Bild Board of Trustees

Matty is a Director at Sunderland People First. Prior to taking on the role of Director, he worked with them for a number of years on a range of projects. This has included campaigning projects on issues that are important to him, such as the Staying Up Late Campaign. Matty also has experience delivering training on issues including hate and mate crime and anti-bullying. 

Matty has held several paid and voluntary roles, including steward at Sunderland Stadium of Light, co-chair of the Partnership Board and volunteering at a day centre for adults with learning disabilities. Matty particularly enjoys roles that include public speaking. 

Matty feels being co-chair is about true coproduction and enjoys helping people understand what coproduction really means.

Fiona has worked all her working life for people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people.

A psychodynamic music therapist, she first worked with people with hefty reputations. She became the general manager of community services and went on to work for the South Midlands Strategic Health Authority where she finished her masters in public health. From there she went into regulation working with the Healthcare Commission as their lead for learning disabilities. Associate Director in transformation came next in a mental health trust, and then from there Fiona went on to be managing director for a large not-for-profit organisation for their Mental Health and Learning Disability services in England.

Currently she has her own consultancy business and is working for NHSEI on complex/forensic discharges, chaired a high-profile death review and works with not-for-profit organisations in a variety of programmes. She is passionate about ensuring people with learning disabilities have their own voice and that people act on it.

Andrea has spent her career working in not-for-profit organisations supporting people with learning disabilities.

Andrea started her career as a support worker and has worked in various roles including campaigning and advocacy. Andrea went on to work predominately with people with complex needs, often around service development and transformation, until taking up the post of CEO at Nexus.

Nexus is a not-for-profit organisation delivering services to people with learning disabilities in South East London. Nexus has been rated as Outstanding by CQC since 2017 and has also been recognised for its work around recruitment and retention of staff.

Jean is an experienced consultant psychiatrist and national clinical leader, with 40 years of service in the NHS before retiring to set up her executive coaching and consultancy practice. During this time, Jean focussed on mental health, ethnicity, diversity and reducing health inequalities for disadvantaged communities, specialising in the psychiatric needs of people with learning disability and neurodevelopmental disorders. Driven by a passion for evidence-based practice, robust governance, education and innovation, Jean held management and educational roles at a regional and national level, including as National Clinical Director in NHS England. She is widely published in peer reviewed journals and books, including the influential works ‘Adults with Learning Disabilities: a practical approach for health professionals’ (1997), and ‘Intellectual Disability and Ill Health: a review of the evidence’ for the WHO Promoting Mental Health Programme (2010).

Jean is a trained, accredited executive coach, supporting clinicians and teams facing leadership challenges. She is a Trustee with Mental Health Innovations and an active member of the Royal Society of Medicine. Outside of work, Jean enjoys singing with a choir and spending time with family. Drawing on an ethnically diverse background and overseas heritage, Jean has also shared personal insights and family history in a published memoire.

Lara lives in Worcester and is a Trustee of Bild and Vice Chair for Bild for the Future. Her main priority is her partner, her family, her friends, and her work.

As someone with a learning disability, Lara has a strong interest in Homes not Hospitals. She believes people with learning disabilities deserve to live in their own homes, with the right support in their communities, rather than being isolated in hospitals. Lara is passionate about raising awareness, speaking up for people with learning disabilities, and making sure people have a voice, are listened to, and are supported to live healthy lives.

Outside of her work, Lara enjoys watching Formula 1, doing adult colouring, meeting new people, travelling, and learning about new cultures.

Kate is a Bild Trustee, Chair of Bild for the Future, and works for Bild as Learning Disability Advisor.

Kate lives in Droitwich, her interests are jigsaw puzzles, adult colouring, meeting new people, taking part in local theatre, volunteering with two groups, spending time with family and friends and going to the gym.

"I have a special interest in health inequalities and growing older with learning disabilities because, while everyone experiences health inequalities, people with learning disabilities face even more challenges, especially as they age."

Kevin’s current role as Assistant Director of Nursing in the South West region involves, leading on improving health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people across the region.

Prior to this role, he was one of the national Clinical Leads in Transforming Care team at NHS England

Kevin has previously worked as an NHS Commissioner for people with a learning disability in Gloucestershire, a Strategic Health Facilitator, and held various Nursing roles in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

He has been involved in the creation of a number of national reports and guidance as well as initiatives promoting good practice in supporting people with a learning disability and their families.

David is a registered nurse for people with a learning disability with over 30 years of clinical experience in both community and inpatient NHS services. Working with people with a learning disability and mental ill-health David has embraced innovation and improvement leading clinical teams and building stronger joint working with other organisations, including police, education and social care. Currently working as part of a national improvement agency within NHS Wales, David continues to drive high quality, accessible healthcare.

As co-chair of the Restraint Reduction Network David remains passionate about driving down the use of restrictive practices in the UK, through the provision of compassionate, person centred and lawful care and support.

Oliver is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, London. He practises in the field of public law, Court of Protection, inquests and international human rights law. He provides legal advice and representation to people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health issues and their families, as well as public bodies. From 2006 to 2017 he was CEO of Validity (formerly the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre), a human rights NGO based in Budapest that advances the rights of people with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues across the world.