We are excited to announce that we are looking for three new members of the BDA England Board. If you have a passion for your profession, would like to get involved in national campaigns and are ready to represent dietitians across England – please consider applying. We meet six times per year, with three meetings online and three in-person at the BDA offices in Birmingham.
This is an exciting time to join the BDA England Board. Current members of the board have shared some of their experiences so you can get a real feel for what the roles involve.
Longstanding member Gill Shinkwin says, "England Board membership has given me the opportunity to understand the work of the BDA and have a national perspective. I find it stimulating working with dietitians from different experiences and areas of expertise."
Diana Markham highlights the following activities from her time on the board including involvement with national nutrition campaigns, producing guidance documents for the BDA e.g. safe staffing/safe working guidance, and commissioning projects like the First Contact Practitioner for Dietitians to showcase the benefits that we can provide in primary care.
Supporting best practice and the next generation of dietitians has also been incredibly rewarding, through being proactive in looking at student training issues including practical placements and networking across the country, so that good ideas and practice in one area could be replicated in another.
Tanya Rumney was co-opted onto the board in 2021 to provide expertise around primary care which has been recognised by the BDA as a priority workstream for the England Board.
Tanya says, "As one of the newest members of the Board, I have enjoyed learning more about the BDA and how it works to engage and influence policy in England and across the UK. As I work for the NHS, it’s also been enjoyable collaborating with dietitians from other sectors such as education, industry, and private practice. It’s a great opportunity for personal development as well as influencing the direction of the profession."
The current chair, Dr Julie Abayomi has been in post since April 2021. She currently works in academia and is a Reader in Dietetics.
Julie says, "Since I have been in post, we have successfully increased the diversity of the England Board and this is something we need to continue with these three vacancies, to ensure that the Board reflects the membership of our profession."
Now is a fantastic time to join the BDA England Board and help drive forward change for dietitians across the country.
We would particularly welcome applications from people who identify within the following groups - as we would like to increase our representation in these areas:
- Men
- BAME
- LGBTQ+
- Those who live or work in the south west or north east of England
If you are interested and would like to know more, please get in touch at [email protected] by 9 February 2023.
Follow our England Board Members on Twitter:
Chair: Dr Julie Abayomi @julie_abayomi
Gill Shinkwin @RD_Gill1
Tanya Rumney @TanyaRumney