Our Social Prescribing team of link workers and navigators (SPLWs) work out of GP practices in the city.
Social Prescribing managers
Jo Swift and Megan Ramsey are the two Social Prescribing Managers for the team. Read more about them on the NGPS team page.
East Primary Care Network
Jolanta Bartos
Jola has previously worked for the health service in Poland as a clinical psychologist. Since moving to the UK, she has worked with victims of domestic abuse and clients with substance misuse problem in the community and in prison settings. Jola is passionate about mindfulness and wellbeing, and practices yoga, Tai Chi, pilates and loves outdoor activities like walking, cycling, and gardening.
Tracy Bell
Tracy joined NGPS as a Social Prescribing Link Worker in December 2020 and is based in Heaton Road Surgery, supporting patients with a variety of issues including isolation, poor mental health, housing worries and loneliness. Previous to this Tracy worked for Barnardo’s for over 17 years, overseeing projects including partnering with Northumbria Police on a school curriculum on domestic abuse, and a project on bullying in primary schools. Tracy lives with husband Paul and Marmite the cat and has a daughter at university. In her spare time she recreates furniture and is a member of a local book group.
Lauren Woods
Lauren has worked as a social prescriber since 2020, and before joining NGPS she worked at a homeless charity and for a mental health housing service. She enjoys raising awareness of support that is available for those who are struggling with their mental and physical health, working with other services to create wrap-around support, and is interested in the impact of social isolation on physical and mental wellbeing and the positive affect that social prescribing/community engagement can have on individuals’ overall health. In her spare time she enjoys nice coffee, trying new places to eat and going on holiday.
Jayne Taylor
Jayne has worked as a SPLW since 2021, prior to this she worked for 27 years with adults with learning disabilities. She is a registered Therapeutic Counsellor and Health & Wellbeing Coach. She loves helping people and listening to their life stories and feels privileged to support the people in the East End of Newcastle. In her spare time she loves to travel and spend time eating out with family and friends and walking her dog Milo on the beach.
Wendi Lye
Wendi has been working in the NHS in various roles for the last 15 years. In her last role in a GP practice, she led on cytology and deductions, working on reception and in admin. Wendi is also a trained beauty therapist and in her spare time, she loves to read, travel abroad and has a keen eye for interior design.
- Victoria Rayner
Inner West Primary Care Network
Helen Seymour-Dodds
Helen is based at Prospect Medical Group and has 10 years experience as a Social Prescriber. She is also a Domestic Abuse Champion, and her background is in diabetes prevention and GP exercise on referral/personal trainer. She loves animals, cooking and live music.
Ali Shah
Ali is currently working with our team as a Social Prescribing Link Worker in the Inner West of the city. He previously worked for NGPS in head office roles and before that, worked for the ICB and a business firm in Gateshead. Ali is the father to two lovely boys, and in his spare time loves to play and coach football, hike and play cricket.
- Joanna Owens
outer West Primary Care Network
Roberto Picciau
Roberto is a Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker and joined NGPS in 2025. He has worked with adults experiencing challenges due to their social, financial and mental/physical health circumstances since 2013, and previously worked in adult social work and the voluntary sector. He is motivated to help people to overcome any barriers and to reach their personal goals on their wellbeing and recovery journey. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife, son, family and friends. He also enjoys walking in nature, reading and engaging in the arts.
Lesley Clubbs
Lesley joined the team in February 2025. She went to art school at Bath Lane and then completed her degree in graphic design at Canterbury college of art. After completing her diploma in social work in 2003 she originally started as a children’s social worker and in her career has worked in substance misuse, children’s disability, hospital discharge and community older persons teams. Lesley lived in Rugby for a period of time but missed the Northeast and her family. She has two grown up sons and loves the coast, particularly St Mary’s lighthouse and watching the seals, and enjoys watching films and listening to music.
Natalie Harrison (Counsellor and Social Prescriber)
Natalie has worked in the care sector for over 20 years in a variety of roles and settings. She qualified as a counsellor in 2008 and has supported people with a range of issues including low mood, anxiety, low self-esteem, domestic abuse and bereavement. She is passionate about helping people to see their own strengths and explore their issues in a safe space without judgement.
Alex Hepple
Alex joined the team in February 2025. Before joining, she worked as a social prescribing link worker at Everyturn Mental Health. She has experience working with survivors of domestic abuse as part of her own post-graduate research, has volunteered as an assistant psychologist, research assistant, telephone befriender and employment support worker. She also has a Masters degrees in psychology and forensic psychology. Alex enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets and loves animals, nature, travelling, baking, going to gigs and all things horror.
