Black History Month: “Have the fire in your belly to be the best you can be.”
October is Black History Month 2024, and we’re proud to share what this year’s theme – Reclaiming Narratives – means to our staff.
Inclusion and diversity are vital in Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH). In August, we launched our ‘everyone is welcome’ campaign – to ensure that every voice within our diverse staff and the community we serve – is listened to, respected, and valued.
Black History Month allows us to celebrate the vital contributions of our Black colleagues within the NHS, from the Windrush generation - brought to Britain to staff the newly created National Health Service - to today. These colleagues book appointments, greet patients, make and deliver meals, provide care, keep our hospitals clean, keep us safe - and they are an intrinsic part of the leadership and operational management of the Trust
Black History Month also acts as a reminder that we still have much to learn about health disparities experienced by Black communities.
Gilbert George, Director of Corporate Governance (Governance, Legal, Inclusion, and Risk), explains what Reclaiming Narratives means to him: “I owe a great deal of my success to my parents who came to England in the 1960s and instilled in me the values of honesty, integrity, respect, and helping others. I am proudly first-generation St Lucian (Caribbean).
“My senior professional journey started almost two decades ago and has included working and liaising at the highest levels in the public sector including, academia, UK government, and in the NHS, on a local, regional, and national level.
"In the first 10 years as an executive director I had never been in a Board or executive meeting with another Black person, but I am delighted to say that today things are starting to change; and that boards are starting to reflect society. Organisations are also becoming more diverse, though this may not be as fast as we would all like to see.
“Having said this, a principal I hold dearly is that appointments should only be made on merit. As an executive governance lead in public service, one of my goals in collaborating with the chairperson of a Board is to influence public Board membership, to encompass diversity of thought, inclusivity, and representation of the local communities they serve.”
Gilbert reflects that his parents played a huge part in his career direction.
“For me, governance is an extension of the values that I was raised on by my dear parents (Elwin and Marie George) - values which have played an intrinsic part in my way of working. In 2020, I was humbled at being nominated and shortlisted by the UK Institute of Chartered Governance for Governance Professional of the Year, across all sectors. The recognition has inspired me to continue my work in governance, and to mentor and encourage others.
“I wear many hats in addition to my core role, including being a specialist advisor and ambassador to the National Race Equality Code Steering Group, which seeks to address the inequalities in boardrooms and senior leadership teams in the UK; I chair a series of national NHS seminars for executive governance leads, I have been asked to chair panel meetings for the East Midlands branch of the Institute of Chartered Governance, I am an advisor on NUH’s Global Health Programme, and recently I have been given the privilege of being a judge on the Caribbean Global Awards.
“My advice to budding executive governance leads is to network within your social circle, and find people you admire – connect with them on social media; understand who, within your network, you can reach out to for mentoring to help develop you professionally; and keep on top of the latest compliance updates and regulatory affairs.
“Finally, there may be times when you will be greatly challenged, or where it feels like there are unbreakable glass ceilings,” said Gilbert. “Keep your focus, maintain the positive energy around you, find ways to break through, and just go for it!
“Have the fire in your belly to be the best you can be, and to want to do your best for others around you.”
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