This pages provides information about Hertfordshire LINk's Board Members and LINk Support Team.

Please scroll down the page to read more about each person and find out what their role is within Hertfordshire LINk.

Sarah is delighted to have been offered the role of Chairman of Healthwatch Hertfordshire. She is determined that Hertfordshire residents have a real opportunity to influence the health, public health, and social care services that they receive, and will strive to ensure that Healthwatch Hertfordshire is an effective watchdog that positively influences services across the County.

In her day job Sarah is Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Community Meals, a thriving and innovative Social Enterprise. She has previously been a Councillor, and lives with her family in North Hertfordshire. She has held a number of chairmanships in charities and not-for profit businesses in Hertfordshire over the past 10 years, providing her with experience of social housing, counselling services, children’s issues, and education.

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Henry was Chair of Hertfordshire LINk since its inception in 2008 until September 2012. During this time he steered the LINk as it developed its engagement with the public, and engaged with the health and social care services in Hertfordshire. The Board have been influential in improvements to both present and future services, particularly those for the most vulnerable in the community. Henry Goldberg will continue to present on the Hertfordshire LINk board and Executive Committee.

Henry is also Vice-Chair of Chorleywood Residents Association. Before retirement he worked in the IT industry. Henry is married with three children and eight grandchildren, and when he has the time he enjoys painting and photography.

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Martyn has been a Board Member of LINk from its inception. Martyn is Vice-Chair of Hertfordshire LINk and is currently actively involved on the Board with finance and communications responsibilities; on the Executive as Vice Chair and on the Mental Health and Learning Disability Theme Group.

Outside LINk Martyn Chairs St Albans Mencap, Hertfordshire Mencap and represents the County at Eastern Area and National level. Martyn and his wife have a learning disabled daughter in her thirties who lives at home and two sons. Before retiring, over ten years ago, Martyn was a director of an international public listed company in the financial services sector and held dual legal and accounting qualifications. 

In his free time, Martyn enjoys most sports and actively, to the extent that age allows, participates in some. 

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Shirley became a Hertfordshire LINk board member in July 2009.  At the time, she was then still a Hertsmere borough councillor and had been representing the council on the Joint Health Scrutiny committee.  Having been on a district/county council topic group on services for the over 50s, Shirley found the opportunity to link health and social care more closely together absorbing and interesting.  At LINk Shirley chairs the Older Persons Theme Group, and represents South Hertfordshire for LINk on a committee considering health service provision at the two local North London hospitals.  She also sit on two joint NHS/social care committees, including the Integrated Transport Board.  Shirley is trained to undertake Enter and View visits.   Her board role is to focus on Hertsmere; she sits on the Hertsmere GP commissioning patients group and on their mental health sub-group, and is a member of the Local Strategic Partnership's Health and Wellbeing Group at Hertsmere. 
 
In her scarce spare time she see a lot of her daughters and two grandsons, one of which is often performing in amateur shows across the county.  Her husband works part time at the local school, where she is a governor, and they help run a young people's club nearby.  They enjoy walking their two dogs and playing table tennis with the family.  When she undertook a social policy course at the Open University, it opened up the subject to her and she is now an avid reader of social history from across the globe. 

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Judith Smart has been a Board Member for 5 years and has chaired the Physical & Sensory Disability Theme Group for LINk for just over a year. 

Judith has had cerebral palsy since birth and is a wheelchair user. Her disability is secondary to her personality and she still leads a busy life. 

One of Judiths passions is " POhWER" the advocacy organisation which she is proud to say she is a founder member, and also company secretary to.

Judith wears many more hats in the world of disability, and is a staunch advocate of equality for all disabled people.

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Michael joined Hertfordshire LINk as a Board Member in June 2011 and also took on the responsibility of chairing the Mental Health and Learning Disability Theme Group. He brings to the job considerable experience in the field. For 30 years he taught Social Policy to students training for Social Work and Community Nursing. In local government he Chaired the County Council’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, and for many years he has acted as the Mental Health Act Manager hearing patients detained under the Act.

