Governor spotlight: Alan Clayton
Alan, who has been a governor since April 2025, spoke to us about his role.
"I became a Community First Responder (CFR) for the Hexham area in 2024 and performing this role tickled my curiosity and made me want to know more about how NEAS and the ambulance service in general worked, which was why I wanted to become a governor.
"Another reason is that living in a semi rural community, I think it can be quite easy for large organisations to put less focus and priorities on these types of areas, and therefore they can often need a voice speaking up for them.
"I enjoy learning more and more about the service and take pleasure when I can offer advice or offer from my perspective the feelings of the general public. For instance, on recent call outs as a CFR, patients have mentioned that they have read that NEAS has the best response times in the country. I was able to feed this back into the board of directors.
"Being both a CFR and Governor allows me to give back to my local community. Whilst we are not paramedics, the relief you see on peoples faces when they open the door and see you is palpable. That in itself makes the CFR role extremely rewarding, and if we happen to save a life, well that in itself is immeasurable.
"Having spent many years as an International Retail Executive in several Asian countries, travel is a real passion when I'm not volunteering. When I am asked where do you want to go next, my answer is always somewhere I have not been before.
"I am also a scuba diving Instructor and a technical diver and have taught people to dive in seven countries, including Cuba and remote locations in Indonesia. I'm never happier than being underwater with the fishes, both large and small."