Celebrating our first Shadow Board Programme | News

On Wednesday 25 June 2025, a celebration event was held to recognise the 15 Shadow Board members who have now completed the nine-month Inaugural Shadow Board Programme. This programme is a leadership developmental programme, run in conjunction with The Inspiring Leaders Network (ILN).

Participants gained a unique insight into what it’s like to be an executive board member at the Trust. The programme provided a safe and supported experimental learning space for participants to have board level experience and to promote an open, fair, and inclusive culture through diversity of thought, throughout the organisation at a senior level.

Brian Chiyesu, Assistant Director of Equality Diversity & Inclusion, said:

“This is not just a graduation, but the start of something bigger. Our organisation has made clear intentions to build a diverse voice, and I would like to thank our Chairman, Keith Ramsay, and our Board, for taking real action towards developing diverse leadership.

“It has been a pleasure to witness our participants building confidence, sharpening their leadership skills, deepening their understanding of decision making, getting real world learning opportunities, and supporting each other throughout the nine-month programme. They have embraced challenges, overcome their fears and imposter syndrome, and grown as leaders – thanks to the support of their colleagues and families.

“I am so proud of what every person has achieved and their commitment to demonstrating our Trust values and behaviours.”

Keith Ramsay, Trust Chair, said:

“The NHS is about people. Our people make a big difference to patient, partner and stakeholder experiences – so we need to invest in our people. The work of the Shadow Board is an incredible example of this, and its impact will influence our organisation for years to come.

“We as a Board and as a wider Trust want to develop talent wherever possible and help to feed a diverse range of staff voices into our board and leadership conversations, to help make positive change happen.”

Damilola Mustapha, Advanced Clinical Pharmacist, completed the programme and spoke passionately about her experiences at the event. She said:

“We have enjoyed having a safe space to explore challenges but also to share our success stories, from inside and outside of work. We now have a better understanding of what leadership should look like and what it takes to work at this level of Board, and we had the chance to reflect on ourselves and how we can improve.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for everyone who helped us during this process, including Board members, our mentors and everyone who shared their life experiences, Shadow Board chairs, our facilitators who guided and supported us, the Inspiring Leaders Network team, and our line managers and teams who covered our usual roles when we were participating in the programme."

Rehena Begum, Matron, also spoke at the event. She said:

“It has been empowering to bring my lived experiences, cultural perspective and identity into a space where strategy and decision making happens, and to know my contributions matter. Inclusive leadership programmes like this are so important for us as individuals and as a Trust.”