Aliya Mohammed

Chief Executive Officer

Aliya is the Chief Executive of Race Equality First.

As Chief Executive Officer, Aliya deals with our strategic direction, income generation, external partnerships and developing the reputation of the organisation.
Aliya has advised the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, resulting in a race disparity audit of all UK public services and liaised with the Cabinet Office to complete this; ensured that our Research project with 1,800 victims of hate crime across Wales resulted in a Framework for Action on Hate Crime by the Welsh Government; turned a large deficit around to a surplus and built our reserves fund to the recommended amount for charities within her first year at REF; led an office move and an organisational restructure, resulting in substantial savings for REF; brought the Welsh Equality Group (WEG) together to ensure REF and other Race Equality Councils in Wales worked in partnership and not in competition, securing £1.2m for the partnership through two consortium bids she led.
Before joining Race Equality First, Aliya worked for the Seren Group (now the Pobl Group). Aliya has worked in the women’s equality sector and as a journalist reporting on the economic development of global companies.

Skills that Aliya brings to Race Equality First:
Aliya is fluent in three languages and brings in-depth knowledge of human resources, human rights, strategic leadership and operational management and advises all staff dealing with legal issues and employment tribunals, having led successful tribunal claims for many years.

  aliya.mohammed@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207

Meena Upadhyaya

Director

Content coming soon

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Christina Tanti

Research and Evaluation Coordinator

Christina first joined REF in 2016 on a 12-month work placement as part of her degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath. During this period, she researched into the under-representation of BME women in politics in Wales, carrying out interviews with members of the diverse communities in Cardiff as well as with prominent figures in the third sector and local politics.

Christina left REF in 2017 to finish her undergraduate degree, for which she wrote a first-class dissertation furthering the research she undertook for REF. Christina’s passion for research meant that she went straight on to pursue postgraduate study, completing a master’s degree in International Relations at Cardiff University, including a first-class 20,000-word master’s thesis, in 2018/19. In October 2019, Christina returned to REF, initially in the Receptionist role before moving onto the Research and Evaluation Coordinator role.

Christina’s role principally involves leading, coordinating and producing the research project, ‘Hate Crime & Discrimination in Wales in 2023 – 10 years on, where are we now?’ Using the same methods as those used for REF’s 2013 All Wales Hate Crime Research Project, the most comprehensive piece of hate crime research ever to be undertaken in Wales with 1,810 victims surveyed for the research, Christina works towards producing high-quality research with a focus on detailed empirical evidence through formulating research questions to interview victims of hate crime and discrimination. As well as this, Christina also coordinates and administers a steering group with relevant equality organisations and bodies to understand the salient issues their beneficiaries face and to feedback on the progress of the research.

Christina’s interests lie in politics, specifically political representation and political thought as well as racism and what fuels such hate in the UK. She is passionate about increasing and promoting equality in every aspect of life and hopes any future research she works on at REF will make a valuable contribution towards achieving this long-term goal.

Skills that Christina brings to Race Equality First:

Christina is skilled at research and has an excellent understanding of qualitative research methods which have enabled her to carry out successful research projects, both at REF and within her undergraduate and postgraduate study, single-handedly and with little to no resources. Christina is adept at creating, handling and editing large documents, which are a testament to her strong communication skills.

  Christina.t@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207

Laura O’Keeffe

Finance & Operations Officer

Laura joined Race Equality First in October 2018 and is responsible for financial and project administration for the organisation.
Laura has worked in many roles including Conference and Exhibitions officer for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers in London and production and subtitling at BBC Wales.

Laura moved to the Third Sector in 2009 working for the Kaleidoscope Project as Casework Supervisor and Voluntary Community Service in Cardiff as Project Manager.

Laura deals with financial, project and management reporting for the Board of Directors and grant funders. She is responsible for compiling the annual report, liaising with external auditors and organising the Annual School Anti-Racism competition.

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Anna Petrie

Advice Service Manager, Region – Swansea / Mid & West Wales

Anna started working for Race Equality First’s Healthy Minds Project in 2019, for which she provided one-to-one counselling and peer support groups to break down stigmas that exist around mental health, tackle social isolation, and to empower people with the knowledge and tools to improve their health and wellbeing.

