Who's who at the Men's Health Forum
The Men's Health Forum has a team of staff, associates and trustees.
Vacancies
- Watch this space
Staff and Associates
- Martin Tod - Chief Executive
- Jim Pollard - Editorial and Creative Consultant and Editor of the MHF's website
- Peter Baker
- John Ryan
- David Winskill
- Matthew Maycock
- Tim Street
- Tim Shand
- Dr Ian Banks
Patron
Trustees
- Dr John Chisholm CBE - Chair of Trustees
- Dr Shaun Davis
- Ruth Pott
- Dr Ajanta Biswas
- Dr Annette Fenner
- Matt Longley
- Sara Richards
- Adelle Shaw-Flach
- David James Simpson
- Su Wang
Interested in being a Trustee?
Staff and Associates
Martin joined the Men's Health Forum in January 2013 as Chief Executive. Before joining the forum, he worked for Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, in a range of roles including Head of Strategy Development and Deputy Director of Communications, Policy and Campaigns. He previously worked in the corporate sector as UK Head of Brand & Marketing Communications for Vodafone and as a Marketing Director for Procter & Gamble. Martin is currently a city councillor in Winchester and a county councillor in Hampshire where he focuses on social care and public health issues.
Jim Pollard - Editorial and Creative Consultant/Editor of the Forum's websites
Jim Pollard is a freelance editor, writer and journalist with a particular interest in men's health and diversity issues. His work has appeared in a wide range of media including newspapers (both tabloids and broadsheets), magazines and online. He is author of three acclaimed books on men's health as well as a number of other books on health. He has also published two novels. His books have been shortlisted for a number of prizes. He is the editor of the Men's Health Forum's website and publications for men.
Matthew is doing post-doctoral research at Social and Public Health Scientist Unit at the University of Glasgow in the Gender and Health Team. His current research focuses on masculinity and health in prisons, with a particular focus on a health promotion intervention delivered in a number of prisons in Scotland. Alongside research in prisons, he is involved in a research project exploring performances of health and gender within a large workplace in Scotland.
Matt has undertaken various pieces of work and consultancy for development NGO/INGOs in order to ensure the specific needs and concerns of men and boys are included within gender sensitive work and research.
David has worked with the Men’s Health Forum since 2002. He has written and edited policy papers, including the Gender and Access to Health Services Study for the Department of Health, Try to see it my way with Relate on men’s use of relationship support services and, with Erick Savoye, Men’s health around the world: a review of policy and progress across 11 countries.
David has managed a number of projects aimed at improving men’s health, both for the Men’s Health Forum and in the NHS. Most recently he has led a research project to increase men’s participation in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and he represents the 'men’s health interest' on a number of national and regional policy development bodies. Prior to working with the MHF, David worked for 12 years in public health departments in the NHS and as a community worker and a youth worker.
Peter Baker is an independent consultant committed to improving the health of men and boys. He supports organisations in the public, third and private sectors that want to begin or develop their work on men’s health. For 12 years, until August 2012, Peter was Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum, England and Wales’ leading men’s health charity. He was previously a health journalist, author of two self-help books for men, launch editor of malehealth.co.uk, and a social policy researcher. He was deputy editor of the Men’s Health Journal for two years and is currently a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and a member of its Academy of Experts. He also works as a consultant for the European Men’s Health Forum and is Campaign Director for HPV Action and Director of Global Action on Men’s Health. Peter has expertise in training, public speaking, policy, service development, advocacy, research and equality/diversity.
Comedian John Ryan has talked about men's health and mental health in his act for many years. It has earned him a unique place on the circuit and numerous accolades in both comedy (Edinburgh festival highlight winner 2004 and Leicester comedy festival ‘Best Participatory Project’ 2007) and health (2010 NHS Regional Health and Social Care award winner - Mental Health and Well Being; 2010 Royal Society for Public Health Special Commendation for contributions to the field of Arts and Health Equalities; and 2011 Scottish Mental Health and Arts Film Festival Best Short Documentary Award winner). A frequent turn at Men's Health Forum training and other events, he has written for the Sun, leading voluntary sector organisations and the acclaimed Waltham Forest Guardian. He's even had a research paper published in the Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology on how comedy can boost mental wellbeing. He also contributes articles and podcasts to this website.
