Evelyn Asante-Mensah

Evelyn is the co‑Chair of the North West NHS Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Assembly, which she co‑founded in 2020 alongside Bill McCarthy, then Executive Regional Director for NHS North West.  She also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Union, Manchester Metropolitan University’s Students’ Union, and was recently appointed as a Non‑Executive Director at the Office for Students. In 2017, Evelyn was appointed Chair of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust—providing mental health and learning disability services across Greater Manchester—where she completed an eight‑year term of office.

Evelyn has held senior leadership roles in health, education, housing, and across the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sectors for more than 30 years. During this time, she has played a significant role in shaping and implementing policy at local, regional, and national levels. Among her notable positions, Evelyn served as Chair of Central Manchester Primary Care Trust and subsequently NHS Manchester over a twelve‑year period. She also held a board‑level role at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. She is a board member of Coaching In and Out (CIAO), which supports work within the criminal justice system, and Chair of Pink Therapy, a specialist organisation providing talking therapies to LGBTQ+ communities.

Evelyn is passionate about tackling inequalities in health and social care and championing equality, diversity, and inclusion. She is a member of the NHS Confederation’s Black Leadership Network and previously served as a Commissioner on the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In recognition of her hard work, Evelyn was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 by African Caribbean Health Network and Advancing Ethnic Minority Women in Health in 2026.  Evelyn has four children and four grandchildren and lives in Manchester.