Lisa Webb GM (née Potts) is a former nursery teacher. On 8 July 1996, her class at St Luke's Primary School in

Blakenhall Blakenhall is a suburb and ward in Wolverhampton, England. Toponymy and history Blakenhall's name, according to toponymists comes from the Old English 'blæc', meaning 'black' or dark coloured, & 'halh' meaning 'nook' or 'corner'. It was deve ...

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...

, England, was attacked by a man with severe

paranoid schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

wielding a machete. Potts' arm was almost severed in the attack, in which four children were also injured. Potts, who was 21 years old at the time, also suffered severe cuts to her head, back, and to both arms. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II presented Potts with the

George Medal The George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI,''British Gallantry Medals'' (Abbott and Tamplin), p. 138 is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically by civilians, or in cir ...

. Her attacker, Horrett Campbell, was sentenced to indefinite detention in a secure mental hospital. Potts suffered severe scarring, depression and

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...

. She was awarded £68,000 compensation more than four years after the attack. The compensation was widely criticised as inadequate, especially by comparison with high libel awards. Potts subsequently worked as a counsellor and, in 2001, founded a charity, ''Believe To Achieve'', based in schools in Wolverhampton. The charity aims to encourage independence and to increase self-esteem in children. Potts published an autobiography entitled ''Behind the Smile'' in 1998. A foreword was contributed by

Cherie Blair Cherie, Lady Blair, (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair. Early life and education Booth ...

. Potts went on to study a degree in counselling in 2004. In 2010 she retrained as a nurse at

Wolverhampton University The University of Wolverhampton is a public university located on four campuses across the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire in England. The roots of the university lie in the Wolverhampton Tradesmen's and Mechanics' Institute found ...

and then went on to become a specialist

public health nurse Public health nursing, also known as community health nursing is a nursing specialty focused on public health. The term was coined by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement, or, Public health nurses (PHNs) or community health nurses "integra ...

. Earlier in 2022 Potts was made the first Freewoman of the City of Wolverhampton. On 24 July 2022, she participated in the

Queen's Baton Relay The Queen's Baton Relay is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently King Charles III. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingh ...

marking the

2022 Commonwealth Games The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England bet ...

when it visited Wolverhampton.At time of the report going to press the Baton was due to arrive in Wolverhampton on Sunday 24 June 2022.

Books

*''Thank You God: Book of Children's Prayers'' (editor) (1997) Hodder Children's Books, London *''Behind the Smile: My story by Lisa Potts'' (1998) Hodder & Stoughton, London *''Heroes for a Day'' (2000) Hodder & Stoughton, London

References

External links

London Gazette - George Medal citation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potts, Lisa Living people Recipients of the George Medal People from Wolverhampton Schoolteachers from the West Midlands English women non-fiction writers Women autobiographers English autobiographers English nurses Year of birth missing (living people)