Patrons and Trustees

Biography

I am an experienced management consultant and a former trained nurse (SRN) with a background in social administration having held senior management positions in the NHS, Social Services, Education, community and health organisations. I am a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) with Diplomas in Social Administration and Personnel Management from the London School of Economics.

I joined the board of Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal in 2011 and in my capacity as a previous Non-Executive Director of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust (GSTT) (1999 – 2007) and a member of the GSTT Council of Governors (2009 -2015) have been an instrumental link between the Mary Seacole Trustees and GSTT, in organising events to raise awareness amongst GSTT Staff and building community support for the statue. I had particular responsibility for organising the unveiling event on 30^th June 2016.

My role with the MST legacy is to champion education programmes that will be of inspiration and support to children and young people in reflecting Mary’s qualities in their own lives and those whom they admire. Added synergies will involve working with the Black Cultural Archives, which I have chaired since 2012, and the Florence Nightingale Museum.

I was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honours list for services to culture.

Biography

I was appointed Chair of the Mary Seacole Trust in June 2025, taking over from Dr Trevor Sterling (Hon.cause), who was Chair of the Trust following its launch in June 2016.

I bring both a deep personal commitment to Mary Seacole’s enduring legacy and a wealth of senior leadership experience in healthcare, education, and national policy.

Mary Seacole’s story has long inspired my own professional nursing journey. As a nurse leader and advocate for equity, her values—compassion, courage, and an unrelenting commitment to justice—mirror the principles that have guided my professional and personal life. My involvement with Mary Seacole and the Trust stemmed from being a previous ambassador and previous to that, discovering her life and legacy through Dame Elizbeth Anionwu and the statue appeal as well as attending relevant events.

Reading and discovering Mary Seacole has been highly meaningful for me as a Black Nurse who recognises that there is variable evidence of Black Nurses legacy in history. Discovering Mary Seacole was significant for me as I could call on her and have a sense of pride that I could lean into and share with the profession and wider society.

Consequently this has enabled me to actively promote her legacy through public speaking, mentoring, media platforms and community engagement. As Chair, I will continue to honour her memory, while strategically building on the Trust’s important work to influence current and future generations.

I bring over 30 years of senior healthcare experience, including my current post as Associate Director of Nursing at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. My leadership has spanned some of the most complex and high-pressure environments in the NHS—acute, community and specialist services. I have held Director-level positions at Whipps Cross Hospital at Barts Health NHS Trust, & the independent sector leading transformational programmes in clinical governance, CQC compliance, and quality improvement. I have a track record of implementing real change—whether enhancing patient safety, leading workforce development, or embedding systems of accountability and transparency.

In parallel, I have operated at national level as Chair of the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer’s Black and Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group (2020–2024), NHS England where I led national dialogue and action around racial equity, workforce wellbeing, and inclusive leadership. I have served on numerous advisory panels and boards, including NHS England, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Royal College of Nursing, and the NHS Race and Health Observatory. These roles have equipped me with a nuanced understanding of governance, policy influence, stakeholder engagement, and public representation—all critical competencies for the Chair position.

I have also consistently used my platform to mentor, coach and support the next generation of healthcare leaders—personally guiding over 200 individuals. I remain committed to creating space for marginalised voices and challenging systems that exclude or disadvantage. These values—mirroring those of Mary Seacole—have earned me recognition across the profession, including an OBE, multiple national leadership awards, CNO Gold award and inclusion in the HSJ’s list of the 50 most influential BME leaders in health.

As Chair, I will build on the impactful chairmanship and legacy of the inaugural chair Dr Trevor Sterling. I will provide the inclusive, strategic and visible leadership needed to take the Mary Seacole Trust into its next chapter. I will work closely with the Board of Trustees to strengthen governance, define clear strategic goals, and ensure that the Trust continues to grow in visibility, impact and sustainability.

With a strong network across health, education, government and the voluntary sector, I am well-positioned to act as an ambassador for the Trust and deepen our influence through meaningful partnerships. My experience chairing meetings, engaging diverse stakeholders, and navigating complex challenges with tact and purpose would serve me well in leading the Board and representing the Trust at national and international levels.

