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Jeremy Benton (Council Member) 

Jeremy qualified in 2004 and has worked in a number of settings including Flight Nursing, Critical Care and High Dependency Units in the NHS and independent sector in the UK and overseas. He has been involved with the RCN since he was a nursing student and has been a student steward, a workplace steward, staffside chair and branch chair. 

You can contact Jeremy by emailing: jeremy.benton@rcn.org.uk

Adam Mapp (Board Member)

Adam is currently a Charge Nurse on a General Medical Ward in Margate, having worked there since he qualified in 2017.
Adam represents RCN members by acting as a Safety Representative, and as a member of the South East Regional Board.

You can contact Adam by emailing: adam.mapp@reps.rcn.org.uk 

Heather Mercer (Board Member)

You can contact Heather by emailing: heather.mercer@reps.rcn.org.uk

Modupe Akin-Areola (Board Member)

Modupe has been a qualified Mental Nurse for around 30 years. She started her nursing career in Neuro Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, and has been working in Southern Health NHS  Foundation Trust for the last 15 years. During this time she has gained invaluable knowledge and professional experience handling forensic patients and adult psychiatry.
She has been an active member of the RCN since she started working in the NHS. She is an RCN Learning Rep, and regularly promotes and supports staff with their learning needs. She has participated actively in joint conferences, organised teaching sessions and revalidation. She has been a member of the South East Board since 2016. Her hobbies include travelling, reading and listening to music.

You can contact Mo by emailing: modupe.akin-areola@reps.rcn.org.uk

Mary Codling (Ex Officio Professional Nursing Committee)

Mary has worked in the NHS since qualifying. Over the years Mary has trained and worked as an Epilepsy Nurse Specialist, Independent Nurse Prescriber, Best Interest Assessor, and an Associate Lecturer.  Mary has also conducted several research projects in practice, carried out audits that facilitated changes in service delivery, as well as publishing several papers, and developed national training and clinical resources. Mary works in her current role as Primary Health Care Lead for Learning Disabilities and acts as an advisor for several other organisations on areas such as epilepsy, learning disabilities and best interests. She has also been a peer reviewer for NIHR. Mary is the South East representative for the RCN Professional Nursing Committee and is also a Queens Nurse.

You can contact Mary by emailing: mary.codling@reps.rcn.org.uk

Hugo Dias Bastos (Board Member)

Hugo started his nursing career in England in 2015, initially working as a Healthcare Assistant while awaiting his NMC pin. From a Staff Nurse in A&E at East Surrey Hospital, he progressed to being a Matron in a nursing home. Working within the private sector, NHS and through nursing agencies has given him a detailed view of how different systems work and the chance to see different work policies, cultures and types of practice. He started his foundation training in Portugal (where he is originally from), studying acting for one year, which helped him develop his communication skills. He completed his Social Action Technician Course, alongside his Paramedic course through the Portuguese Red Cross (he was a volunteer paramedic, 2007-2015). He then completed a teaching course and became an external teacher within the Portuguese Education System. Hugo is currently a Charge Nurse in A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and is also an RCN Steward and the Chair of Brighton and Hove Branch.

You can contact Hugo by emailing: hugo.diasbastos@reps.rcn.org.uk

Eunice Dupute (Board Member)

Eunice works as a Staff Nurse at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in cardiovascular and thoracic nursing. She has been an active RCN Steward since 2019 and her trade union activities date back overseas as an active member of the Bulawayo Municipal EmployeesÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™ Union, an affiliate of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. Eunice has 15 years of experience spanning nursing in hospitals, the community, and in domiciliary care settings with private care agencies. During the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic Eunice was part of a surveillance research team monitoring community transmission. She also took part in the COVID-19 research for IQVIA on behalf of the ONS and Oxford University.  Prior to joining the health sector, Eunice worked in HR. With her MSc in Human Resources Management, Eunice will use her skills and attributes to champion the welfare of nursing. Eunice enjoys following current affairs and taking part in fundraising.

