Warrington woman joins mental health trust

A WARRINGTON woman is to join the 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as a non-executive director.
Alison Tumilty is currently employed as Group Finance Director for  social housing provider Your Housing Group.
She brings a wealth of finance-related experience to the role as well as a passion for mental health services.
As a non-executive director, Alison will contribute to the effective running of the Trust and the Trust Board through supporting and objectively challenging the chief executive and executive directors whose role is to manage the day-to-day functioning of the Trust.
She was finance director and deputy chief executive at Rathbone
Training Ltd until 2013. Here she supported disadvantaged young people to improve their mental health with a view to gaining qualifications and securing a job.
Before that, Alison was director of finance and shared services at Manchester Airport Developments.
An experienced non-executive, Alison has previously chaired the audit committee at social business First Ark (Knowsley Housing Trust) and has been a non-executive director at Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.
She said: “I’m really excited about this role as I feel strongly that mental health services are as important as physical health – if you fix the mind, you fix the body. I believe health and wellbeing is of critical importance to us all.
“I know it can sometimes be difficult to access the right mental health support, with people often accepting medication as an answer. At Rathbone Training, I saw first hand how getting the right treatment can make such a difference to how a person can function in and contribute to society.
“I’m looking forward to being part of 5 Boroughs Partnership, using my skills and knowledge to add value and make a real difference.”
Bernard Pilkington, chairman of 5 Boroughs Partnership, said: “The role of our non-executive directors is important to ensure the trust has robust systems in place to provide patients, service users, their families and carers with reliable, safe, high quality mental and community health services. I’m sure Alison will do a great job.”
The trust provides mental and community health services for Warrington, Wigan, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton. It is based at Hollins Park, Warrington.