Meet the Governor!
Marcella Daye is an academic and a Public Governor for NHFT, representing the Daventry and South Northamptonshire constituency. We caught up with Marcella to chat about what it means to be a governor and why addressing health inequalities is so important to her and to the Trust.
Tell us about yourself
I'm an academic with an interest in place branding and participatory action research, and my research has recently focused on health inequalities - particularly the barriers to ethnic minority groups in terms of their health and wellbeing. I'm passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion.
What inspired you to become an NHFT governor?
I'm concerned with Northamptonshire as a place and what I can do to help find solutions to local issues with health inequalities. I saw an opportunity to become a governor on social media at a time they were recruiting and thought, wow, I didn't know this
existed! So I applied and, thankfully, I'm in!
Why is prioritising healthy communities so important?
I would say the time has come in terms of addressing the issue of health inequalities. With the launch of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan and its shift in emphasis to neighbourhood health, this is an opportune moment for NHFT to really continue the work it is doing. That means continuing to link with communities around adjustments to care and decision-making, and continuing to show an openness and a willingness to engage with our local communities.
Why should people put themselves forward for the upcoming Governor elections?
Being a governor is for anyone who has a passion to help their communities - to make a valued contribution in the area of health. We need to have our voices heard in terms of decision-making locally and being a governor gives you the opportunity to do that.