Derek was orphaned as a child and educated at the Royal Wolverhampton School. He later completed his National and Territorial Army Service with the Royal Engineers, before joining a Chartered Accountants Office, a manufacturing company, as Finance and Corporate Director.
Derek successfully completed a BA Degree in Humanities through the Open University in 1972.
He retired in 1998, to care for his wife. Following her death, Derek undertook various roles in the Voluntary Sector, including Cardiovascular Network and Older People’s Forum. Derek is also Trustee and Treasurer at Wolverhampton Crossroads (Caring for Carers). In 2009, he became a Volunteer tutor for the Expert Patients Programme with the Royal Wolverhampton Hospital Trust NHS.
Derek’s medical history includes open heart and vascular surgery, and he has a keen interest in Cardiac/Stroke rehabilitation, with visits to various forums in the UK relating to the study of patients with long-term medical conditions. Derek has recently been diagnosed with Diabetes.