- Edinburgh festival highlight winner 2004
- Leicester comedy festival ‘Best Participatory Project’ 2007
- 2010 NHS Regional Health and Social Care award winner - Mental Health and Well Being.
- 2010 Royal Society for Public Health Special Commendation for contributions to the field of Arts and Health Equalities.
- 2011 Scottish Mental Health and Arts Film Festival 2011 Best Short Documentary Award winner
- 2015 Royal Society for Public Health Combined Practice and Research Award winner
Following fifteen years with the British Standards institution, David set up his own public relations consultancy specialising in pharmaceuticals and health. He became involved in various Haringey campaign groups and was elected as a councillor for Crouch End in 2002. He led for his group on Health and Well Being and served as an Overview and Scrutiny Member and chair for a decade. He chaired Getting to the Heart of the Matter, a men's health scrutiny review which was nominated for the Centre of Public Scrutiny Awards in 2012. He stood down in 2014 and continues to support campaigns to tackle health inequalities and improve access to mental health services.
Tim Street is a freelance trainer, coach and consultant. He has a particular interest in how men interact with each other and relate to the situations and communities they find themselves involved in. He worked with Men’s Health Forum Scotland from its inception in 2001, and was Chair of the charity for over ten years.
He has managed large scale projects in the helpline industry, for the Scottish Prison Service and for the European Men's Health Forum.
Tim has extensive experience of working with organisations, large and small, to improve their performance by reducing the causes and impact of stress on their workforces. All the work he is involved in is aimed at supporting people, organisations and communities to reach their potential by facilitating improved awareness and understanding, and motivation to act on these.
Ian Banks was president of the Men’s Health Forum until 2012. He has been president of the European Men’s Health Forum since its launch in 2001.
A retired A&E doctor and GP, Ian has also been deputy editor of the Men’s Health Journal, medical editor for Men’s Health magazine and the official spokesman on men’s health issues for the BMA. He has written many acclaimed books including the award-winning series for Haynes: the Man Workshop Manual, Baby Workshop Manual, Sex Workshop Manual, Woman Workshop Manual, Toddler Manual, Cancer Manual, HGV MAN (on men and weight) and Brain (dealing with men and mental wellbeing). With both the MHF and EMHF, he has also written or edited over 150 small workshop manuals on various areas of men’s health with a distribution of over two million copies.
Ian was appointed visiting professor of men’s health in Europe by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2005. He is also visiting professor in men’s health at the University of Ulster and honorary senior lecturer in men and cancer at Queens University Medical School. The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) awarded him a Gold Medal for public health in 2007 and appointed him as Professorial Fellow to the Society in 2012. He acts as the Guardian of the Royal College of General Practitioner’s (RCGP) syllabus and statement on men’s health. In January 2015, Ian was appointed Visiting Professor in cancer inequalities at Leeds University.
Trustees
Dr John Chisholm CBE - Chair of Trustees
John Chisholm has been chair of the Men’s Health Forum since April 2013.
He has been involved in representing doctors at national level for more than 40 years. He is a Vice-President of the British Medical Association, a member of its Council and the Chair of its Medical Ethics Committee. He is a member of the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners, where he is health and work lead, and Deputy Chair of the College’s Trustee Board. He is a Trustee of the Self Care Forum. For four years he was an adviser to the NHS Working in Partnership Programme. During his time as Chair of the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee, he led the negotiation of the new GP contract.
John’s interests include men’s health, self care, medical ethics, human rights, medical professionalism, healthcare reform, the impact of Brexit on healthcare and public health, and the relationship between health and work. John was formerly a member of the General Medical Council, the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice and the Standing Medical Advisory Committee, and of numerous other professional and Governmental advisory bodies. He has written extensively about the organisation of general practice.
Shaun Davis is Group Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Sustainability at Royal Mail Group, joining in the organisation in September 2012. Prior to Royal Mail Group, Shaun worked in the construction and waste management sectors and led organisations to achieve significant improvements in performance.
Shaun has also led culture change programmes and has achieved a variety of awards and accolades for the organisations he has worked in.
Shaun holds a Master of Arts Degree in Leadership & Change Management, The WWF ‘One Planet’ sustainability focused Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Arts Degree in Marketing & Innovation and a Master of Science Degree in Workplace Health & Wellbeing, which complement his numerous technical qualifications.
