When considering the impact that health professionals of African descent have had in Hull and East Yorkshire one of the most significant individuals is Cecilia Amin
Cecilia was born in Ghana one of six children, with four brothers and one sister. As a child, when asked what she wanted to do when she grew up, she replied that she wanted to be a “big wife” meaning to say midwife.[1] Being a midwife is a prestigious career in Ghana and after leaving St. Ann’s school she embarked on her chosen career and completed her midwifery training at Komfo Anokye Hospital, Kumasi in 1968.

Encouraged by her later aunt who worked as a nursing sister in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital she was persuaded to come to England to further her career.

She began a course at Hull School of Nursing in 1972 together with a female Nigerian colleague as the only Black nurses on the course. She completed her UK general nursing course at Hull Royal Infirmary in 1977 and took up a post as a staff nurse in paediatrics. She later completed her clinical nurse specialist training in advanced family planning at the Bloomsbury School of Nursing in London.
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She has been a member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) for over 30 years. In 2000 she was awarded the RCN Certificate of Merit for outstanding service to members. She has served as a member on several committees including Ethics, Membership and Representation and Nursing Policy and Practice. 
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Image: citifmononline.com
She served as deputy president (2010-2014) before being elected president in 2015. Cecilia is currently serving her second term as the president of the RCN and remains a clinical nurse specialist in sexual and reproductive health at the Margaret Pyke Centre in London.
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In a career interspersed with awards for her service to nursing she was awarded the Bevan award for Health and Wellbeing in 2013 and an honorary Doctor of Health degree from Bradford University in 2016.
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In the Queen’s 2017 New Year’s Honours list Cecilia was awarded a CBE in recognition for her role as nurse, RCN president and contribution to her community. 
Footnotes
[1] http://www.nhsemployers.org/~/media/Employers/Publications/BME-trailblazers-NHS-Cecilia-Anim.pdf
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