Ultimately, my desire to Chair the Mary Seacole Trust stems from a deep and enduring respect for Mary Seacole’s legacy, and a personal commitment to continuing her work: breaking down barriers, standing up for equity, and creating pathways for others. It is a privilege to lead this organisation and to ensure that Mary’s name and values continue to shine brightly in today’s society both here in the UK and globally.

Biography

Elizabeth G. Pearson is a Ugandan Diaspora Nurse and Lecturer in Nursing. She has recently obtained her master’s degree and her research looked at the retention, integration and role of Diaspora healthcare professionals in strengthening healthcare systems.

Elizabeth qualified as a nurse in 2005 and holds an advanced diploma and a bachelor’s degree in nursing science from the University of Sheffield, UK. She then worked in various capacities in the public, third and independent sectors and gained much experience.

She is the co-founder and Inaugural President of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Association – UK (UNMA-UK). Elizabeth is the former Chairperson of Sidings Community Centre, London (2013 to 2019) and Patch Resource Services trustee (2014 to 2022).

In 2017, she founded the National Health Care Conferences (NHCC) Uganda – the knowledge-sharing platform for nurses and Midwives, a Community Interest Organisation registered in England and Wales as an independent platform to foster training and be recognised for influencing the promotion of nurse specialisation and advancement nationally, continentally, and globally.

At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, as an amateur nurse researcher, she conducted a research survey to assess the nurses’ readiness: how well prepared (Knowledge and Competence), their role in health promotion during the COVID-19 outbreak, and their impact on overall well-being. The preliminary report findings were used to inform the nurse leaders in Uganda to create a think tank group and prioritise advocacy for the frontline health care professionals. She is also then initiated and is co-editor of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Letter (NML). A newsletter first of its kind in Uganda, enacted in April 2020 to bridge the communication gaps from the in-country leadership, provide guidance and support to the frontline healthcare workers, and raise the profession’s profile. It is now in the second edition and is published quarterly.

Until September 2021, she was the operations manager at zone1hearing, an independent hearing care organisation in London. Before that, she played a crucial role in developing the strategic one health initiative at Boots Hearingcare flagship store, ensuring collaborative partnerships with the health care professionals and supplier relationships are flexible in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Elizabeth is passionate about world development and driven to make a difference by helping eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion by promoting and fostering evidence-based practice and knowledge sharing for Low to Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). She is currently looking to publish her research and undertake a study on inequalities in maternal health outcomes in the UK.

Biography

D.O.B 23/08/1964

Commenced Student Nursing in 1983 at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Returned to London in 1987 to work at Mayday Hospital in Croydon on a Breast and Bowel surgical ward. Her interest in Cancer inspired her to take the Cancer Degree at the Royal Marsden for 2 years. She moved to St Georges Hospital in 2000 to take up the role the Macmillan Breast CNS for Oncology and Metastatic Breast patients for 15 years. She has also been involved with Macmillan in their “No one faces cancer alone” campaign which covered a national poster and video for the website.

At present she works as a Breast Screening CNS with the Southwest London Breast Screening Unit. The role is to support the clients, advise GPs and encourage uptake of Breast Screening. The age range is 50 to 71 but encourage ladies over 71 to self-refer. She was involved with NHS England ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ targeting the Black and Ethnic minority groups. To encourage breast awareness amongst the over 70’s with a recommendation to continue breast screenings using local churches social media and radio interviews. The role has a large Health Promotion element to increase the take up of Breast Screening within the health inequalities within the community.

On 5^th July 2023 She was awarded the lifetime achievement for 40 years of Nursing and pastoral care support for International Jamaican Nurses at the NHS Parliamentary Awards. On the same day also went to a reception at 10 Downing Street for the 75^th Anniversary of the NHS.

