Our Directors
Helen is also a part-time GP partner and a Professor in the Medical School at University of Birmingham (Chair of undergraduate GP Education). Previously, she has held the post of RCGP Honorary Treasurer, the first female to hold this position. Prior to training as a GP, Helen worked in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, experience that shaped her clinical and academic inspirations.
Helen is naturally enthusiastic and dynamic with a sense of humour and plenty of pragmatism.
Tanni was appointed an MBE for services to sport in 1993, OBE in 2000, and DBE in 2005. Following her athletics career, she has sat on the boards of numerous bodies, including the National Disability Council and UK Sport, and is Chair of the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport and Chair of ukactive.
In 2010, Tanni was created a Life Peer in the House of Lords and sits as a crossbencher. She has also been Chancellor of Northumbria University since July 2015.
Formerly, Phoebe served as a Partner and Group Director of Communications at Bell Pottinger, where she managed the marketing function. Earlier in her career, she worked in the conference and events production industry for over 15 years. She worked for Press Holdings Media Group, The Financial Times and Informa Group Plc as Corporate Affairs and Event Director, producing high-level strategic events spanning developed and emerging markets on five continents in a wide range of focus areas.
Phoebe is a Board Trustee of Chickenshed Theatre, a theatre company transforming the lives of children with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds with a passion in performing arts. She was also a member of the NSPCC’s Rebuilding Childhoods Board.
His passion for music came to the fore during his time working at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. Although knowledgeable and well connected across every facet of British culture, from film to fine art, he became a vocal champion of British music, and especially British urban music.
Jonathan grew up in Wolverhampton and was educated at Heath Park and Wolverhampton Grammar School. He studied Biochemistry at the University of Birmingham before going on to study a Masters in Political Science.
Our Constitution
At our launch in October 2019, we were set up as a Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 12275770) with an initial team of six directors and the five key aims shown on this website. The aim now is to define our future work.
The next phase of the Academy development (between November 2019 and March 2020) will be to seek charitable status and recruit additional board members. Recruitment will seek representation from a number of sectors, including the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
It is important that the Academy is an independent, not-for-profit, charitable organisation, which is representative of all partners involved in social prescribing, providing a strong voice for the movement.
Moving forwards, we will work closely with stakeholders across sectors at local, regional and national level to co-produce the Academy work plan. This will build on the work to co-produce the format and purpose of the academy over the past year, which has included people with lived experience, VCSE organisations, social prescribing link workers, government departments, ALBs, arts, sports and nature-based organisations, and local government.
We plan to launch our full programme of work in the new year and look forward to working with partners across the country. We want to thank all those who have supported our journey so far and share our mission to develop and advance social prescribing.