Council of Governors biographies

Click on the profiles below to see more about our Council of Governors

Imran Khan

Bradford West

I was born at the BRI and raised here in Bradford, as were my children. I see the great service and work Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust does on a daily basis. I also see the varying challenges faced in the way of how each area is set up and the diversity of each areas residents and service users. This is challenging to say the least and does affect delivery of services and requirements or needs. There is also the aspect of culture and lifestyle which indirectly affects and impacts the Trust and its resources.

I am an ex civil servant for HM Revenue & Customs, have almost a decade of service at a secondary school in Bradford West, and am a qualified Imam and deputy principal at a supplementary school. I believe I have much to offer in this role as I have experience and understanding of the diverse communities that represent the service users of the trust.

A lot of invaluable work is done behind the scenes which helps deliver essential services and awareness to the community. I would be grateful and honoured to be able to be a part of this process.
Emmerson Walgrove

Bradford West

I have been involved with the Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT) as an involvement Partner for more than 15 years and sit on the Ligature Environment Risk and Safety (LERS) Group, the Care Trust Way Guiding Group and take part in the Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE).

I attend BDCFT Trust Wide Involvement Group (TWIG) and have ongoing depression myself. I was Chair of Bradford District Care Patient & Public Involvement Forums until 2006 and Chair of Bradford Disabled People’s Forum until 2021

I am a Director/ Trustee of Bradford Cyrenians, which was formed in 1972 in direct response to the lack of services for homeless people, including a growing concern around rough sleeping in the Bradford district. It is our aim to provide flexible, preventative support services to vulnerable communities who present with a wide range of multiple and complex health issues including mental health.

I am a Director/Trustee of Sight Airedale, which is a local independent sight loss charity supporting people who live in the Airedale area (Barnoldswick, Bingley, Cross Hills, Ilkley, Keighley, Settle, Silsden, Skipton). Who help anyone who is (or is eligible to be) registered Blind or Partially sighted or anyone who has a sight problem that means they are unable to read text at N12 size even if they are wearing glasses.

I have a proven history of representing service users / carers, and feeding information back to them, and I would represent Bradford West to the best of my ability.
Aurangzeb Khan

Bradford East

I would like to become a Governor for the Hospital as I would like to help and support the local community. I would like to be the voice of the patients, public and staff members so that I can represent parties between the Trust and the Community.

I am a Member of the IAG (Independent Advisor Group) and a member of the Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel. I have relevant skills by being an active member of these panels and I am capable of transferring my skills over to a Governor.

I have excellent communication skills and I am multi-lingual which will benefit patients where English is not their first language.

I believe with my skills and experience I am the best person for the role and will be a great voice for the people in Bradford.
Mufeed Ansari

Bradford East

I have great motivation and enthusiasm in whatever I do, which has been aptly displayed in my first term as a Governor. I regularly attend meetings, make positive contributions with my knowledge and information, and do not hesitate to point out any shortcomings or errors.

I feel I have the understanding and connections within the local community to contribute to the wellbeing of our health systems. I understand the Trust must go through change if it is to serve the public in the years to come and to be free at the point of use however it is also important that any changes must be introduced in a careful, responsible and sensitive way, to benefit patients and staff.

As a Governor, I would welcome the opportunity to continue to influence future healthcare in Bradford, hold the Trust to account and ensure transparency. My aim would be to represent people’s opinions about the Trust, identify their needs and ensure quality care; how they want their needs to be fulfilled.

I desire to embody people’s feelings, thoughts, ideas, and will advocate for dignity, privacy, confidentiality, inclusion, respect and individuality. I will also ensure that views and opinions of young persons are given importance.

I would also like to encourage more young people to join the governors. I hope that I can continue being a governor to carry on supporting the great work that the Trust is doing.
Mike Frazer

Bradford East

I have previously served as governor for Bradford East constituency for last 3 years and have tried my best to represent patients interests during this time and have gained invaluable experience in how the trust is governed.

I would like to serve another term and request people vote for me based on my previous experience and contribution to ensuring patients have a voice and influence on the Trusts strategies and policies.

I am a grandfather of 4 children and widower and acted as Carer for my wife Anna before her death in 2016 and in that capacity experienced at first hand the medical services provided by the trust especially in mental health provision.
Michael Lodge

Rest of England

I’m retired. My career was in local government. I worked in social services at Bradford Council between 1979 and 1999. I then had a change of career and have worked supporting Councillors on scrutiny committees at Bradford Council, Craven Council and Calderdale Council.

