Joshua Parker-Walsh, Chair

Member for West Midlands, January 2025 - December 2026

Joshua is an Adult Nursing student at Birmingham Newman University. He has worked in various roles, starting as a croupier in a casino before moving into the health care sector where his first job was in a residential home in Devon. He has had a role as a support worker for two disabled people living independently and later took up a role as a health care assistant at Moundsley Hall Care Village, Birmingham, where he progressed to become a team leader.   

During the Covid-19 pandemic he was off work shielding for 17 weeks. On his return the unit he had worked in had shut down. He joined the main unit as an administrator. Quite quickly he took on responsibility for things such as data protection, moving and handling training, staff rostering and audit. His role included engaging with colleagues when they had concerns at work and speaking with bereaved family members of residents often, when they were understandably upset. He had wanted to do nursing for a long time but having a family and a mortgage meant it wasn’t feasible. What really pushed him was losing his dad in 2023. That was the moment he seized upon to go into nursing.        

His journey into nursing presented him the opportunity to bring a different perspective and life experience to the profession. Being a mature student with a young family, he has gained a strong sense of motivation and resilience. This has taught him valuable time management and adaptability skills. He hopes his experience can encourage others from non-traditional backgrounds to pursue a career in nursing. Since joining Newman University, his confidence has grown. Standing for the Students Committee he sees as an opportunity to use his knowledge and experience to give students a voice.  

He is looking forward to engaging with and supporting our RCN student members and Student Ambassadors.

Ben White, Vice Chair

Member for East Midlands, January 2026 - December 2027

Ben is a second-year Mental Health Nursing Student at the University of Derby. Ben originally studied Anthropology & Archaeology at Durham University from 2012 to 2015, where he found his passion for improving mental health support after his own experiences of mental illnesses. 

Since then, Ben has worked as a campaigner for mental health charities. His work has included serving as a Policy Ambassador for YoungMinds, where he collected evidence and spoke at the launch of the Department of Health’s Future in Mind report, which led to a £1.25 billion increase in funding for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. He also coordinated anti-stigma projects as a Regional Coordinator for Time To Change and promoted a resilience programme as an Engagement Officer for Mental Health UK. Alongside this, Ben has worked extensively across a variety of inpatient and community mental health settings as a nursing support worker, including an eating disorder hospital, a supported living service and a mental health care home. He now works as a Support Worker within a secure forensic mental health hospital and as a Peer Assisted Learning Leader for his university’s Students Union.

Ben is passionate about supporting the wellbeing and dignity of nursing staff and students so they can provide the best care to their service users. As a member of the student committee, Ben aims to draw on his previous experience as a campaigner to support other Student Ambassadors in becoming confident activists and achieving as much as they can with the Royal College of Nursing. Ben also sits as a student on the executive committee of the RCN’s Derbyshire branch.

Felix Adesanya

Student member of RCN Council, January 2025 - December 2026

Ademola Felix Adesanya is a second-year Adult Nursing student at Teesside University. He is originally from Nigeria, and belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group, often referred to as ‘The Omoluabi’. Ademola’s journey into nursing is deeply rooted in his passion for healthcare and his desire to make a significant impact in the lives of others.

Ademola completed a degree in Microbiology in 2018/2019 at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Ogun, Nigeria. This laid a strong foundation in biological sciences and was instrumental in shaping his approach to nursing. While studying, Ademola was actively involved in student leadership and advocacy. He served as the General Secretary for the National Association of Science Technology Students (NASTES) during the 2018/2019 session, a role that honed his skills in advocating for science students’ rights and needs. He was also the Branch President for the Anglican Student Fellowship during the same period, a position which developed his leadership and community building abilities. His commitment to student activism was recognized when he received the NASTES Student Right Activist of the Year award in 2019, affirming his dedication to advocating for student rights.

At Teesside University, he is a Student Panel Member, collaborating on enhancing student experiences through feedback and strategic initiatives aimed at improving academic environments. Parallel to his studies, Ademola works as a Healthcare Assistant with NHS Professionals, applying his theoretical knowledge in practical settings. He is an Student Ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), where he engages with fellow nursing students, providing guidance and support while promoting RCN values and objectives. Outside of his studies, professional and advocacy work, Ademola enjoys watching football matches, playing video games and engaging in indoor games.

Victoria Plant

Member for Eastern, January 2026 - December 2027

Biography to follow.

Beyonce Morris

Member for London, January 2026 - December 2026

Beyoncé Morris is a children’s nursing student at the University of West London and a passionate advocate for improving outcomes and experiences for children, young people, and families across healthcare settings. Her motivation for nursing is grounded in delivering compassionate, person-centred care, while championing inclusion, communication, and equality in practice.

Alongside her studies, Beyoncé has gained experience across clinical placements, strengthening her interest in specialist children’s nursing particularly paediatrics, oncology and high-dependency care. She is especially committed to improving how healthcare teams communicate with children who may be non-verbal, anxious, neurodivergent, or unable to express their needs in traditional ways. She has a particular interest in inclusive communication approaches, including British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton, to help ensure that every child feels seen, heard and safe.

Beyoncé is also an active leader in student representation and professional development. She has held multiple leadership roles within her university community, including School Representative, supporting students to raise concerns, enhance learning experiences and engage with academic and placement opportunities. She is committed to building supportive student communities and encouraging confidence, wellbeing, and retention within the nursing profession.

David Punshon

Member for Northern, January 2026 - December 2027

Biography to follow.