Charmaine is the President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (UK) NAJ(UK)

are a registered charity supporting individual nurses in hardship and focusing on health and wellbeing in the community in the UK, Jamaica, and other international countries. She has been a member since 1989. www.naj.org.uk

She is also the Secretary for the Mary Seacole Memorial Association which has an annual commemorative service annually in May and maintains the Grave of Mary Seacole in St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green.

Recently she has become the co-vice Chair for the Mary Seacole Trust (MST) that promotes the Mary Seacole Legacy by involving the community. The Mary Seacole Statue was erected in 2016 and stands in the grounds of St Thomas Hospital. MST is leading in Diversity and Leadership skills courses, the Mary Seacole Awards in Nursing, an inspiring the youth section and engaging with school children about their Modern-day Mary Seacole.

Biography

I began my career in journalism working on local newspapers in London. I did a degree in economics and history as a mature student at the London Metropolitan University from 1982-1985, followed by a master’s degree in social policy.

After leaving college I provided professional support for a GLC-funded newspaper written by and for homeless people. Funding was lost when the GLC was abolished and so I moved to a post in the information department at the college lecturers’ union Natfhe.

In 1989, I joined the RCN Publishing Company’s flagship title, Nursing Standard – now the UK’s leading weekly nursing title, becoming Editor in 1998. From 2008-2014, I was Editorial Director with overall responsibility for all RCN Publishing titles and a seat on the Board.

I was Media Adviser with the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal from January 2016 and became a Trustee with MST in February 2017. I chair the MST communications group which is responsible for media and public relations as well as the MST website.

Biography

I am Colonel David Bates ARRC and I have been a Trustee on the board of the former MSMSA and the current MST since October 2015; being elected as the military representative whilst I was serving as Director Army Nursing Services. I have been married to Helen for 30 years and have enjoyed 37 years’ experience as an Army nurse. I have been deployed all round the world gaining a huge awareness of cultures, beliefs, challenges especially inequalities.

More recently I have held every appointment as a board member in the charity sector. I have a passion for military and social history, I see everything through a public health lens and I champion inclusivity whilst countering inequality across the political and socio-economic spectra.

I believe that Mary Seacole is a role model for all, not just care givers, intrepid travellers and entrepreneurs! She demonstrated what people from minority and marginalised communities can do if they have the will. Her links with the Army and her love for soldiers and helping people in adversity provides a direct link to our current Army and more widely, Defence Medical Services and the missions that we find ourselves deployed in.

I am still an Army Reservist at the tender age of 57 and will continue to follow where Mary and others led in the Crimea theatre of operations by maintaining my competence in order to continue bringing my experience to bear in support of this brilliant Trust.

I hope that you are inspired by us and that you find some way to follow in Mary’s footsteps or at least learn lessons from her mission.

Biography

Dr Habib Naqvi has a background in public health, and healthcare policy and strategy development, and is Director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory.

Habib worked on the development of national equality and diversity policy at the Department of Health. He led on the development of the Equality Delivery System for the NHS, the establishment of the NHS Equality and Diversity Council, and led on the health sector’s response to the Ministerial review of the Public Sector Equality Duty.

More recently, Habib was the Director of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard at NHS England, where he also led on the national strategy for this programme. Habib currently sits on several national healthcare advisory groups, and also provides advice to the boards of a numerous public sector organisations.

Habib is the Chair of Knowle Cricket Club in Bristol. He is also a qualified cricket coach and provides coaching, mentoring and sponsorship to youngsters, particularly from deprived areas. Habib is reverse mentor to the NHS Chief Executive, Sir Simon Stevens, and was awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to equality and diversity in the NHS.

Habib is on Twitter: @DrHNaqvi

Biography

Jennifer Caguioa has over three decades of nursing experience working in various roles within the NHS. She started as an adaptation nurse from the Philippines in 1999 at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital. She has worked in the National Health Service for the last 25 years within various specialities including Haematology, Oncology, Research, Practice Development and for more than a decade as Lead Nurse for Vascular Access at King’s College Hospital NHS FT. She is passionate about staff support especially for newly arrived overseas nurses. During the pandemic, this has led to a national role within NHS England. As the first Filipino Chief Nursing Officer’s BAME Nurse Advisor, she worked on the COVID19 Action plan to address its disproportionate impact  on our ethnic minority workforce in the UK. With a special interest in leadership development and advocacy, she was seconded as Head of Global Programmes at Florence Nightingale Foundation and led in the very first delivery of the FNF online leadership development programme which was bespoke for internationally educated nurses and midwives and their first Global scholarship programme.

