an advisor on Police Scotland’s ethical advisory board. Nick is a keen runner, reader of history and an exceptionally mediocre cook.

Alun Thomas – Trustee

Alun has been Adferiad Recovery’s Chief Executive for five years. He has been a registered nurse for over 25 years and has experience of clinical management and project development in the NHS and private sector care industry. For the last 18 years he has been involved in the operational management of voluntary sector mental health services.

Alun has a Masters in Ethics of Social Welfare, and is currently studying for a PHD in Mental Health and Human Rights law. Since becoming Chief Executive, Alun has successfully overseen a 70% increase in the charity’s annual income.

Anne Doherty – Trustee

Anne’s passion over the past 30 years lies with mental health and wellbeing from early intervention and prevention perspectives. Initially qualifying as a Graphic Designer from the National College of Art and Design Dublin, she worked with RTE (Ireland TV and Radio), National Museum of Art and Design and Collaboration North, while also supporting young people at risk through arts initiatives with St John of God and subsequently back home in Belfast with Voluntary Services Belfast and the National Schizophrenia Fellowship.

Anne believes the key to success is partnership, which she has formed with the people she works for and with – most importantly the working relationships formed with those directly affected by mental health needs.

Committed to life-long learning and reflective practice she holds several health care leadership and management qualifications including an MBA and is a Life, Executive, Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach and Coach Supervisor, she is currently engaged in Trauma Studies. Anne has been instrumental in integrating Coaching into health care practice across disciplines and at all levels; actively engaged in the NI personality Disorder Network & The Regional Forensic Advisory Board; and on the Being Open Sub-Group of the Permanent Secretary’s Duty of Candour workstream. Anne is also a non-executive Director of the Human Health Project.

 

Lynn Pawleck – Trustee

Lynn trained as a social worker and managed social services for several years. She was passionate about mental health and took up the opportunity to move to Sefton Social Services in 1997 to manage a joint health and social care mental health team.

Following this, in 1999, Lynn helped to develop partnership working in the NHS, including as Deputy Chief Executive of two Primary Care Trusts.

A period of self-employed management consultancy followed for the next ten years with Lynn undertaking varied roles in the statutory and voluntary sector. These ranged from turnaround in both voluntary and statutory sectors and several roles within children’s commissioning. For two years, Lynn worked for Wigan Council providing assessments for children with special needs, including children suffering from mental ill health. Lynn was also involved in developing a discharge protocol with Alder Hey Children’s hospital to enable children at the end of their lives to choose where to die without having to deal with the bureaucracy that often resulted in it being too late to fulfil the dying child’s wish.  During her period of self-employment, Lynn experienced a wide range of roles and her passion for mental health continued.

Currently, Lynn undertakes voluntary work for the Make a Wish Foundation and cares for her grandson for two to three days each week.

Michelle Griffith-Robinson – Trustee

As a former GB Olympic athlete, for over 15 years, Michelle knows what it takes to ‘reach the top’.

Beyond that, she knows what it’s like to experience life outside elite sport, as a successful businesswoman and mother of three.

Michelle draws on her own experiences to inspire and encourage others in her work as a Motivational Speaker, Lifestyle coach, Personal trainer and Mentor. Michelle works tirelessly as an Ambassador for Women’s Aid, The Menopause Charity, Diabetes UK and L’OCCITANE and is a Patron of the Menopause Mandate.

Over the last 20 years, Michelle’s passion for ‘unlocking the potential of her clients’ has seen her successfully work with many celebrities and corporate companies. She revels in creating a climate of change, to dream big and to achieve beyond your expectations.

Michelle has regularly featured in Hello Magazine around the growing topic of menopause and lifestyle, wellbeing , and spoken several times in Parliament on Diversity and Menopause. In 2022 Michelle was involved in an ‘Abuse is not love’ campaign with Marie Claire, highlighting the red flags in relationships. In July 2023 Michelle was an ambassador on ‘Every Menopause Matters’ campaign for Holland & Barrett which highlighted the importance of the needs for women of colour in Menopause. It is evident to see Michelle’s zest for life and passion when she delivers her motivational talks.