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The Board


Julian Support offers an environment where you can be yourself and feel you are not treated as a number."

Our Board performs a critical role in challenging and supporting the organisation to achieve its goals and aspirations. They understand the vital links with commissioners and associated service providers. They are carefully selected for their knowledge and understanding of the role we perform in society.

Brendan Bergin
Brendan qualified as an architect but spent most of his working life managing housing services. Before moving to Norfolk in the 80s he was Assistant Director of Housing with LB Camden, responsible for one of the largest housing programmes in the country. He had a number of roles at Great Yarmouth Council, the final position being Director of Social Policy, covering all housing and building services, as well as council tax collection and benefits. Throughout his working career he was heavily involved in dealing with social deprivation and inequalities.

At work he had a clear understanding of the invaluable and essential work of Julian Support in helping support tenancies at risk, and on retirement 4 years ago, readily accepted the invitation of Tom Wilson, the founder and former CEO of Julian Support, to become a governing board member.

Robin Brook
Robin Brook has worked in the NHS for nearly 25 years and during that time has been involved in all aspects of health care. The majority of this time has been spent working with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties, and the organisations that provide services, planning and the commissioning of mental health services in Norfolk and other counties. Robin has also worked in a hospital for people who are experiencing the extremely disabling symptoms of severe mental ill health and addiction to drugs.

Robin believes passionately in recovery. That is why giving time to Julian Support to help it continue to move forwards and meet changing challenges is something that he wants to give time to, and is proud to be part of.

In the summer, in his spare time, Robin sails on the Norfolk Broads and the coastal waters, sometimes, if the weather is good, venturing further afield. In the winter, Robin spends far too much time on projects to renovate and bring back to life, old boats. When not repairing boats, Robin sings in a choir, and lately, has developed a keen interest in cooking…probably from watching too many episodes of Master Chef!

Robin is married, with a 30-year-old married son living in Cardiff and a brand new grand daughter.

Bridgid Everitt
Bridgid Everitt has two main drivers in her life – the first being a sense of fairness and justice for everyone, and the second a belief in education. Following graduation ( in Geography – soon to become an extinct subject !) she trained as a teacher and worked with students all her paid working life. A chance encounter in 1981 led her to teaching in Prison. This provided the opportunity to teach the students at their own level, at their own pace, the ages ranged from 15 years – Old Age Pensioners, they were one’s student for anything from a day to Life, and ranged from illiterate to post graduates. A challenge but one that never tired and she remained in Prison Education ultimately managing Education in all the East Anglian Prisons.

Following retirement from full time work she became a member of the Norfolk Probation Board for six years, the maximum term allowed under the then rules of appointment.

She became a Trustee of Julian Support in July 2008 and where she hoped to contribute to the development of this excellent organisation in challenging and changing times.

Sue Gale
Sue Gale has a science background, with experience of working in industry and the civil service, and more recently as a researcher in health inequalities at UEA. She has served as a member of Norfolk Health Authority, Norwich City Council and the Norfolk Probation Board, and was Chair of Norwich PCT. As a councillor she launched Norwich Health Forum, which was an organisation that took a special interest in mental health, mainly because of the influence of Julian Support’s founder, and first CEO, Tom Wilson. This led to an ongoing interest in mental health services, and hence to becoming a trustee of Julian Support. Until 2 years ago Sue also chaired the Norwich Voluntary Sector Forum, and served on the Norwich Strategic Partnership.

Clive Gardner
Clive Gardner has spent in excess of 20 years involved in the Affordable Housing sector. He practised as a solicitor advising in the Affordable Housing sector acting for housing providers such as Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, Yorkshire Housing, Peabody Trust, Circle, Family Mosaic, Orbit Group, Victory Housing Trust and others. He was also a Board Member and Chair of Leeds Federated Housing Association Limited. He has practised in the private sector throughout his working life having run his own legal practice, been a partner in a large regional firm based in Yorkshire and finally undertaking a senior role in an international legal firm. He has always been keenly interested in housing and social conditions. Julian Support adds a new dimension to this interest and he has found the work, which Julian Support undertakes, extremely worthwhile and fundamental to a caring society. He hopes that his private sector experience will be useful to the organisation.

Pat Holman (Chair of Julian Support)
Pat Holman has spent her working life contributing to improving services for people who are experiencing the disabling symptoms of mental illness. She trained as a nurse in the 70s and then as a tutor of nurses. She has worked in hospitals, social services and the community in many parts of England, eventually ending up in Norfolk. Here she was the Chief Executive of the mental health Trust for 9 years. In that time she thinks she saw the greatest changes. It has always been Pat’s desire to see much better co-ordinated services between the statutory services and the charitable sector.  Julian Support has had a great reputation in Norfolk for some time, so when the opportunity arose first to be a Trustee and then the Chair, she was delighted to join them.

Chris King
Chris King is a solicitor and partner at Quality Solicitors Clapham & Collinge, specialising, among other things, in charity law. Trustee of Julian Support since 1995. Married to Hilary, 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Outside work, interested in railways, birdwatching, and doing one's bit to improve things, especially through the medium of the Rotary movement worldwide.

Sam Morton
Sam Morton's first ten years in the work environment were spent in the private sector. This was followed by graduate and post-graduate work in the U.K and U.S.A, and a professional qualification in Social Work.

Once qualified, Sam's career shifted in to Local Government, initially as a front line social worker and then as a manager. He was a senior manager with Norfolk Social Services for 15 years, managing all adult services within various geographic areas in the County. Initially this was in North Norfolk, then in the larger area of Broadland and North Norfolk. At a later date, he transferred to the same job in Norwich.

In addition to the “day job” Sam was responsible for:

  • The creation and development of a Countywide Sensory Support Team, providing services to people with severe hearing and sight problems
  • Overall management responsibility for the hospital social work teams providing services to patients ready for discharge from the N&N hospital, and all the smaller hospitals within the old boundaries of the Norwich Health Authority
  • Special needs housing developments, including Housing with Care at Kelling and later in Norwich
  • County liaison and local management of housing in the community for people with physical disabilities. (This was aimed at helping residents move from specialist residential provision into the community.)
  • Director’s trouble-shooter for “odd” situations and hotspots
  • Representing the County on the setting up of 3 Primary Care Groups, and then as the department’s representative on Norwich PCT executive
  • County rep on various voluntary organisations.

Currently, in post retirement, Sam is a Trustee with Age Concern Norfolk and Julian Support. He is also on the board of Cotman Housing Association. Lastly, and of great importance, he is a trainee grandfather.

Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor works in the NHS as the Chief Officer for the North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group helping them prepare for the NHS reforms. Previously Mark held a joint post between NHS Norfolk and Norfolk County Council, leading the development of integrated health and social care services. Mark has a long career history in the NHS, working in a range of senior positions including Deputy Director of Finance at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive at Norfolk & Waveney Mental Health Trust and Chief Executive of Broadland PCT. Having experienced the devastating effects of mental health problems within his own family, Mark is passionate about de-stigmatising mental illness and achieving excellence in service delivery. Mark is married with a 18 year old son, lives near Norwich and spends most of his free time fretting about the state of Arsenal Football Club and rejoicing over the current England cricket team.