Several years ago I was approached by an executive search company about a paid non-executive role on the board of a local public sector mental health body. It didn’t pique my interest: I had existing commitments on a charity board; I have written about my family’s experience of severe mental illness but it has claimed enough of my life without making it my work too; the board in question had been named in the press for being composed entirely of white middle-aged men while serving a highly diverse inner-city community and I had no interest in being a token appointment.

CHRIS DUGGAN

They persisted, however, and I was persuaded that it would be a good way to give something back to my community so for the first