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Malcolm joined the Board of Hertfordshire LINk on inception in 2008. Malcolm is responsible for the General Health group which basically looks at services in primary care.  Most work is carried out by local groups and he encourages their formation and the growth of patient representative groups at surgeries. Malcolm represents the LINk as the official observer on both the Hertfordshire NHS (PCT) Board and the Hertfordshire Community Health Services Board, where he has speaking but not voting rights. 

Malcolm is retired but has a business background, with a Master’s  degree in Business Administration, which enables him to appreciate the complexities of providing services that the public wants against the costs of supplying them.  He strongly supports the policy of transferring of services away from hospitals to the community, where this is practical and safe.

Malcolm lives with his wife in Harpenden and is a member of the St Albans Patient Group and a committee member of the Davenport House Surgery Harpenden Patient Participation Group, which has nearly 1000 members.  He is also an elected public governor for the Luton & Dunstable Hospital Foundation Trust.  This better enables him to appreciate the issues from the hospital aspect as well as patient requirements.  Malcolms main spare time activities are golf and playing bridge.

 

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Ken became a Board Member of Hertfordshire LINk in 2009 and became an Executive Board member soon after, having previously worked as a member of a Hospital Forum.

 

Doreen has been a Board Member of Hertfordshire LINk since 2009 and currently chairs the Monitoring Group. This group organises Enter and View visits which Doreen helps facilitate.

 

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I first joined the LINk board in 2008 having previously served on the board of Hertfordshire Partnership Patient and Public Involvement Forum. My special interest is dementia having worked for 14 years as a carer support worker prior to my retirement 2 years ago. This has given me first hand knowledge of the facilities offered to this group and their carers and improvements that would help and assist them. I am a member of the Enter and View group and have taken part and reported on several visits.

My main hobbies are music and gardening in addition to the family: Husband, three adult children and six grandchildren) which takes up quite a lot of time! However I belong to a local U3a group and have recently started a singing for fun group and have taken part in numerous productions with both St Albans Operatic Society and Radlett Operatic Society. That just leaves the garden which I endeavour to keep weed free and blooming.  
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Lorna became a Hertfordshire LINk Board Member on 8^th June 2011. She is particularly interested in mental health as she is a community mental health services manager at Guideposts Trust, where they run a wide range of services and opportunities for people with mental health problems.

Lorna has worked in mental health for around 25 years and believes that information helps and should be generously shared.

She also trained in art, keep fit and massage. Her life is balanced by spending one day a week with her grandson, who, at the moment, most enjoys watching bin men.

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Jenny became a LINks Board member a year ago, representing Carers in Hertfordshire to ensure that carers (who voluntarily support a family member or friend) are recognised and fully involved in the planning of health services for themselves and those they care for.  Jenny has a daughter with a severe learning disability and epilepsy who lives in specialist residential care.  She attends the LINks Mental Health/Learning Disability theme group.

Jenny was on the original steering group of Carers in Hertfordshire and served as a Trustee for many years before becoming Chair 12 years ago.  She represented them, and carers,  on the Learning Disability Partnership Board and at many of  their regional meetings.  She is also part of a team of other carers who provide training to new Health and Community Services staff, within the induction process, before they begin working with people with a learning disability.

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Tap has been working full time in the Community since 1999, though served his community in some way since he was 15 years old.  Since 1999, Tap was a Director of a Charity and obtained over £650,000 for it and about £30, 000 for other charities. Tap stopped working at the end of 2005 but has been member of EC/Board of over 15 Charities, Community and Professional, though has reduced the number to less than 10 now.  Among them are Regional (now East of England) Charities, County and Local Charities some dealing affairs of older people. Tap became a Board member of Hertfordshire LINk since it was formed in 2008 and has been engaged in Themes of Older People, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Enter & View, Equality and Diversity, Diabetes etc.  He has also been able to recruit a number of members for LINk.

Tap has worked for over 59 years. His employment has included being a Lecturer, an Industrial and Research Chemist in India and England, Health & Safety Practitioner, a very senior Executive of a UK firm, and having his own businesses ‘Health & Safety Consultation and Training’ and ‘Training on Tap’, through which he also provided extensive training. Tap is currently also a Board Member of Hertfordshire Probation Trust.  

