Mary Seacole Trust has new chair on statue anniversary

LONDON:

Felicia Kwaku OBE, was announced as the new chair of the Mary Seacole Trust during a special event on June 26 to mark the ninth anniversary of the unveiling of a statue of Mary Seacole on the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Felicia Kwaku, currently associate director of nursing for acute specialty medicine at King’s College Hospital in London, and immediate past chair of the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer’s Black Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group, NHS England takes over from major trauma lawyer Dr Trevor Sterling who became Chair shortly after the unveiling of the statue in June 2016.

During Dr Sterling’s time as Chair, the Trust built strong links with both the NHS and Jamaica, where Mary Seacole was born. Through a number of projects, MST has worked hard to engage schools, and young people in particular, to develop Mary Seacole’s legacy, hoping that the 19th century nurse’s experience of overcoming obstacles such as racism and sexism to get to the battlefields of the Crimean War will provide inspiration to today’s youth.

Dr Sterling, who recently launched a new charity Be the Ladder, said: “I am delighted to be handing on Mary’s legacy to such a distinguished nurse as Felicia. It is fitting that the Mary Seacole Trust will now be led by a modern day nursing inspiration. My charitable work will continue through Be Ladder Foundation promoting social mobility, and to recognise and celebrate those who have been the ladder for others.

“I also extend my heartfelt thanks to trustee Jermaine Sterling who also steps down as Education trustee. Jermaine led the way in respect of the Trust’s education programme, giving hope and inspiration to the next generation, particularly through the pandemic.”

NEW TRUSTEE

Kwaku was awarded the OBE for services to nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across NHS England, she advocated for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) nurses who were being disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Felicia and colleagues delivered webinars supporting vulnerable, anxious professionals, and put the case for appropriate risk assessments and PPE for nursing staff and other clinical colleagues as the pandemic was advancing.

Kwaku specialised in cardiothoracic/intensive care and has been nursing for 35 years.

Among other changes in leadership, MST also welcomed new trustee, Jennifer Caguioa, who was also awarded an MBE for services to nursing this year. Originally from the Philippines, she has over three decades of nursing experience in the NHS with various specialties and has led national and regional programmes at NHS England to improve the pastoral support for the nursing workforce for the last five years.

She is a passionate advocate for staff support and leadership development and supported the commissioning of MST to pioneer the Mary Seacole Storytellers to help raise the profile of our international nurses and midwives . She currently serves as council member for the Royal College of Nursing.

The statue of Mary Seacole is believed to be the first to a named black woman in the UK. It was unveiled by Baroness Floella Benjamin in 2016 following 12 years of fundraising by the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.