
Major trauma lawyer Dr Trevor Sterling (Hon.causa) has been made a Life Patron of the Mary Seacole Trust as he stands down after nine years as Chair of the charity that promotes the legacy of the Scottish/Jamaican nurse who went to the Crimean War under her own steam in the 19th century.
Presenting the honour to Dr Sterling, fellow Trustee Jermaine Sterling, who was also retiring from the Board, said Dr Sterling stands for ‘justice, equality and representation’, adding “He is not just a Chair, he is a force”. As a result of his leadership, Mary Seacole’s name is now widely celebrated with thousands of school children and adults having been introduced to Mary as an inspiration and role model, someone who overcame racism and sexism to get to the battlefields where she provided support for soldiers so far from home.
Dr Sterling became Chair shortly after the statue of Mary Seacole, the first to a named black woman in the UK, was unveiled in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster in June 2016. The statue came about because of fundraising by the charity, previously known as the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.
Dr Sterling ‘s next project is the launch of the Be the Ladder Foundation that aims to “elevate and empower’ children from low socio-economic backgrounds.
As he handed over to the new MST Chair, distinguished nurse Felicia Kwaku OBE, Dr (H.C) Hon, Dr Sterling said the Trust had enabled Mary to walk down from the plinth and into the real world through a variety of MST projects designed to ensure that she was heard and remembered.
The changes were announced at an event to celebrate Mary Seacole’s legacy, held in London last week. Among the speakers were Jamaican High Commissioner Alexander Williams, and Baroness Floella Benjamin who unveiled the statue in 2016.
Photographs of the event will shortly be uploaded to the Gallery page, which can be found here.