Anna now leads the Discrimination & Hate Crime Project in the Mid & West Wales region. In this role she provides one-to-one advocacy, advice, support, representation and mediation for people who have suffered hate crime or discrimination. Anna will be liaising with national and regional stakeholder groups and working collaboratively with other organisations to ensure people with barriers to access public/social services, especially in the healthcare sector, are fully supported. As part of the project, Anna will also be delivering training to community groups and organisations on hate crime and discrimination, as well as cultural awareness.

Before joining Race Equality First Anna completed her BACP accredited training in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and Counselling Children & Young People within the University of South Wales, before working as a school based counsellor within the Barnardo’s counselling service.

Skills that Anna brings to Race Equality First:

Throughout her time with Race Equality First Anna has provided a professional 1-1 service and worked with a range of different ages, backgrounds, varying levels of needs and complex issues. Through her time working within different roles with diverse client groups, Anna has developed an adaptive client-centred practice to work proactively and dynamically to support the unique needs of each beneficiary.

Anna is passionate about contributing to create a world where opportunity is equal regardless of protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. This post at Race Equality First has allowed her to continue her work to support vulnerable people and contribute within the teams and projects that bring about real-world change.

  anna.petrie@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    029 2048 6207 / 07510 702 279

Roon Adam

Advice Service Manager Region – Cardiff & Vale

Roon now leads the Discrimination & Hate Crime Project in the Cardiff, Vale and surrounding region. In this role she provides one-to-one advocacy, advice, support, representation and mediation for people who have suffered hate crime or discrimination. Roon will be liaising with national and regional stakeholder groups and working collaboratively with other organisations to ensure people with barriers to access public/social services, especially in the healthcare sector, are fully supported. As part of the project, Roon will also be delivering training to community groups and organisations on hate crime and discrimination, as well as cultural awareness.

Roon has worked at Race Equality First since 2013. Before joining Race Equality First she managed the Barnardo’s Interpreter Service for 12 years.

Roon has supported both young adults and elders since joining REF, including dealing with the property and assets on behalf of family after the sad loss of a beneficiary whose family lived in Yemen. She led our safe space group for young adults, counselling services for young people with mental health issues and our activities in the Vale of Glamorgan funded by Vale of Glamorgan Council. Having delivered services for the 1,298 BME elders for the Minority Ethnic Elders Advocacy Project, Roon still deals with issues for elderly BME people in Cardiff and recently worked with the Older People’s Commissioner to address barriers and accessibility within nursing homes for BME elders. As well as this, Roon has led Prevent initiatives to counter radicalisation in young people, she provides support to asylum seekers and refugees and deals with REF’s youth forum which is attended by over 30 young people.

Skills that Roon brings to Race Equality First:

Roon is fluent in all dialects of Arabic, often translates and interprets for REF when engaging with the local Yemeni and Somali communities. She deals with all issues for young people, countering radicalisation within the Muslim community, asylum seekers and refugees. Roon has an extensive network of contacts in all Arabic/ Muslim communities in South Wales and she deals with all of REF’s marketing and communications including our social media accounts

  roon.adam@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207

Karina Klepere

Discrimination & Hate Crime Casework Officer

Karina started working for Race Equality First in April 2019. Before joining Race Equality First she worked in New Law Solicitors as a personal injury case manager/paralegal managing over 300 caseloads successfully delivering the top 5 outputs for the firm. Due to her experience of working in a busy law firm, Karina is good at evaluation, the appropriate compensation figure for injury-to-feeling in discrimination and hate-crime cases and at drafting court documents for our clients.

Karina has supported clients who have experienced discrimination or hate at work or in accessing public services, including schools. Karina brought two racial and faith-based discrimination cases from 2017 to their successful completion at the Employment Tribunal during her first two months working for Race Equality First. As a Discrimination & Hate Crime Casework Officer Karina offers free, confidential, independent and impartial advice, information and representation for those who have suffered discrimination and hate crime. Karina is a member of the South Wales Police Accountability and Legitimacy Group and South Wales Community Cohesion groups as well as the Cardiff Employment Tribunal User group representing our diverse communities at all official meetings.

