Jeffrey Needham one of the volunteer public governors in our Northern constituency, explains why he decided to become a governor and what the role means to him.

For more information about being a Governor and opportunities to join our Council of Governors, please visit our Governor elections page, here.

How long have you been a public Governor?

Six months

Why did you become a public Governor?

I became a public governor as my family have benefitted greatly from excellent care given by the NHS in Devon for many years, from routine matters to emergencies. I also have experience of working in a hospital environment and have been providing services to many health institutions connected with medical research. As I am now in a position to give something back to support the NHS I wanted to stand as a governor.

How would you describe the role? What kind of things do you do?

The role is a volunteer position that involves the individual deciding on how much time they can offer to the position. There are required attendances at a number of meetings each year but I am now on several committees which has increased the time I give to the Trust affairs and recently I have taken the chair of a Task and Finish group working on a specific issue involving the Governors and the NEDs. I also meet with members of the public to talk about general matters relating to the Trust.

Can anyone become a public Governor? Who would you recommend for the role?

In my opinion the Council of Governors benefits from Governors having a wide range of experiences so that the public can be well represented. However I feel that it is advantageous if some Governors have some experience relating to NHS activities to provide more informed information to the Council of Governors.

What do you enjoy about the role? How does it benefit you?

I enjoy working with a purpose and I feel that I am helping to assist with the running of the Trust in Devon. Being a Governor has given me a great interest and a sense of satisfaction. All the staff I am working with, are very helpful and easy to work with. The benefit to me is that I have a very interesting volunteer job and I am satisfied that my actions are worthwhile and making a difference.

What is the time commitment like, and how do you manage that?

The time commitment to me is great and involves me working on Trust matters every day. This is a lot of time but is necessary because of all my various positions within the Trust as a Governor. For me it is easy to manage as I am a semi-retired self- employed business owner and so I can organize my time easily. In addition I have the full backing and support of my partner and family.

From your experience, what do you wish you knew before you joined?

I was aware of what was likely to be involved if elected as a Governor before my election as I understood the work carried out by the Trust. But if there was one item that would have been useful to know it would have been a more accurate prediction of the time involved.