At a local level, Healthwatch BwD helps local people get the best out of their local health and social care services.
Sarah Johns
Chief Officer
Sarah is the Chief Officer of Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen. Prior to joining Healthwatch, she was a member of the senior management team at Blackburn Youth Zone with responsibilities for business development, finance, HR and operations and has also worked part time at Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living with responsibilities for business development and community engagement projects. Having worked in the borough for 8 years she is really excited to focus her work on ensuring a voice for our residents on health and social care provision and helping to address health inequalities in the borough.
To get in touch please email: sarahjohns@healthwatchbwd.co.uk
Jenny Heyes
Project Officer
Jenny is a Project Officer leading in youth engagement at Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen. She has extensive experience of working within the criminal, youth justice and social care sectors. She has previously worked within the community for Lancashire Constabulary for over 10 years and for Lancashire County Council, safeguarding and delivering interventions to young people.
Katie Merry
Project Officer
Katie previously worked within the NHS for 12 years. She recently completed a successful secondment opportunity within the mass vaccination team for 6 months as a COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy advocate. She thoroughly enjoyed this role and felt she was able to make a difference to people’s lives and spend time within people’s communities to help break down any barriers to avoid health inequalities, which is something she is passionate about.
Liam Kershaw-Calvert
Project Officer
Liam is a Project Support Officer and joined Healthwatch in September 2021. He is a graduate from the University of Central Lancashire where he gained a Master’s Degree in TV production. He enjoys filming and creating video content around social issues and his most recent work is a documentary which focuses on eating disorders and the rising diagnosis in the LGBT+ community, which he produced and directed.
Louise Procter
Social Media Editor
Louise looks after the marketing and social media at Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen. Before coming to Healthwatch she was employed by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Lancashire County Council delivering programmes and projects including the Troubled Families Programme, Housing Market Renewal and an early intervention Youth Homelessness Trailblazer pilot aimed at reducing youth homelessness across Pennine Lancashire.