Our Patron
Baroness Tessa Blackstone

“I am proud to be Patron of Hamlin Fistula UK because of the extraordinary work they do in Ethiopia to heal women who suffer from the devastating effects of fistula and because of the effort they are making to prevent fistula happening in the first place”.

Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Patron, Hamlin Fistula UK

Baroness Blackstone is an advocate for women’s health issues around the world through her parliamentary and civil society work and became Patron of Hamlin Fistula UK in April 2021.

Baroness Blackstone has enjoyed a distinguished career in education, politics and public life having been a lecturer at the London School of Economics, a member of the Central Policy Review Staff at the Cabinet Office, a Professor at the Institute of Education, Deputy Education Officer of the Inner London Education Authority, Master of Birkbeck College, University of London and Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich. 

She was Minister of State for Education and Employment from 1997 until 2001 and Minister for the Arts from 2001 until 2003. She has been the Chair of the General Advisory Council of the BBC, the British Library Board, the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Franco-British Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects Trust and of the Board of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

She is currently Chair of the Orbit Group (housing association), the Trustees of the Asthma UK & British Lung Foundation Partnership and the Trustees of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.