Our team

Yvonne Probert

CEO

Yvonne joined Tell Us North CIC as CEO in December 2022 and she brings with her over 20 years’ experience as a senior manager and as a dynamic strategic thinker with a broad knowledge base.

Throughout her career in the voluntary sector she has gained skills, knowledge, and the experience of developing, managing and operating a variety of projects, charities and not for profit businesses. Yvonne’s main strengths are good communication skills, people management, partnership working, income generation and community engagement. She has a passion for health and wellbeing especially the positive impact that the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) can have on statutory services.

Yvonne had personal interest in community led housing, she is one of the founding Directors and currently the Chair of a Northeast housing and advice hub. Also, she is a member of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs and a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Management.

 Hannah Farr

 Lead Officer

Hannah has supported the team as an Engagement and Involvement Officer since September 2022, gaining valuable experience and developing key relationships. She brought with her previous experience as a refugee support worker and a community care worker. Hannah has a strong educational background with an MSc in Clinical Psychology and a BSc in Social Sciences. She has developed a keen interest in public health, health psychology and health policy, particularly focusing on how these ideas intersect and can be utilised in prevention and service improvement to promote better health and wellbeing outcomes for populations, or sub-populations, of people.

Hannah likes to challenge herself in and out of work to keep learning and developing, spending her free time either taking part in volunteering activities or hiking up mountains and running. 

Jay Conlon

Engagement and Involvement Officer

Jay has lived in the North East their whole life and has been involved in the Voluntary and Community Sector since they were 15. They've worked across the region to deliver meaningful and effective engagement through a range of activities. An English Literature graduate with a history of public service with local and regional governments from childhood, they are always seeking to help make hidden voices heard through representation.

Jay’s interests range from community arts to policy, and they are always seeking new ways to help foster a sense of community wherever they go. Jay's focus is working at ground level to get to the heart of community issues.

Our volunteers

Susan Chan

Susan has been a Healthwatch Newcastle Champion since we began in 2013. She initially joined us because she wanted to learn more about how health and social care services work and how she could influence the way they are run. Susan feeds back what she has heard to older people in the Chinese community, and helps them to better understand health and social care processes.

Susan also helps out on our stalls, with street surveys, and at listening events. She enjoys spreading the word about Healthwatch Newcastle, as well as learning new skills.

Aditya Chandra

Hi, my name Aditya but it will be easier if you just call me DEETS! I am a volunteer, partaking in helping and reaching out to the vulnerable and the ones in need. I am friendly or at least I believe my behaviour is friendly. So, you won’t have any problems asking me questions.

Edwina Forde

Edwina was born in Barbados in the West Indies. From childhood she always had the desire to travel, which led to her emigrating to England at an early age. She spent many years in the health industry, both in the UK and abroad as a Research Sister and Clinical Research Educator.

In addition to volunteering she has completed a BSc (Hon) and MSc in Clinical Research Management. Her personal interests include travelling, reading, meeting people, and learning Spanish.

Nusra Mollik

I was born in Newcastle and have lived here since. My personal interests and hobbies include travelling, reading, learning new languages and hanging out with people.

I joined Healthwatch to learn more about health care services and help young people raise their concerns to improve services to meet their needs.

Rajan Nair

Rajan has been a volunteer with Healthwatch Newcastle for several years. He is passionate about supporting stroke survivors and raising awareness of the condition.

He has worked in hospitals and clinics and supervised speech and language therapies. Rajan hopes that through volunteering with Healthwatch Newcastle he can give a voice to people in the city.

Robert Rendall

Robert studied psychology at Durham University and then went on to work as a mental health support worker. He has also volunteered with Children North East for three years during his studies.

Robert joined Healthwatch Newcastle to get involved in its research and support the NHS.

Violet Rook

Violet trained in midwifery and nursing and has a teaching qualification. She was Vice chair of Newcastle LINk and represented the network at regional meetings. Violet has connected with many communities in the city and was as a governor at the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust for two years. She is also involved with school governance and her local neighbourhood forum.

Cath Smart

Cath was born in Gateshead but educated in Newcastle and then Nottingham where she took a French degree and then a PGCE. She came back to Newcastle and has lived and worked here since, apart from a six year spell in Alnwick.

Cath worked as a French teacher and private tutor before retiring early due to increasing health and mobility problems. However, she has always been involved in the voluntary sector (youth clubs, witness support, People's Kitchen, St Oswalds’ charity shop) as she has a strong feeling of wanting to give something back to society.

Cath has been a Newcastle Healthwatch Champion for a number of years. She believes strongly in the NHS and is happy to support and better it in any way she can. Cath is also a volunteer for Newcastle Neurological Advocacy and a trustee of the Elders Council Newcastle.

Linda Woodcock

Linda worked for the NHS for many years, before taking early retirement because of a long term health problem. She lives in the west end of Newcastle and currently volunteers at a project based in Benwell.