You can contact Eunice by emailing: eunice.dupute@reps.rcn.org.uk 

Valter Fernandes (Board Member)

You can contact Valter by emailing: valter.fernandes@reps.rcn.org.uk

Ann-Marie Fredericks (Ex Officio Trade Union Committee) - Ann-Marie is the link for Surrey and East Sussex

Ann-Marie, a qualified nurse since 2010, holds eight years of practical experience in a Caribbean country before moving to the UK NHS. Currently serving as a Clinical Practice Facilitator in Professional Development at Ashford & St PeterÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, her clinical background includes roles in general medical and surgical nursing, nursing home management, and acute respiratory care. Since joining the RCN in 2020, Ann-Marie has carried out an active role as a member, sharing experiences and advocating for colleagues and patients. Becoming an RCN Steward in 2021, she remains dedicated to promoting and valuing the overall health and well-being of fellow members. Serving as an ambassador to the Equality Diversity and Inclusion team, Freedom to Speak Up guardian, and Staff Wellbeing lead, Ann-Marie also holds the role of Here for You Champion, advocating for a positive experience in the workplace.

Rosemary Gorvin (Board Member)

Rosemary completed her state registered nurse training at St MaryÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s Hospital, Paddington in 1978. The majority of her nursing career has been undertaken at her familyÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s nursing home in Hampshire which was owned by her mother, who was also a registered nurse. She inherited the nursing home and managed the day to day organisation and care of the residents. This involved the organising and clinical care of the residents, the organising and care of the staff, and the support of residents' families. Importantly she was also responsible for the financial viability of the home to ensure that residents received the level of care that allowed them to lead a good quality of life. Rosemary has recently retired from her position at the nursing home and can offer an important insight into the role of nurses in the care home sector, including the excellent care that they deliver and the difficulties they encounter. 

You can contact Rosemary by emailing: rosemary.gorvin@reps.rcn.org.uk

Lorraine Hicking-Woodison (Board Member) - Lorraine is the link for East Kent and for Nursing Support Workers and the joint link for Learning and Development

Lorraine is an Assistant Practitioner and Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) training lead. She currently delivers a level 3 training programme for HCSWs in Kent and Medway GP practices. She is passionate about her work and believes that HCSWs play an extremely valuable role in teams and that their learning and development is very important.  She has been an active member of the RCN since 2009. She is committed to raising the profile of NSWs. She has campaigned for the regulation of HCSWs and has served on various RCN committees including Nursing Support and Forum Governance Group. She also currently represents nursing support on the RCNi  Editorial Advisory Board. She has a special interest in health promotion and part of her role as an Assistant Practitioner focuses on helping patients with their weight management. 

You can contact Lorraine by emailing: lorraine.hicking-woodison@reps.rcn.org.uk

Olufemi 'Abi' Lawal (Board Member) - Abi is the link for Oxfordshire and is the joint link for Learning and Development

Abi, as she is fondly called, is a frontline nurse of over 30 years. She is currently a Ward Manager on a General Medical Ward with specialty in the Care of Older Persons at Frimley Park Hospital. She is a qualified Midwife and Adult Nurse, and has worked in different specialties including Maternity, Haemodialysis, Acute Medicine and Rheumatology. Abi obtained an MSc in Learning and Teaching for Professional Practice and she is a registered teacher on the NMC register. A Practice Supervisor/Assessor for learners in clinical practice, she was also an associate lecturer at the Oxford Brookes University.  Abi has been a member of the RCN for over 20 years and was recently elected into the Board role.
Abi led the 'DRINK UP' initiative, a campaign aimed at improving hydration in older persons. In her spare time Abi enjoys cooking, reading, watching films. She is a devout Christian who enjoys teaching children in Sunday School.

You can contact Abi by emailing: olufemi.lawal@reps.rcn.org.uk

Anita McBride (Board Member)

Anita qualified as a registered nurse in London in 1986 and has since been employed by both the NHS and universities. She was a Director of a Research Unit at Oxford University, focusing on health promotion in its widest sense, and writing a textbook to assist health care professionals. She has a doctorate from Oxford and has published in several journals. She has also been the lead on behalf of the DoH in identifying and prioritising topics for NHS research funding, and the Head of R&D for a large NHS Trust. She spent several years in Tanzania as a volunteer where she was also honoured to be able to lead the development of nurse training throughout the country. She has been an active member of St John Ambulance for many years and wrote the very first ambulance aid training manual. She has substantial experience in EDs and has always combined her academia-based posts with working in ED. Currently, she works for South Central Ambulance Service as a clinical manager for 111/Integrated Urgent Care. She is an RCN Steward and the Chair for the Hampshire Branch.
You can contact Anita by emailing: anita.mcbride@reps.rcn.org.uk

Josie Mutalu (Board Member)

You can contact Josie by emailing: josephine.mutalu@reps.rcn.org.uk