Our commitment to lived experience
Our team from trustees, to consultants, to administration all come to their role from a place of lived experience of mental ill‑health, either personally or through supporting others. This helps us stay grounded in the realities people face at work and ensures our programmes reflect the needs of those most affected by mental health challenges.
Our trustees bring a powerful blend of professional expertise, lived experience, and values‑driven leadership. Together, they guide our strategy, strengthen our governance, and help ensure that everything we do is safe, effective, and grounded in real‑world needs.
As a group, they have led organisations in the public sector, armed forces, education, and community settings; supported families and colleagues through mental health challenges; and shaped cultures where people feel able to speak up early and ask for help. Their combined experience spans safeguarding, project management, organisational development, innovation, finance, and inclusion.
What unites them is a shared commitment to creating workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and supported, and a belief that practical, everyday changes can transform lives. Their leadership helps us stay focused on meaningful impact and ensures that lived experience remains at the heart of our mission.
Our Board of Trustees
Our trustees bring a powerful blend of professional expertise, lived experience, and values‑driven leadership. Together, they guide our strategy, strengthen our governance, and help ensure that everything we do is safe, effective, and grounded in real‑world needs.
As a group, they have led organisations in the public sector, armed forces, education, and community settings; supported families and colleagues through mental health challenges; and shaped cultures where people feel able to speak up early and ask for help. Their combined experience spans safeguarding, project management, organisational development, innovation, finance, and inclusion.
What unites them is a shared commitment to creating workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and supported, and a belief that practical, everyday changes can transform lives. Their leadership helps us stay focused on meaningful impact and ensures that lived experience remains at the heart of our mission.
How our trustees support us
Our trustees guide our strategy, ensure strong governance, and help us stay focused on creating mentally healthy workplaces. They bring a mix of professional expertise, lived experience, and a shared commitment to inclusion. Their role is to make sure our work is safe, effective, and grounded in the realities people face at work.
Our trustees play an active role in shaping our work. They:
- Set our strategic direction
- Ensure strong governance and safeguarding
- Oversee risk and financial management
- Support programme development and evaluation
- Champion inclusion and lived experience
- Help us stay accountable to the organisations and communities we serve
Their guidance helps us deliver safe, effective, and meaningful support.
Hannah
Founder & Chair of trustees
Hannah founded The Mental Health Community after facing her own struggles with mental ill-health and realising the support she needed wasn’t available. Her lived experience drives her commitment to making workplaces safer, more open, and more supportive for people living with mental health conditions. She brings a background in public sector leadership, inclusion, and wellbeing, with a strong mental health focus. Hannah is an experienced project manager and holds Chartered CIPD qualification. Hannah focuses on ensuring our work is practical, evidence‑based, and grounded in real‑world needs. As Chair, she guides our strategic direction, supports strong governance, and champions lived experience at every level of decision‑making. Her leadership helps ensure that the organisation stays values‑driven, people‑centred, and focused on meaningful change.
Dermot
Treasurer
Dermot brings over twenty years of project management experience and the insight of a long‑term carer, giving him a deep understanding of how mental health affects individuals, families, and workplaces. His professional background includes leading complex projects, improving systems, and supporting organisations to deliver sustainable, high‑quality services. As Treasurer, Dermot oversees financial stewardship and helps ensure our resources are used responsibly and effectively. He supports the development of new services and strengthens the organisation’s operational foundations, combining practical problem‑solving with a compassionate, person‑centred approach. Dermot’s blend of professional expertise and lived experience helps us design support that is both realistic and genuinely impactful for people under pressure.
Simon
Treasurer
Simon brings over twenty years of experience leading high‑performing teams in the British Army, where he has specialised in building supportive cultures, strengthening safeguarding, and guiding people through uncertainty with calm, values‑driven leadership. He was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry while on operations in the Middle East. Throughout his career, Simon has been responsible for the welfare and development of teams ranging from small specialist groups to organisations of more than 750 people, often in challenging and fast‑moving environments. He has led change programmes that improved training, resilience, and access to support, and is known for creating curious, learning cultures where people feel able to speak up early and ask for help. Alongside his trustee work, Simon continues to serve as a commanding officer, leading staff across multiple locations and overseeing training, safeguarding, and pastoral care for young adults from diverse backgrounds. Inspection reports, including OFSTED, have highlighted the strong culture of safety, professionalism, and support that Simon and his team have built. Simon holds an MBA and an MSc in Innovation from King’s College London, where his studies focused on designing environments that encourage psychological safety, problem‑solving, and innovation. He is particularly interested in how data, digital tools, and compassionate leadership can be combined to improve outcomes for individuals and communities — a perspective he brings to The Mental Health Community.
Fiona
Trustee
Fiona has a strong background in policy and project management and a deep personal commitment to mental health inclusion. She has supported family and staff members through their mental health challenges while managing her own, giving her a clear understanding of the barriers people face and the importance of accessible, everyday support. Professionally, Fiona has led projects that improve systems, strengthen communication, and help organisations work more effectively. She uses this experience to support programme development, helping shape new services, and ensuring that practical tools are easy for organisations to adopt. Fiona is passionate about creating workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and able to ask for help early – values that guide her contribution as a trustee.