A HEALTH trust wants people to help run it.

The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services to the people of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, is holding elections to fill 10 public places on its members’ council.

The members’ council was established to be representative of the views of the trust’s 14,000 members and help the foundation trust reach decisions.

The council’s role is to make sure that the board of directors, which retains responsibility for the day to day running of the trust, is accountable to the local community.

The members’ council is made up of 20 elected public members, seven elected staff members and 12 nominated members from key local partner organisations.

The trust is looking for its members to stand for 10 new public governors – two from Calderdale, three from Kirklees, four from Wakefield and one from the Yorkshire and Humber region.

There are also a further two seats open to trust staff who work in non-clinical support services and staff nursing support.

Trust chairman Joyce Catterick said: “The members’ council is a vital part of the trust as it ensures members are involved in improvements to services, but it also places an emphasis on local people having a continued voice in the organisation and being able to influence decisions.”