Tap has a Degree in languages, Masters in Chemistry, is a Chartered Chemist, Chartered Health & Safety Practitioner and Business Consultant being a member of Institute of Consultants.

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Anne-Marie became interested in health and mental health issues during her teaching career.  As a member of a Patient Participation Involvement group she stood for election when Hertfordshire LINK first came into being in 2008 and has sat on the Board since then.

Anne-Marie is semi-retired and has time to give  back to the NHS which has helped relatives, friends and herself through the years. She understands the importance of quality services to us all.  She has experience of being a school governor and so she welcomed the introduction of Foundation Trusts.  Anne-Marie was elected as a Board member when Hertfordshire Partnership MH Trust became the first Foundation Trust in the area.  She now has time to sit on various local and National committees.  She belongs to Carers in Herts, Rethink and to local groups;  being a trustee on the Seniors Forum and also a trustee for HCMA which undertakes counselling and mentoring.  She is proud to belong to Stevenage Womens Group which covers women’s issues so well and also belongs to her local Irish Club.

The regulating and inspecting knowledge which she has gained gives her an understanding of policy and philosophy.  Belonging to Hertfordshire LINk is a rewarding experience and she has trained to Enter and View health organisations.  She still finds time for a social life and loves to travel.  She receive lots of documents but enjoys reading and is visiting George Orwell once again.  Anne-Marie likes to think that she put her qualifications of Cert Ed. ( Cambs),  Adv Dip and Masters in Education to use for Hertfordshire LINk and other organisations and so returns value for the education which she received.

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Nena has been a Board Member since 2009. She has worked in the Health Service for over 20 years and seen changes, not always for the best. Her background was in local Government where she was a district councillor for 18 years.

In the past, Nena has been secretary of HAD in Watford and South Oxhey, a member of St Johns Ambulance and a school governor for 18 years, receiving a long service award for this.

Nena has 6 grandchildren and in her free time enjoys going to the Theatre and Operas in London. Nena likes reading, walking. knitting, embroidery, classical music and continues to be interested in what happens in local Government.

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Santo joined Hertfordshire LINk's Board in 2009 and currently also sits on the Prioritisation Group.

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John was first connected to the board in 2009 and became a full Board Member in 2010. John is particularly interested in Mental Health and various psychological issues in this area.

Outside of LINk, John is on the committee of Viewpoint – also for mental health in Hertfordshire. He has served as vice Chair of Viewpoint and completed training and other activities there. John is also a member of Mind in Herts and the British Stammering Association in London. John has a speech impediment and has completed training in connection with this and the related psychological/mental health issues. John has personal experience in psychological health.

John has also been involved in a local project connected to Mental Health in his part of East Herts run by Stephen Coutley and has contributed some writing and combined computer work for this. John sometimes does other voluntary and charity events/work.

John likes to socialise and helps elderly relatives and friends. He has many interests; spiritual and religious matters, current and international affairs, history, politics, social and cultural matters, reading, philosophy and sport.

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Following Normans involvement with the Community Health Council and Patient and Participation Involvement in Health, he became a Board Member in 2009. Norman represents Watford and Three Rivers Health and Social Care Group on the Board and represents LINk on WatCom Practice Based Commissioning Ltd. He is also on Strictly Patient Involvement.

Norman is trained to 'Enter and View' hospitals and care homes and has visited Watford General Hospital and Shrodells. He has also visited Windmill House and Langley House as part of Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT).

Norman has been active in local affiars since 1961 and as Honary Freeman of the Borough of Watford still represents the Borough occassionally.

Outside of LINk, Norman is very active in the cultural field including Watford Music Hertiage, Centralian Players and Friends of Watford Museum. Norman also enjoys gardening and model railways.

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Eric has lived in Bishop's Stortford since 1964. He originally trained as an engineer at the beginning of the computer age via ICT and later ICL. Eventually he became a national computer Manager for a large UK company.

Eric has a life time interest and involvement in sport, for which he is now paying the price of a protesting body!

He was a Town and District Councillor for in excess of twenty years, as well as past Mayor of Bishop's Stortford.

