Award-winning The Sleep Charity is delighted to announce its newly formed expert advisory board as part of its mission to empower the nation to sleep better.
The voluntary advisory board, named The Sleep Council, will help to shape the future of sleep support nationally and play a vital role around providing advice, challenge and scrutiny on key issues and programmes.
Chairing the advisory board is Professor Heather Elphick, a consultant in Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, and a trustee of the charity. She is joined by an 18-strong team of professionals whose expertise spans across sleep, sport science, nutrition, menopause, mental health, sleep research, primary care, public health, sensory processing, CBTi and medical sleep disorders.
Said Vicki Dawson, CEO of The Sleep Charity:
“We were impressed by the number and high calibre of applicants for our new advisory board and we are delighted with this team of professionals who are on board with us. It’s always been a priority of the charity to ensure the support and advice we provide is evidence-based and credible.
“As we expand our services and move into new sectors, it was important for us to ensure we were supported by a panel of professionals. Their experience, knowledge and insights will be invaluable as we drive forward with our mission.”
In July, The Sleep Charity acquired The Sleep Council (a not for profit advisory organisation) as part of an ambitious five-year plan and wanted to retain the name for its new advisory board. The two organisations had worked closely together for several years including launching a joint sleep manifesto ‘The Wake Up Call’ in Westminster to call on the government to recognise and act upon the importance of sleep as part of a healthy balanced lifestyle and to call for improvements in the support available.
The advisory board comprises of:
- Professor Heather Elphick – consultant in Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
- Dr Ruth Kingshott – sleep physiologist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital
- Dr Mike Farquhar – sleep medicine consultant at Evelina London Children’s Hospital
- Dr Sarah Gilchrist – specialist in sleep and athletic performance
- Dr Roxane Gervais – chartered psychologist
- Dr Neil Bindemann – director at Innervate, Exec Director of P-CNS and Community Therapists Network
- Dr Alanna Hare – consultant in sleep and respiratory failure at Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
- Nathalie Winn – nutritionist at Waitrose & Partners
- Rachel Wallbank – specialist occupational therapist
- Simon Blake OBE – CEO of Mental Health First Aid England
- Dr Elizabeth Pal – Child Health Lead at Better Start Bradford
- Jessica Alexander – executive director of the National Bed Federation
- Dr Rob Meadows – Reader at University of Surrey
- Jenny Featherstone – physiotherapist, specialising in paediatric neuro-disability
- Dr Theodora Kalentzi – specialist in women’s health and menopause care
- Dr Karen McDonnell – occupational Health and Safety Policy Adviser at RoSPA
- Shaun Fenton OBE – headmaster at Reigate Grammar School
- Dr Simon Durrant – director of the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Lincoln
- Dr Sophie Bostock – specialist in sleep and CBTi