As well as being chair of our trustees, Steven Michael held the position of Chief Executive of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT between 2007 and March 2016. Steven started his career as a registered nurse in 1985, and has since held many prestigious management and leadership roles within the healthcare sector leading to an OBE for services to the sector in 2014.
Peter is a renowned leader and innovator across a range of Local Government Services and was the leader of Wakefield Council for many years. He has also been the Chair of Various Committees and Trusts and a Probate and Trust Lawyer until he retired in 2005. Peter was awarded a CBE for his services to local government in 2010.
Jayne started her career in sales and marketing, initially in the commercial sector. Subsequently, she has worked across a range of public sector organisations, with a significant period of time spent in the local and national NHS. Her last assignment was with NHS England where she was heavily involved with the introduction of social prescribing within primary care.
Recently retired, Jayne became a trustee of (Spectrum) people where she’s able to see at first hand the difference that social prescribing can make to people’s lives.
Ade is an advocate for mental health and wellbeing, deeply passionate about enhancing the lives of others through community engagement. As a long-term member of Appletree Community Garden, he has found that nurturing the garden not only supports his own mental health but also empowers him to assist others in their journeys. His connection to the garden has sparked a love for art, and he has since become a local artist, facilitating art sessions that inspire and uplift fellow community members, fostering a sense of connection and creativity within and beyond the garden space.
A local elected councillor within the Wakefield District since 2022, he has an extensive experience in Community engagement work. He has experience of sitting on various advisory groups and scrutiny panels. He has a real passion for the voluntary community sector. “I am proud to play a part as a trustee of Spectrum People who do so much valuable work in our local communities”.
After a 30 year career in the NHS, including at Board level, Andrew now holds a portfolio which includes Hospice Finance Director and Business Owner supporting a range of local and national projects. Andrew is a qualified accountant and is the Charity Treasurer. Andrew said “I am grateful to our Board of Trustees, our staff and our volunteers for showing what can be achieved in the local area through sheer dedication, energy and inspiration. This is the community that I live in and I am proud to play a small part in delivering some of our fabulous projects.”
Linda is the founding Chief Executive of Spectrum Community Health CIC. She is a founding trustee of Spectrum People. She is also the Executive Chair of SLD Training, also part of the Spectrum family.
Linda is a board member and workforce lead for Wakefield District Health & Care Partnership and plays an active role in the regional West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.
A former Wakefield GP, Linda has championed the needs of vulnerable people for over 15 years. She is a passionate advocate for patient centred, values based services, with an interest in health inclusion, system change, substance misuse recovery and workforce wellbeing. Linda was awarded an OBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours for services to the NHS.
Ros is Creative Network Manager at Wakefield Council and a Trustee of Spectrum People. In her early career she embarked on an academic research pathway but life had other plans and she pivoted to a career in the Creative & Cultural Sector. She has spent time at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Culture Consortium and Cinema for All and more recently discovering the extraordinary and inspirational creative people and places of Wakefield District. Ros is passionate about supporting the creative sector to thrive and believes it can be a dynamic force for positive social change.
Ros leads on network development and sector support for Creative Wakefield, a wide-reaching partnership network and Cultural Compact. You can contact her via: creativewakefield@wakefield.gov.uk
Barry is an experienced freelance interdisciplinary social researcher and consultant and former Director of the Just Futures Research Centre at the University of Huddersfield. As a recently retired Professor he has over 30 years’ experience working across the Childhood, Youth, Social Policy, and Health sector. He has expertise in community engagement, coproduction, participatory action research and whole system inquiry approaches to learning and change in communities and public sector services.
Barry brings a long history of research experience to the charity including contributions to thinking and practice concerning the participation and involvement of children and young people in research and decision making and is the UK Director of the UNESCO supported Growing up in Cities project. He has worked in partnership with Creative Minds (hosted by SWYPFT) for 12 years to champion the development of non-medical, creative and community-based approaches to support people to live well. It is through recognising the efficacy of these approaches that he has committed to supporting the work of Spectrum People.
As well as being chair of our trustees, Steven Michael held the position of Chief Executive of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT between 2007 and March 2016. Steven started his career as a registered nurse in 1985, and has since held many prestigious management and leadership roles within the healthcare sector leading to an OBE for services to the sector in 2014.
After a 30 year career in the NHS, including at Board level, Andrew now holds a portfolio which includes Hospice Finance Director and Business Owner supporting a range of local and national projects. Andrew is a qualified accountant and is the Charity Treasurer. Andrew said “I am grateful to our Board of Trustees, our staff and our volunteers for showing what can be achieved in the local area through sheer dedication, energy and inspiration. This is the community that I live in and I am proud to play a small part in delivering some of our fabulous projects.”
Originally working as an electronic engineer in the defence sector, Dick has spent most of his working life in the third sector. There, he has worked as a producer, trainer, and manager in the media, and latterly in PR and communication. He also has experience working cross-culturally in the developing world. Dick is currently chair of the Wakefield District City of Sanctuary.
Linda is the founding Chief Executive of Spectrum Community Health CIC. She is a founding trustee of Spectrum People. She is also the Executive Chair of SLD Training, also part of the Spectrum family.
Linda is a board member and workforce lead for Wakefield District Health & Care Partnership and plays an active role in the regional West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.
A former Wakefield GP, Linda has championed the needs of vulnerable people for over 15 years. She is a passionate advocate for patient centred, values based services, with an interest in health inclusion, system change, substance misuse recovery and workforce wellbeing. Linda was awarded an OBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours for services to the NHS.
John has a wealth of experience in business having been a Director of many companies. As well as bringing strong business acumen to our board, he has a huge network of contacts and has helped many organisations to improve their profile and expand their sphere of influence. John has also sat on a number of Government Advisory Committees particularly with regard to the environment. Passionate about Wakefield, he wants to help his local area.
Richard qualified as a doctor in London in 1969. He then became a lecturer in physiology and undertook research into human temperature regulation. He was a GP in Airedale, Castleford from 1978 to 2005. He became an Associate Director of Postgraduate GP education at the Yorkshire Deanery and then education advisor to the Wakefield and District NHS Primary Care Trust. He was awarded an MBE for services to medicine and healthcare in West Yorkshire in 2011. He is also a trustee of Healthwatch Wakefield and Vice Chair of the Airedale Neighborhood Management Board.
Peter is a renowned leader and innovator across a range of Local Government Services and was the leader of Wakefield Council for many years. He has also been the Chair of Various Committees and Trusts and a Probate and Trust Lawyer until he retired in 2005. Peter was awarded a CBE for his services to local government in 2010.
Jayne started her career in sales and marketing, initially in the commercial sector. Subsequently, she has worked across a range of public sector organisations, with a significant period of time spent in the local and national NHS. Her last assignment was with NHS England where she was heavily involved with the introduction of social prescribing within primary care.
Recently retired, Jayne became a trustee of (Spectrum) people where she’s able to see at first hand the difference that social prescribing can make to people’s lives.
Ros is Creative Network Manager at Wakefield Council and a Trustee of Spectrum People. In her early career she embarked on an academic research pathway but life had other plans and she pivoted to a career in the Creative & Cultural Sector. She has spent time at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Culture Consortium and Cinema for All and more recently discovering the extraordinary and inspirational creative people and places of Wakefield District. Ros is passionate about supporting the creative sector to thrive and believes it can be a dynamic force for positive social change.
Ros leads on network development and sector support for Creative Wakefield, a wide-reaching partnership network and Cultural Compact. You can contact her via: creativewakefield@wakefield.gov.uk
