Nursing charity dedicated to Mary Seacole appoints three new leaders
The Mary Seacole Trust has announced the appointment of three influential nurses to help “strengthen” its nursing leadership.
Charmaine Case and Elizabeth Pearson have become joint vice chairs of the charity, which works to promote the legacy of nursing pioneer Mary Seacole. Dr Joan Myers has joined as an ambassador.
“I am delighted and honoured to welcome three wonderful nurses to our team”
Trevor Sterling
Ms Case is president of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (UK) and secretary of the Mary Seacole Memorial Association.
She is also a breast screening clinical nurse specialist with the Southwest London Breast Screening Unit where she supports clients, advises GPs, and encourages uptake of breast screening.
Ms Pearson is co-founder and inaugural president of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Association UK (2020-23), and founding director of community interest organisation NHCC Uganda.
Until September 2021, she was the operations manager at zone1hearing, an independent hearing care organisation in London.
Before that, she helped develop the strategic one-health initiative at Boots Hearingcare flagship store, ensuring that collaborative partnerships with health care professionals and suppliers.
Dr Myers has more than 38 years’ experience as a strategic nurse leader, consultant and educator in community children’s nursing services across London.
She was an associate director for health services and chief nurse in West London, before starting an independent consultancy in 2019, offering mentorship, coaching, training and career support.
As well as being a Queen’s Nurse, she is also a fellow and trustee of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, which promotes the work of community nurses.
Last year, she received a Woman for Africa Special Recognition Award for Leadership in Healthcare and Nursing Sector in recognition of the medical missions she has led in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda.
Dr Myers received an OBE for services to children and nursing in the Queens’ Birthday honours’ list in 2013. She also featured in last year’s Nursing Times NHS 75 list.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS, Nursing Times compiled a list of 75 nurses and midwives who have contributed in a significant way to the service or are rising stars.
Speaking on her new appointment, Ms Myers said: “I am honoured to be an ambassador to keep the legacy of Mary Seacole alive to influence and impact future generations.”
The charity’s chair, Trevor Sterling, said: “I am delighted and honoured to welcome three wonderful nurses to our team.
“Individually, they have achieved so much in their careers, and we are looking forward to seeing how their expertise can contribute to securing Mary Seacole’s legacy for future generations as we continue to promote her legacy of entrepreneurialism, internationalism and equality.”
The charity has its origins in the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal, which was set up in 2003 by Lord Soley, with the ambition of creating a lasting legacy to Crimean War era nursing pioneer.
In October 2016, the charity was reconstituted as the Mary Seacole Trust, just a few months after the statue was unveiled in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital.
The Mary Seacole Trust aims to educate and inform the public about the life, work and achievements of its namesake, and to ensure the maintenance of the memorial to her outside St Thomas’ Hospital.
It also works to support those involved in tackling social challenges of inequality, with a particular focus on young people and the promotion of good citizenship, entrepreneurship and achievement
In addition, it hopes to build on the legacy of Mary Seacole by campaigning for fairness and equality, promoting diverse leadership in private and public service, including the NHS.
Charmaine Case
Elizabeth Pearson
Dr Joan Myers
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