The MMHA Everyone’s Business Campaign is pleased to welcome 3 new part-time team members, Joanne, Paul and Tom, who will be leading campaign activities in the devolved nations.
Joanne Smith joins us as the Scotland Everyone’s Business Coordinator (2 days per week), seconded from NSPCC Scotland, where she leads the organisation’s work on mental health. Joanne brings a wealth of experience in children’s policy in Scotland following over a decade as a parliamentary researcher at both Westminster and Holyrood. She has a particular interest in infant and perinatal mental health and the application of evidence based practice across all tiers of health care to ensure every child has the best possible start in life.
Paul Gauci joins on secondment from the National Centre for Mental Health at University of Cardiff as the Wales Everyone’s Business Coordinator (1 day per week). Paul has been leading a small team supporting researchers to communicate their research to a variety of audiences. He brings a wealth of expertise in public engagement and digital communications, as well as a strong desire to help improve the provision of perinatal mental health services in Wales.
Tom McEneaney is our Northern Ireland Everyone’s Business Coordinator (1 day per week), seconded from Aware, the national depression charity in NI. Tom brings expertise gained over 30 years of clinical and management experience as a mental health professional working within the Belfast Trust area. He worked closely with the Everyone’s Business team to pilot the idea of a Devolved Nations Coordinator (during the final year of the previous Comic Relief grant) and it is wonderful to be able to formalise his position in the team now.
We look forward to working with new team members to Turn the UK Map Green so that vital specialist perinatal mental health services become available throughout the UK and that women and families in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland – as well as in England – do not continue to be let down by a shocking post-code lottery, the tragic human and financial costs of which can no longer be ignored.