As International Recruitment and Ethnic Minorities Nurse Advisor at NHSEngland, she led nationally on work related to improving the outcomes and experiences of our international workforce by scoping and strengthening international nursing and midwifery associations (INMAs) and their leaders across England, enhancing their collective voice and influence to impact positive change on the system. She has worked with the National Guardian on raising the profile of our overseas workforce and their challenges on speaking up in their last two national Freedom To Speak Up conferences . She has advisory roles on various Charities such as the Cavell and Mary Seacole Trust and vice chair / founder of Filipino Senior Nurses Alliance, UK. She recently won the London council seat in November 2024 at Royal College of Nursing and serves as  Board Member and Governor to the college. She is currently working as a Senior Clinical Manager at NHS England with a focus on implementing the NHS Long term workforce plan, specifically on attraction and retention of our workforce.

Because of the impact of her advocacy and work, she was included on the New Year’s Honors list  for 2025 where she  will be receiving an award from King Charles as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Nursing.

Biography

I am a Mary Seacole Trustee and Projects Coordinator. I first became involved in the charity when it was the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, working as a volunteer during the final stages of fundraising ahead of the statue unveiling. I was lucky to be present for the unveiling of the statue, which is a day I will never forget. I have gradually learned about Mary’s story through my involvement with the charity and how powerful this can be to promote diversity, fairness and inclusion in society – across all generations.

My role has steadily grown since the Mary Seacole Trust was launched in 2016. Originally a volunteer, I assumed a number of more operational roles, including secretarial and project management responsibilities. I generally monitor the emails coming into the charity, assist with website administration and development, co-ordinate / manage the delivery of key projects and assist with business planning.

I am also a Major Trauma Lawyer at Moore Barlow, having joined the firm in 2012. I act for major trauma clients from the early stages of injury as part of the Signposting Partnerships at both St George’s and King’s College Hospitals in London. I focus on early intervention by seeking to obtain funding for rehabilitation and any other support that my clients may need as well as securing them compensation.

At Moore Barlow, I am also involved in a number of initiatives, including a network that seeks to empower those at the early stages of their career. I am IT Lead for my division and assist in a number of operational aspects and technical projects for my department.

I am proud to be involved in a charity that has such a positive focus and impact on society, which is why I felt incredibly honoured and privileged to be invited to join the Board of Trustees.

Biography

Biography

Joan has over 38 years’ experience as a strategic nurse leader, consultant and educator in community children’s nursing services across London. Joan was an Associate Director for Health Services and Chief Nurse in West London, UK before she retired in 2019 to start her Independent consultancy company offers mentorship, coaching, training and development and career support.

As well as being a Queen’s Nurse and Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute Joan is also Trustee with the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Joan is a much sought after inspirational keynote speaker and is passionate about motivating and challenging people to excel and do well. She enjoys teaching and inspiring people to progress and advance in their careers. Joan facilitates and lead BME leadership and development programmes in several NHS organisations.

Joan is a multi-award winning nurse and received an OBE for services to children and nursing in the Queens’ Birthday honors’ list in 2013, she has a honorary doctorate from Middlesex University. Joan was voted one of the top 50 most influential BME figures in the NHS by the Health Service Journal (HSJ] in 2020 & 2021. Joan received a Woman for Africa Special Recognition Award for Leadership in Healthcare and Nursing Sector in May 2023 in recognition of the medical missions she has led in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda.

Joan has a children’s charity called Rehoboth Community Based Organisation (RCBO) in Nakuru, Kenya, providing education and support for vulnerable children & their families.