Julie Mauchline – Counsellor/SPLW
Julie qualified as a person-centred counsellor in 2011, and has worked with all ages since then, supporting with issues like bereavement, addiction, trauma, anxiety, low self-esteem and low mood. She joined NGPS in October 2025. She likes supporting people to understand themselves, look at their strengths and find ways to live their best life. Outside of work, she enjoys live music, yoga and occasional sea-dipping.
Sharen Dobson – Counsellor/SPLW
Sharen is an integrative counsellor with many years of experience in various healthcare settings. She works with a wide range of general mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, work-related stress, and life transitions. Her specialist interests are neurodivergence and grief.
Sharen has both professional expertise and lived experience of neurodivergence and chronic conditions, so has a deeper understanding of how these experiences can impact mental health and daily life. She combines counselling with life coaching to support people to not only heal but understand themselves better, using a range of therapy approaches so that patients learn to develop confidence, understanding of self and coping strategies, tailored to them as individuals.
central Primary Care Network
Pam Willis
Pam worked as a Senior Mental Health Advisor for NHS 111 Service, supporting adults in mental health crisis, working with patients, emergency services and crisis teams. More recently she was employed by Everyturn as a Senior Caseworker in a Safe Haven in Wallsend, working in an emotional support and signposting service supporting patients in mental health distress and crisis. Pam has also worked for more than 12 years in a GP practice, and also worked for Newcastle City Council.
She lives in Whickham and has three adult children and enjoys all the usual things in life with friends and family. Her main hobby is exercise and she completed the Great North Run the day before she started at NGPS so was unable to walk for her first day in the team!
Heather Richmond
Heather joined the team as a social prescribing link worker in April 2025. Prior to this role she supported patients with their health and wellbeing in the community. This includes smoking cessation, weight management and mental health support for patients who are seeking employment. Most recently she worked in South Yorkshire as senior health and wellbeing coach for the Diabetes Prevention Programme. Heather loves working with people and supporting them to improve their wellbeing. In her spare time, she enjoys salsa dancing, Zumba and singing in community choir.
Julie Morgan – Drug and Alcohol Link Worker
Julie has been working in drug and alcohol recovery since 2013. She started her career in recovery with Changing Lives and worked in multiple rehabilitation centres and projects. Julie is an asset to the Social Prescribing Team as she brings her lived experience to her current role as a Drug and Alcohol Link Worker, allowing her to fully connect with patients and offer support in a person-centred way. In her spare time, Julie loves to watch MAFS and Traitors, and enjoys every minute with her family, especially her granddaughter Harper.
Emily Smith – Over 65’s social prescriber
Emily is originally from Derbyshire and started working in social prescribing team in Newcastle following the completion of her masters in Health Psychology five years ago. Emily worked for Ways to Wellness as a link worker for three years and for the last two has been working from Saville Medical Group as a Social Prescribing Link Worker specialising in over 65’s support. In her spare time, Emily loves to hike, and her favourite things are good coffees and baked goods.
- Sarah Cochrane – Social Prescriber
- Leon Parker – Social Prescriber
Social prescribing navigators covering multiple practices
Amie O’Halloran
Amie joined the team in early 2025 and is covers West End Family Health and East Primary Care Networks. Before joining the team, Amie worked at Newcastle University in older people research for those with multiple long- term conditions. Amie also has experience working with people with speech and language disorders due to stroke and brain injury. Amie is passionate about health and wellbeing and enjoys running, cycling and yoga in her spare time. She is keen to bring these aspects to people’s lives so they can enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.
Mariceu Neto
Mariceu joined NGPS in 2024 and works across Inner West and Outer West Primary Care Networks. She previously worked for Gateshead Council as a Young people’s / Children Ambassador as part of the fostering team. Her personal experience of fostering, and the role she did at Gateshead, encouraged her to want to do help others and support people in need, while also making people smile and feel happy! Outside of work she enjoys eating out and socialising.
- Carla Kilic Lye
Refugee and asylum seeker social prescribers
Nahid Din
Joined the team in February 2024 and works across central Newcastle. She supports with interventions in a holistic approach to improve health and wellbeing, aiming to promote independence along with other determinants of health that services should consider to effectively support and address unmet needs. Before joining NGPS she worked nationally in Mental Health & Wellbeing as a Mentor at London South Bank University.
She has worked for many years in different areas, this includes early intervention, patient care, health, advice, supporting research and in education. Outside of work, her interests are art and nature.
Lettie Wallace
Lettie joined NGPS in December 2024 as a social prescribing navigator, and is now one of our RAS social prescribers. She also helps to run an art group for refugees. She is extremely passionate about helping people in our communities access the support that is available. Lettie came to Newcastle for University and doubts she will ever leave as she loves the city!