Eric was a founder member and former long serving Chair of Bishop's Stortford Citizens Advice Bureau, Trustee of Gilfrere and KickStart Trusts as well as Chair of KickStart. He has spent thirty six years as Secondary and Primary school Governor, and is currently Chair of Primary.

He was a member of the East Herts Community Health Council and Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPIF) before LINk began, and joined LINk when the PPIF was dissolved.

Eric is also the District Representative for East Herts.

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Joan Manning has lived and worked in Hertfordshire for the past (nearly) 50 years – in Hemel Hempstead, Bushey and Watford.   Although originally trained in Business Management, some 30 years ago she qualified as a Registered Post Graduate Nutritionist involved in both clinical and research work – areas of special interest being Food Allergy & Intolerance, Nutrition of Older People and Lifestyle Medicine.   She still works and hopes to carry on for many years.

 

The past four years were spent looking after her husband who had both Alzheimer’s and Prostate Cancer so she knows what 24/7 caring is all about.   During that time she joined WatCom Patients Group, and through that LINk.   Being eternally grateful for all the help and support that was made available through a great GP Practice, Nurses, A&E, Ambulance service, Hospice et al, she thought it was time she gave a little back and is delighted to have been accepted as a Board Member of Healthwatch and as the Healthwatch representative on the new HVCCG Board.

 

She enjoys her family (the extended family being spread world-wide), travelling, reading, writing, cooking (was a member of the Craft Guild of Chefs), walking (was a County Athlete, but that was a long time ago), music, theatre and anything else that can be crammed into just 24 hours.  There is little spare time!

 

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Kumar was one of the first directors appointed to the board of Healtwatch Hertfordshire and subsequently was co-opted to LINk board in October 2012.

He is passionate that fair and equal access to Health Care both Medical and Surgical) and Social Care for ALL who need it.  Being disabled himself, and having personally experienced at first hand the fallibility of provision of these services in the county, he is especially keen to espouse the importance for service providers to consider and treat clients/patients holistically instead of seeking to resolution for symptom at a time.

An Alumni of Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine London, Kumar’s working career spanned design projects in defence and communication industries through to latterly board positions in high technology business enterprises.  As an MBA, he fully appreciates the need to achieve the delicate balance between costs and quality of service, and has stated his aim to campaign for the highest quality medical and social care service provisions in Hertfordshire.

Now in semi retirement, Kumar is actively involved with a number of local and national charities serving as Director/Trustee.  As member of LINK he has contributed to Physical & Sensory Disabled Theme Group and has also carried out a number of PEAT and Enter & View visits.  He is Treasurer of local charity Disability Watford; West Hertfordshire based Disability Access and Campaign Group.  He also currently serves as Treasurer for Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) the sole national organisation which campaigns on behalf and for the benefit of all Disabled Motorists in the country. 

Kumar lives in Radlett and his leisure interest include motorsports, both spectating and racing.  In 2005 he obtained sponsorship and established a Disabled Karting Race Series which has rapidly grown in popularity since.  He is currently working towards realising the ambition to create annual track day event for Disabled Drivers to gain thrills, spills and experience of driving popular race circuits.

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Monika is the Hertfordshire LINk Co-ordinator.

She took on the management of the Hertfordshire LINk team in October 2009 and her main responsibilities are to ensure LINk projects are delivered within deadlines and budget.

She works closely with the Hertfordshire Link Chair and Vice Chairs, supports the Hertfordshire LINk Board, Executive Committee, Finance and Communication Group and co ordinates the work of the team.

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Jane is a Community Development Officer at Hertfordshire LINk.
Jane works with the Older People Group and she supports the monitoring group with their Enter and View programme as well as dealing with Quality Accounts and Equality Delivery Systems.

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Nuray joined as a Facilitator in August 2010. She supports the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Theme Group as well as the Physical and Sensory Disabilities Theme Group. Nuray also supports the General Health Group in their choose and Book project. She is interested in issues affecting Children and Families.

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Lizzy joined as a Temporary Administrator in June 2012 and is helping to support the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Theme Group. She is working on communication, publicity and events.