Shakil Salam – BCSP Community/GP Engagement Officer
I have over 25 years of experience of working with Public & voluntary Sector. I moved from Rugby to Blackburn in 1985 and started a job with Hyndburn Borough Council as Housing Officer. I then went on to become a manager for the only multicultural day centre for Age Concern based in Blackburn. This role was unique and had a significant positive impact for the older Asian community. I then started work within NHS in 1996 as a Community Development Officer. This role lasted for 13 years and gave me an excellent opportunity to engage with local multicultural communities. Alongside this I taught Urdu and bilingual Skills at Blackburn College. I joined Carers Contact (Now Carers Link Lancashire) as a Health lead and supporting carers and providing training to GP/Health professionals.
In 1997, I started my new role as BCSP GP & Community Officer. I was given the task to cover Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire area to work with low uptake GP Practices. My main role is to arrange Call for a Kit Clinic, Health Promotion of Bowel Screening Programme and providing training to community groups and organisations.
Outside of work
- I do a health show on Pendle Community Radio
- I love cakes and spicy food.
- I go for a walk and enjoy photography & videography.
- I am Trustee of Abaseen Foundation – a charity supporting Health & Education in Pakistan
Gill Hughes – BCSP Community/GP Engagement Officer
With level 4 qualifications in Management as well as Information Advice & Guidance, I have worked in the public and third sectors for more than 20 years delivering health, disability and employment projects. I have an outgoing personality and I get on well with people at all levels. My presentation skills are strong and I am comfortable and confident when delivering training to individuals as well as groups of professionals. Excellent organisational skills with the ability to successfully juggle multiple projects and complex priorities within strict timescales and with minimal support and supervision. A self-starter who is able to work on own initiative and manage own workload and targets.
Outside of work
- I’m an outdoorsy sort of person and love nothing better than donning my wellies and walking my dogs or mucking out my horse. I love to grow my own fruit and veg and enjoy making jam from fruit I forage in the hedgerows near my home. I live in a small rural village where I help with fundraising for the upkeep of our village green which is a wonderful facility for all members of the community to use. I also help with the maintenance and upkeep of the green. Family are very important to me and I spend as much time as I can with my 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
- Holidays, foreign travel, reading novels (mainly crime), upcycling furniture and recycling waste are all activities close to my heart.
Andrea Pugh – BCSP Community/GP Engagement Officer
I have worked in voluntary sector since 1996 starting in London where I lived after attending university, I worked for Hearing Concern, a national deaf and hard of hearing charity managing their helpline, and a voluntary organisation called Defeating Deafness where I set up their helpline. In 2005 after leaving the big smoke, I moved to Lancashire to live near my Lancashire mother, here I worked in mainly health and wellbeing roles within the community, in a footcare project for Age UK Blackburn with Darwen and Age UK Lancashire. I worked for Wigan and Leigh Housing as a Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator for Older People! While living in Bristol for a couple of years I worked for a Carers Organisation, co-ordinating a Volunteer Sitting Service.
I have been working as a Bowel Cancer Screening Community/GP Engagement Officer since November 2017. Initially I worked in the Fylde and Wyre area, but now work in the Greater Preston and West Lancs area undertaking the ‘Call for a Kit Clinics’ which involve engaging with patients within GP surgeries who have not responded to the bowel cancer screening kits. I also provide training to different organisations in the area and attend events such as melas, health and wellbeing fairs in the community to promote the awareness of bowel cancer screening .
Likes – Talking about poo!
Outside of work
- I love hiking, travelling, gardening, floristry, yoga, history, arts and culture wildlife photography and live music. This year I have been to see Peter Gabriel, Sting, Blondie and The Who and different lesser-known bands of different genres as well.
- I do not like CLOWNS and MEAT (I have been a pescatarian for many years! So I prefer it to be alive!)