Our Trustees – Tyneside Mind

Chair of Trustees – Lyn Simpson

Lyn is the Chief Executive of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and is currently on supporting the Humber Health Partnership as Interim Group Chief Executive of. She has worked in the NHS for over 35 years, holding senior leadership roles in provider trusts and NHS England. Lyn has led major programmes of change to improve services, strengthen partnerships, and support staff wellbeing. She is passionate about tackling health inequalities and ensuring that communities have access to high quality care. Lyn brings her leadership experience and commitment to mental health to her role as a Trustee at Tyneside and Northumberland Mind.

David Sayer

David has been a member of the Lived Experience Group at TNM since it started in 2020 and has since become a Trustee of TNM and Chair of the LEG. Before he retired in 2020 he was a Trading Standards Officer and Senior Manager in Public Protection for various Councils in the North of England. He is also a Member of the British Standards Institute Consume Protection and Information Network. David is a keen walker and takes part in a weekly Parkrun each Saturday.

Tracey Clark

Tracey became a trustee in 2019. She has 8 years’ of HR experience in the private sector, prior to this she worked in the legal sector for 5 years after graduating from university. During this time she worked in several sectors including Employment, Criminal and Wills and Probate.

Since joining her current company Tracey has created and implemented a HR strategy, created policy and been heavily involved in the growth of the company. The company has also been named on the Top 100 Best Companies to work for the last 2 years. Tracey is passionate about people and creating an environment they can thrive in, that’s why becoming a trustee of Tyneside and Northumberland Mind was important as it enabled her to learn new ways to support employees and help implement preventative measures in the workplace and offer advice.

Tracey has 2 girls, so all her spare time is spent with them and her husband.

Rick O’Farrell

For the last 3.5 years Rick has been an Executive Director at Northumberland County Council, acting as Chief Executive from April 2022 until February 2023 when he retired for a third time. Prior to this he spent 6 years as a freelance consultant, undertaking a number of Interim Director-level regeneration, economic development and housing roles in Eden District Council, Northampton Borough Council, the London Borough of Lambeth, and the London Borough of Redbridge. This followed 13 years in local government working at South Tyneside Council, and a long career in the Department of Trade and Industry in all its various manifestations, including working on secondment to the Foreign Office as a diplomat in India. Outside work Rick is a keen rock climber, mountaineer and diver. He is a trustee of the mental health charity Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, and a trustee of the Longhirst Hall Education Trust.

Kelly Botcherby

Kelly joined the board of Trustees in March 2022. She is a lawyer specialising in business affairs, restructuring and insolvency. In practice Kelly regularly advised businesses, charities, directors and individuals experiencing financial difficulties to help them identify their options and work with them to implement the most appropriate solution. Having spent 20 years in private practice at various regional law firms, she now works in house for a finance company that provides litigation funding.

In her spare time, Kelly enjoys walking with Benson the black Labrador which helps counteract her passion for food, cooking and eating it!

Claire Pegg

Claire became a trustee in 2019, having been involved with Tyneside and Northumberland Mind from 2015. She has over 20 years’ public sector experience in leadership roles, both within policing and now as a Learning Consultant with the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, making sure these services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.

Whilst working for Northumbria Police, Claire was instrumental in setting up the Blue Light Programme across the North East emergency services. Working collaboratively with leaders in the police, fire and search and rescue services, together with North Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, to ensure a framework of mental health support for those working and volunteering in these services. Support also extended to family and friends. The implementation of this programme within the North East led to additional funding for North Tyneside and Northumberland Mind.

Claire has experience in Human Resources, Learning and Development and Leadership, managing large-scale projects on a regular basis. As a Learning Consultant she holds the portfolio for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights learning and development, alongside Mental Health and Wellbeing.

In her spare time Claire goes walking with her two Lakeland terriers and partner in the Lakes and has just taken up sewing and made her first baby quilt!

Bruce Martin

Bruce works as a Senior Mortgage and Protection adviser for a Newcastle based firm and has been volunteering for Tyneside and Northumberland Mind for 3 years. In addition to being a trustee Bruce is also part of our Finance and Risk Subcommittee. Bruce is passionate about promoting the services that Mind offers and helping to keep reducing the stigma of talking about mental health issues. In his free time, Bruce enjoys hiking in the lake district and has recently taken up paddle boarding.

Nicola Bradshaw

Nicola is an experienced operations leader and has spent the last 4.5y working within digital healthcare at start up businesses and in close collaboration with the NHS. Her recent experience spans across safeguarding, service design, programme delivery and operational excellence where Nicola puts users at the centre of her work. She is passionate about the services that TNM offers and knows the incredible impact that the organisation has on individuals and communities. In her spare time, Nicola enjoys spending time by the coast.

Mitchell D Smith

Mitchell became a trustee in 2024 having previously held other trustee and board roles within charitable organisations. Mitchell is an MBA qualified commercial leader who has helped numerous businesses grow and develop. He grew up in Northumberland and lives in Newcastle and has a real passion for the area. With an early career in property, construction and energy Mitchell got to understand several sectors including Hospitality, leisure and tourism. After holding various Plc. board positions Mitchell has spent the last twenty years running his own businesses which all focus on growing, buying, selling and merging organisations. Mitchell has also helped numerous businesses achieve success and many have sold for large multiples. He majors in strategic thinking long term planning and the commercial viability of organisations whilst having a real passion for people development.

Mitchell joined the organisation to provide additional support, leadership, guidance and support to help him amplify his purpose of helping others by sharing his experiences and knowledge. Outside of an active working life Mitchell can be found training or participating in extreme challenges to raise charitable funds.

Neil Thompson CB

Neil became a trustee in 2025. He has thirty years’ public sector leadership experience in central government operational, technology and policy roles, across Defence, the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office.

Since leaving government, Neil has worked as a Non Executive Director on several commercial boards. He has also worked as an Advisor to McKinsey & Company, the global consulting firm and as a strategic advisor in Whitehall. He is vice Chair of Northumberland Citizens Advice and also vice Chair of the Taigh Mor Foundation, a charity that supports defence personnel with their mental health. He is also a Public Governor of the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

He’s an enthusiastic, but unskilled, gardener and likes exploring his adopted home in the North East.