Trevor Beckwith

(Committee Member)

I was born under the flight path to Heathrow when most of the area was still green fields and I moved to Sussex when eight.  At the tender age of 15, I joined the RAF to train in aircraft engineering.  I spent a year in Bahrain which was then an extremely busy unit, including the base for British forces fighting in Aden.  In between two, 3-year tours in Germany, I spent most of my time on transport aircraft in the Thames valley at Abingdon, Brize Norton and Benson. However, my first and last postings were to Honington on bombers.  Those of you who don’t know Honington are very lucky!  Despite advice from his old dad, my son joined the RAF and is flying as a ground engineer on the C17’s at Brize Norton.

On leaving the service, I went to Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge and was involved in the production of aircraft maintenance manuals until, after 8 years, redundancy struck.  I then joined the civil service and still do a couple of days per week part time. 

Just about all of the remaining time is spent on community activities.  I’ve been a borough councillor, representing Moreton Hall in Bury St Edmunds for over 14 years and have recently been re-elected to Suffolk County Council.  Neither pursuit is recommended, particularly if you have a dodgy heart.  The frustration in trying to fight against the built-in intransigence is hard to imagine but I keep on because, someone’s got to speak out.  Unsurprisingly, I had my heart attack during a council meeting and now just hope that the cocktail of pills will help get me through a few more meetings!  The one area of particular interest that seems to work well is the Suffolk Health Scrutiny Committee, where I represent St Edmundsbury.  A few years ago central government charged local government with scrutinising changes to local health provision and to look at areas causing concern in the community.  We frequently deal with difficult issues, the most recent being the proposals for the change in the initial response to some heart attacks. 

In 1996, I was appointed as a magistrate and sit, mainly in Bury, a couple of times each month. 

I joined Upbeat in 2003 and have been on the committee for a few years.  With my other commitments, I cannot give anywhere near the time and energy of the other committee members, although I do make it to most of the meetings.  It’s widely accepted that the committee do an excellent job but I don’t think many appreciate just how much is done on our behalf.  We should remember that they are all patients and/or carers and really shouldn’t be doing so much.  Nobody is indestructible and although I’m sure Upbeat is so solid in it’s foundation that it will continue, there will be some challenging positions to fill when people stand down.  Maybe the whole structure will have to be examined in the not too distant future.  Interesting times!