North East Region Committee

Committee vacancies will be advertised annually in August / September and so any members wishing to get more actively involved should look out for details of these or contact the region to register their interest.

CURRENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Contact: northeast@apcp.org.uk 


Rosie Greaves - Regional Chair 2024 

Rosie Greaves

Rosie graduated in 2023 from Northumbria University and began her physiotherapy career in a rotational post at Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust. Rosie has been fortunate enough to have had lots of paediatric experience as a student and in Namibia. Rosie's plan is to specialise into paediatric physiotherapy in the very near future. She enjoys being a part of the APCP committee to help provide CPD opportunities and to advocate for the Paediatric profession. It's a great opportunity to be a part of a great organisation.  Rosie is passionate about volunteering and supporting children and young people across the world to make a difference to their lives, this has been something she has taken an interest in from a young age. Rosie has been fortunate enough to have such a wide range of paediatric physiotherapy placement experiences during her time as a student, which has inspired her to focus on a career in paediatric physiotherapy. 

 


Penny Walsh

Penny Walsh - North East Regional Committee
Penny Walsh

Regional Representative

Penny graduated in 2006 from the University of Teesside.  She began her physiotherapy career with the Mid Yorkshire Trust on general rotations before beginning her job with Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust specialising in community paediatric physiotherapy in 2009; she worked there until she got her first band 6 job in the Blackpool Community Paediatric Team in 2012 before finally moving to the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle in 2014 on rotation within paediatrics.

In this time Penny has completed a year secondment post as a specialist within Paediatric Oncology in 2016/2017 and is now working within a pre-school setting within the community.  Penny enjoys being an active member of the APCP, helping to bring relevant CPD training sessions as well as helping to promote paediatric physiotherapy within the North East.

 


Eleanor Brambles 


Jen Chesterton

Jen Chesterton - North East Region Committee
Jen Chesterton

Jen Graduated from the University of Northumbria in 2007.  She began her career at Sunderland Royal Hospital before moving to a Band 6 Community Facilitated Discharge role.  Following this, Jen secured her first paediatric physiotherapy post at Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust where she worked with a range of paediatric conditions.  She specialised within the area of complex neurodisability with a primary focus on the management of children in with special educational needs.  She maintained practice across the range of community paediatric management such as with MSK, orthopaedic and persistent physical symptoms expanding these in a management role as a band 7 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

Most recently Jen as moved to work at The University of Sunderland to bridge the gap between clinical experience and theoretical learning for students.  Within the Physiotherapy degree she is responsible for the production of innovative, student focussed, teaching and learning support material.  This links closely with her vision to develop excellence in the physiotherapists of the future.  Jen is keen to maintain links with clinical working and being an active member of the APCP is an asset to embed evidence base into teaching and practice.


Jen Ferguson


 

Kim Jarvis


Dee (Diana) Clarkson                                                                                             

Dee (Diana) Clarkson
Dee (Diana) Clarkson

Dee qualified with a Masters in Physiotherapy in 2007 and spent 12 years in the NHS,  specialising in paediatric physiotherapy early in her career (2010) and have extensive knowledge in cerebral palsy and child development.  In 2018, Dee set up ABC Physiotherapy which specialises in complex paediatric neurological cases covering a wide geographical area and in 2022 I created ABC Therapy Ltd to provide a more holistic approach and physiotherapy care to adults. 

Dee is Bobath trained but uses a combination of numerous therapy concepts including electrotherapy and hydrotherapy to ensure the clients reach their greatest potential. Research and development remain a key area of interest. Dee is proactive in seeking training and remaining at the leading edge of technology.

Dee is a member of the MLACP, The Medical Legal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists where she trained in Medical Legal reports writing and Expert witness roles and responsibilities. Since 2019, Dee has worked closely with case managers, deputies and solicitors. 

Dee enjoys working closely with families, multidisciplinary team members and legal teams where she understands the importance of building trust, joint decision making and open communication to ensure the best interest of each child is at the forefront of their therapy.