Introducing Dr Anne Lee

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Anne was nominated by the Borough Council to be their first member of the Board of Guildford and Waverly Primary Care Trust. She said “the NHS is the largest employer in this country and swallows ever increasing sums of money as it aims to keep up with government directives, medical advances and patient expectations. It was a privilege to begin to see how it works at Board level but worrying to see the effect of continuous administrative change”.

As a former trustee of the Guildford Citizens Advice Bureau and for a retirement homes complex in Merrow, Anne is involved in supporting the vulnerable. She noted "Housing associations can be very effective, but they are not always so, and it can be difficult to find good quality trustees. I am concerned about the implications of large scale voluntary transfer unless there really is no other way of bringing housing up to scratch. In relatively wealthy areas like Surrey this should not be necessary. I know it has been successful in Liverpool but it robs the local council of an asset and a freedom to manage its housing allocation as it might need to. We need to explore every possible way of providing more affordable and key worker housing"

As a new parent herself she established 'Rompers' in 1981 in West Clandon, near Woking. It is still a thriving village parent support group. Anne said "I am a great believer in self-help groups, and as a new mother I needed help as much as any. I am very pleased that this group continues - now with some grandmothers as members, and with a lunch club for those who may or may not have children."

She was a member of the Executive Board of London Marriage Guidance where she learned a lot about the training of marriage guidance counsellors and was elected as Chairman of Guildford ITD (now the Institute of Personnel Development) shortly before being made a Fellow of the Institute.

Work as a local Liberal Democrat has led her to keep a watching brief on housing and voluntary agencies, environmental protection, waste management and transport.

As a Liberal Democrat of course she is well-used to 'volunteering' for Focus deliveries, canvassing, and campaigning all year round.