Elizabeth McCorriston

Member for Northern Ireland, January 2026 - December 2026

Elizabeth is a final year nursing student on the BSc Professional Adult Nursing Programme at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). As a mature student she brings an array of skills to the Student’s Committee from previous and current committee and governance roles. Elizabeth is a mum of three and is keen to advocate for student’s who have caring responsibilities outside of their professional role. During Part 2 of the Nursing Programme, she was a peer mentor for a first-year tutorial group. Elizabeth is a STEM Ambassador and is part of the Ambition to Success Leadership Programme within QUB. Through this she has co-designed a future nurse initiative aimed at Key Stage 2 children in primary schools to encourage and inspire them to become future nurses.  

Elizabeth has a keen interest in emergency care and was recently part of a team representing her university at SimWars in Trinity College Dublin, an all-Ireland intervarsity simulation resuscitation competition. Elizabeth sees the value of interprofessional relationships to provide high quality person-centred care alongside simulated learning to provide a safe environment to develop both clinical and communication skills. Being from a rural background herself, Elizabeth also has a passion for health promotion within rural and farming communities. She is a member of the Rural Health Committee at QUB and hopes to work to improve healthcare access for these communities during her career. Elizabeth aspires to work within district nursing upon completion of her degree and registration with the NMC. She sees the value of providing nursing and medical care to patients in their own homes and empowering patients to feel supported to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. She is excited to see the changing dynamic of community-based care within Northern Ireland.  

Outside of all things nursing, Elizabeth likes to work alongside her husband and children on their small holding. They enjoy lambing and rearing a small flock of sheep each year and growing some fruit and vegetables which are available on an honesty box basis at their farm gate. When she’s not doing this, she enjoys going for walks, doing jigsaws and playing Scrabble!  

Siobhan Barry

Member for Northern Ireland, January 2026 - December 2027

Biography to follow.

Lorraine Greathead

Member for North West, January 2025 - December 2026

Biography to follow.

Elizabeth Moffat

Member for Scotland, January 2025 - December 2026

Biography to follow.

Vacant

Member for Scotland, January 2026 - December 2027

A process to fill this vacancy will open in due course.

Mary Bichard

Member for South East, January 2025 - December 2026

Biography to follow.

Genevieve Twining

Member for South West, January 2026 - December 2027

Genevieve is a mature student about to enter her third year of her degree. She had always wanted to be a nurse however, life had a different plan for her, so it has taken her longer to pursue the career she always wanted. Genevieve was accepted onto a midwifery programme in Plymouth in 2019 but had to decline due to personal circumstances. This would have been her ideal career path in nursing; however, she is happy to be pursuing a career in adult nursing. 

Genevieve has an interest in palliative nursing care. She would like to progress to this area as a specialist nurse potentially after she qualifies. She is passionate about nursing and the quality of nursing that is provided. She has three children, the youngest being 15 years old. Genevieve felt now is the right time to focus on herself and what she wanted to do. 

She enjoys running, although a current knee injury is preventing her from making it a regular sporting activity. 

Vacant

Member for Wales, January 2025 - December 2026

A process to fill this vacancy will open in due course.

Phillip Smallcombe

Member for Wales, January 2026 - December 2027

Biography to follow.

Allyson Omoniyi

Member for Yorkshire & the Humber, January 2025 - December 2026

Biography to follow.

Sophie du Plessis

Member of the Professional Nursing Committee and ex-officio member of the Students Committee, January 2026 - December 2027

Sophie is a first-year MNurs Adult and Mental Health Nursing student at King’s College London. With a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Toronto, she brings academic insight, lived experience, and frontline care work to her dual registration training. Prior to starting her nursing course, Sophie worked full-time as an HCA in Pre-Operative Assessment, developing a strong foundation in person-centred, evidence-based care. Her recent placements have spanned acute medical, surgical, and mental health inpatient units, where she has relished the opportunity to work as part of skilled multidisciplinary teams and learn from accomplished mentors and leaders in the field.

Sophie is passionate about people - advocacy, inclusivity, and accessibility are at the heart of what she does. She has a particular interest in early intervention and community-based care. She recently had the opportunity to present a policy proposal at a university event, where she focused on early intervention for eating disorders in community fitness settings. She is now collaborating informally with Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, to help develop accredited training resources for gym and fitness professionals. As part of her commitment to removing barriers to care, she is also working towards her Level 2 British Sign Language qualification. Sophie is dedicated to challenging stigma, supporting person-centred improvements in care, shaping health policy, and advocating for patients, staff, and the future of the profession. She aspires to enter the field of addiction and homelessness outreach upon graduation.

Mordecai Akoh

Member of the Trade Union Committee and ex-officio member of the Students Committee, January 2026 - December 2027

Mordecai Akoh is a final-year Adult Nursing student at Glasgow Caledonian University. As a student, he has taken on several leadership and advocacy roles, including as a Class Representative and as the Department Representative for the Department of Nursing and Community Health for the 2025/26 academic year. In these roles, he has acted as a representative voice for fellow students, supporting peers with academic and placement-related challenges by building relationships with senior university leadership, including the Principal, Deans and Head of Department to ensure student voices directly inform decision-making.  
 
As an RCN member, Mordecai serves as an RCN Student Ambassador, supporting fellow student nurses as they navigate their studies, placements and professional development, while promoting engagement with the RCN’s national student community. 
 
Alongside his studies, Mordecai works as a Healthcare Support Worker in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities with NHS Lothian (2024–present), giving him frontline insight into the realities facing nursing students in practice. His combined academic, professional and leadership experience equips him to advocate effectively for student funding, wellbeing, inclusion and fair access, ensuring every student voice is heard and valued.