This has included a great deal of work with NHS colleagues in the health and care system, giving me a good knowledge of how the system works. My scrutiny work requires challenge in a “critical friend” way, with the objective of improving outcomes for people who use our services and the wider community. My approach has always favoured the “friend” aspect. Building good relationships makes it easier to provide constructive challenge – and praise – which is frequently deserved and often forgotten! I will bring the same approach to my work as a governor. Below is a changed version.

A close family member has mental health problems and has spent some time in hospital in the south. This gives me a personal commitment to mental health services and some understanding of the challenges of living a long way away from a relative in need of support. If elected I will:

Work hard and try to always make my best contribution

Make myself available to service users, their families and the wider community

In particular, focus on how we provide service for people in the rest of England and how people who live away from Bradford need to interact with BDCT.
Tabaro Rwegema

Clinical Staff

I am passionate about the care with offer to patient but more over I would like to see us working on prevention and improving life’s rather than being reactive. Having worked as a nurse for the Trust over 7 years, I felt the need to enroll to a Public Health course with personal founding and obtained my Master’s degree. The course has shaped my vision on how to bridge health disparities, how integrated care and a holistic view can improve staff moral and better outcome for patient.

My ambition to become a Governor matured over years thought experience in private and NHS but also with work experience in the UK and outside the UK in other European countries as well as in less privilege health and social care sector in Africa.
Terry Henry

Non-Clinical Staff

I joined BDCT as an Organisation Development Facilitator in January 2023, and have had the enormous privilege of working with many clinical and non-clinical teams. We have an immensely talented workforce that are key to helping us deliver our vision of ‘Better Lives, Together,’ through our 4 strategic priorities of being the best place to work, delivering the best quality services, making the best use of resources, and being the best partner; for the benefit of all our diverse residents.

My Reason for standing as a Non-Clinical Staff Governor is to use my experiences of living within the Bradford Metropolitan District for many years, and my skill set gained from working in the private, voluntary and public sectors both as an employee and on a management consultancy basis. I’m an alumni of the University of Bradford, where I did my Masters in Business Administration. I got married in Bradford and all 3 of my children went to schools in Bradford. I have been a School governor in Bradford and currently sit as a trustee of two local community based organisations as well as being a Lay Canon of Bradford Cathedral.

My vision and passion is to see the working together of our great staff, our organisational capability with its potential for improvement and innovation, to align thoroughly with the real needs and challenges within our local communities. Doing this in challenging and supportive ways, with both staff wellbeing and the needs of the population we serve, at the centre.
Deborah Buxton

Appointed Governors

I am currently the Assistant Director of Barnardo’s in Bradford, Wakefield and Rotherham, I have extensive experience of managing practitioners with a wide range of skills and experiences. I have an extensive diverse portfolio, having initially trained and spent many years working in the field of early years, I have developed my skill set since moving to Barnardo’s 7 years ago to include: high level and specialist exploitation services, mental health related contracts and adult services removal of babies at birth.

Previous to this I have spent my time developing children’s centres in Bradford, working coherently to ensure children, young people and families could access local services to meet their ever-challenging needs.

My interests outside of work are walking, yoga, cooking and spending time with my family.
Cllr Andy Brown

Appointed Governors

Andy is rooted in this constituency having lived here for 29 years. He is a former lecturer in Economics and Communication Skills and became Head of a large College and then Director of Young People’s learning for Yorkshire.

He writes a weekly column for the Yorkshire Post and has also written for the Guardian, the Times Educational Supplement, the Independent and Yorkshire Bylines.

He is currently a North Yorkshire Councillor having won the seat of Aire Valley with 79% of the votes which is the largest majority held by anyone on that council.
James Hobson

Keighley

My professional and personal lives are rooted in the public services of our district. As an IT Business Partner for the Bradford Children and Families Trust, and a father living in Oakworth, I have a deep-seated commitment to ensuring our community is supported by accountable and effective organisations. This dedication to public service is why I am standing for election as a Governor.

My belief in community contribution is also demonstrated through my role as a governor at Oakworth Primary School, where I will soon become the Chair. This position has given me invaluable, first-hand experience in governance: providing strategic oversight and holding leadership teams to account to ensure the best possible outcomes.

These skills are directly transferable to the duties of an NHS Governor. My professional experience in performance management, combined with my practical governance experience, equips me to constructively scrutinise the Trust’s work and ensure it remains focused on delivering high-quality care for its members.