Ruth has worked in senior HR roles for more than twenty-five years in predominantly male sectors of road haulage, trade association and civil engineering. Ruth joined BAM Nuttall as HR Director in 2011. She has worked as Global Director for Mental Health and Well Being for the Royal BAM Group and is currently Head of Workplace Wellbeing for BAM UK & IRL. Ruth has a keen professional and personal interest in all matters mental health, particularly men’s health and child and adolescent mental health.
She holds a commercial goods vehicle licence (LGV/HGV) and road transport operations Certificate of Professional Competence. Ruth is a Fellow of the CIPD and holds a Master degree in Law and was awarded her Masters in Workplace Health and Wellbeing in 2021. In 2021, she awarded “Most Inspiring Mental Health Leader” by This Can Happen.
In her spare time, Ruth enjoys personal fitness - cycling, spinning, high intensity interval training, pilates and equestrian sports along with live music, comedy and festivals, walking and exploring our beautiful English countryside. She enjoys time with her two grown up daughters and wider family.
For most of her working life, Sara Richards was a Practice Nurse, now retired. She is interested in diabetes and asthma, self-care, nutrition and weight management. She has written many articles for the nursing press, was editor of Nutrition for Nurses, a quarterly publication, and was on the Editorial Board of Practice Nurse Journal. She served as Chair of the RCN Practice Nurse Association for 3 years.
For several years Sara was involved with NICE looking at coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart failure and obesity and was on the NHS Cancer Screening Programme Prostate Cancer Risk Management Scientific Reference Group.
She now trains volunteers in Bereavement Awareness for Cruse Bereavement Care and is a supervisor for them.
David James Simpson is an independent men’s health consultant.
David originally started his career in the building industry, and he moved on to healthcare. David has substantive work experience in acute, chronic and community Mental Health Services; Neonatal & Paediatric Intensive Care; Trauma Intensive Care; Poisons; Coronary Care; General Practice, Public Health, and Medical Genetics. His passion for inequalities in men’s health drove him to champion men’s health in primary care and he was instrumental in the development and delivery of the award-winning NHS and Public Health Wales Living Well Living Longer Primary Prevention Screening Service. Its aim was to reduce health inequalities and poorer health outcomes in the South Wales Valleys. David has also project managed and delivered several employee wellbeing screening services to local government, construction industry, NHS, and Public Health Wales. He introduced the first Welsh Primary Prevention Cardiovascular Risk Stratification Screening Service. David also developed and delivered the first UK pilot Smoking Cessation and Counselling Support Service for the UK smoke free ban for HM Prison & Probation Service, Public Health Wales, and NHS Wales. He also worked with the local education authorities and young men and in the greater Gwent area on ‘The Big Tackle’ a school-based project which promotes the early identification and diagnosis of testicular cancer.
David’s studies and career have primarily focused on men’s health seeking behaviours; boys and men’s perceptions of health, men, and depression in general practice; the social determents of men and boys help-seeking behaviour; mindfulness meditation in men’s mental health and the effects of the allostatic load in relation anxiety and stress on men.
He has guest lectured to Undergraduates and MSc students in relation to male health and the social and societal determinants of men’s health for the School of Health Science at Swansea University and he has also independantly provided support and employee health screening to several companies such as Marks & Spencer.
David holds a Master of Science (MSc) in the Management of Long-Term Conditions (Men’s Health); a Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) in Community Health Studies; a (BSc (Hons) in Podiatric Medicine and a Post Graduate Certificate in Sports Podiatry. He also holds a NEBOSH Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety and a NEBOSH Certificate in Workplace Wellbeing. David is currently undertaking a diploma in therapeutic counselling; he is also a registered nurse (RN) with the Nursing Midwifery Council and has a Specialist Practitioner Qualification in General practice.
Dr Su Wang is a Specialist Occupational Physician. Her experience covers UK and international exposure.
Su worked in London Transport, British Airways, and Royal Mail, all with predominantly male employees. During her stewardship in Royal Mail, out of 350,000 employees, 85% were men. Her work improved sickness absence in all three organisations. In her last organisation, her innovative interventions changed the perception of occupational health from being seen as punitive to preventative and supportive, and showed that men were interested in health and well being. Su worked to develop the business case for workplace health and well being; independent evaluation of the impact of Health, by the London School of Economics, showed savings of £227 million.