I am passionate about serving our community and have the proven experience to make a valuable contribution. I would be honoured to represent the Keighley constituency and bring my dedication to public service to the Council of Governors.
Hitesh Govan

Bradford South

I am from a humble background, a child of economic immigrants and grew up in a deprived inner-city community where life was tough. Through hard work, having worked in Retail Banking now for nearly 37 years, I have been extremely lucky to have had a diverse and fulfilling career. I have conducted many operational roles before specialising in Human Resources. So in short, I want to give back by using my skills and experiences which I have developed in the Banking sector to benefit our local community. I see this opportunity to become a Governor as perfect for doing this.

I am a Chartered Member of the CIPD and I feel I have great experience to do this role. I am a passionate and highly skilled leader with proven capability to constructively challenge the thinking of others to drive change. I also possess a commercial and strategic outlook that enables me to consider and address wider and longer terms impacts. It is really important to me that people leading organisations take their responsibilities seriously and are rightly held to account.

We all need to have a duty of care to all in our community, especially those that are most vulnerable and and balance this with the need to transform our services and delivering them as efficiently as possible. I believe in fairness, in the need for ethical processes and always operate with integrity, trust, and transparency. Given the opportunity, I would cherish the opportunity to be a Governor.
Aidan Jones

Non-clinical staff

I’ve worked at BDCT for two years and am currently the E-Rostering Team Leader, supporting service users and staff with rostering, staffing, HR and pay queries. Having personally experienced mental health challenges myself, I deeply value the care our Trust provides to our service users. In my support role, I see firsthand the pressures our staff face by delivering that care, whilst also balancing staff well-being, safer staffing and service demands alongside that.

I’m passionate about helping the Trust evolve to meet the needs of service users—but not at the expense of our staff. My role gives me a unique perspective, working closely with frontline colleagues across a range of services, as well as working with nearly every area of our support services. I’ve also worked in both acute and community NHS trusts, and in the private sector but still working with and supporting NHS organisations, giving me broad insight into how different systems and processes operate, and how they can be improved. I believe the strength of our Trust lies in the people who work here. As a governor, I will ensure all voices are heard and considered in decisions that affect us all. I will advocate for clear, transparent communication around proposed changes and decisions—ensuring staff have opportunities to understand, question and influence plans before they’re implemented. I’m committed and passionate about making a positive difference for staff and service users alike, and ensuring all are accountable for the decisions that are made.
David Hesford

Clinical Staff

For over two decades, I have proudly dedicated my career to the NHS, serving in a variety of roles across ward-based care, community health, and partnerships with third-party organizations. My journey has been defined by a deep commitment to ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care, tailored to their needs and delivered with compassion. Throughout my time in the NHS, I have embraced the evolving healthcare landscape, adapting to new challenges and opportunities while always prioritizing the well-being of individuals and communities. Whether working directly with patients or collaborating with external partners, my focus has remained steadfast—advocating for accessible, high-quality healthcare that truly makes a difference. Supporting the community is more than a job to me; it is my passion. I believe that everyone deserves the best possible care the NHS can offer, and I am dedicated to fostering environments where patients feel heard, valued, and cared for. My experience has allowed me to witness firsthand the transformative impact of compassionate healthcare, and I remain committed to driving positive change that enhances patient outcomes and strengthens the NHS’s mission. Looking ahead, I am eager to continue championing excellence in healthcare, leveraging my skills and experience to support both patients and colleagues in delivering outstanding care. My commitment to the NHS and the people it serves remains unwavering, and I am excited to contribute to its future with the same passion that has guided my journey thus far.
Trevor Ramsay

Bradford West

I am someone who has used mental health services and was Public Relations Officer for Mind in Bradford for many years. I am a Trustee of the user-led advocacy group Vital and a volunteer with Healthy Minds Calderdale. I have been a co-presenter of the Open Minds Bradford Community Broadcasting radio show and have also appeared on Healthy Minds Radio on Phoenix FM and Calder Valley Radio.

I am an Involvement Partner with BDCFT and a co-optee of the BMDC Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee. I am also a member of the Co-Production Partnership, which is part of Equality Together.

I live in an Incommunities high-rise flat in Bradford West and have fed back other tenants’ concerns about mental health and other BDCFT services to different forums.

Council of Governors biographies

Imran Khan

Emmerson Walgrove

Aurangzeb Khan

Mufeed Ansari

Mike Frazer

Michael Lodge

Tabaro Rwegema

Terry Henry

Deborah Buxton

Cllr Andy Brown

James Hobson

Hitesh Govan

Aidan Jones

David Hesford

Trevor Ramsay