Skills that Karina brings to Race Equality First:

Karina is fluent in Russian and Latvian which gives her the patience and attention necessary in dealing with claimants with a lack of confidence in their English language skills. Holding the Rights, Gender and International LLM master’s degree, Karina can offer advice and support in regards to the new Home Office introduced EU Settlement Scheme for EU citizens residing in the UK. Karina is a confident negotiator and proven to be an effective mediator in dispute meetings by focussing the conversation on goals and resolution. Also, Karina has completed an accredited TEFL teaching qualification. The TEFL teaching methods allow Karina to create age group appropriate material while creating a memorable experience for participants.

  karina.klepere@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  | 

Gurmit Singh Randhawa

Treasurer of Board of Directors

Gurmit is currently self-employed but a lawyer by profession with 20 years of General Law Practice and appointments by the Lord Chancellor. He is a member of the District Notary Public, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Chairman of Child Support Appeal Tribunals. Gurmit is President of the Sikh Gurdwara Cardiff and a prominent member of REF’s Interfaith Network and was recently awarded an MBA in the Queen’s Honours List 2018.

Skills that Gurmit brings to Race Equality First:
Gurmit brings his knowledge of legal matters and human resources to REF. As well as this he brings contacts for his extensive network of BME communities in South Wales, especially the Sikh and Indian communities.

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Laurence Khan

Chair of Board of Directors

Retired Chartered Accountant and partner of Kahn Thomas Shankland Accountants.

Laurence is the Treasurer of the Cardiff United Synagogue. He is a board member of Chapter Arts, Cardiff City Football Club, Vice Chair of the South Wales Jewish Representative Council and former President of the Cardiff Rotary Club.

Skills that Laurence brings to Race Equality First:
Laurence brings expertise in both charity and private sector board governance, legal matters and company finances and accounts. Laurence has extensive contacts within business, the finance sector and a number of large charities which have resulted in some invaluable partnership initiatives for REF

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Jehan Khatib

Board Director

Currently Jehan is the Managing Director of the MDA Clinic, which is an independent eye day-care hospital. It was the first laser eye surgery centre in Wales, established by Jehan’s husband who is the clinic’s eye surgeon.

Previously Jehan was an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Skills that Jehan brings to the Board of Race Equality First:
Extensive contacts with politicians and assembly members in Wales. Jehan runs an annual awards event for ethnic minority leaders and high achievers in Wales – the patrons include three assembly members. As well as this Jehan volunteers for Sobis to inspire the younger generation by showing them that with dedication and hard work, it is possible to be successful anywhere, irrespective of your background.

Jehan is also a service user of REF’s MEEA project which she states ‘is benefitting me immensely with the Yoga sessions. I want to be a part of the excellent work done by REF in various aspects.’

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Hugh Dela Cruz

Board Director

Currently – Health care professional with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Philippines and now working in and employed by the Cardiff and Vale UHB.

Hugh is the founder and Chair of the Filipino Sports for Wales (FS4W) which serves as a research and training centre for sport, physical activity and recreation in building peace, cohesion and understanding in diverse communities.

Hugh is also founder and President of the Filipino Community Association in Cardiff, the founder and Chairman of Samar Leyte Association Wales UK and the European Network Filipino in Diaspora UK Advisory Council.

Skills that Hugh brings to the Board of Race Equality First:
Advocacy in human rights and equality issues; knowledge of and contacts within the Filipino community in South Wales; equality of participation and leadership in sports for BME people.

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Vince Donovan

Board Director

Currently – Director of Safety Solutions Training Ltd, providing training for local authorities, health trusts, the third sector and private businesses in England and Wales

Previously – Police Officer at South Wales Police for 20 years working in: Personal Safety & Crime Prevention Lead, CID and Community Policing

Skills that Vince brings to the Board of Race Equality First:

Vince is a retired Police Officer who has worked in Safe Guarding, Prevent & Channel. He previously worked with radicalised young people in Cardiff and those at risk of radicalisation and their families. He is well-known and respected by Muslim communities in Cardiff and provides training, links into and knowledge of South Wales Police, Home Office and counter terrorism wherever required by REF. Vince has also assisted us with good practice in building relations between ethnic minority communities and the Police.

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Simon Lu

BME Sports Cymru Project Officer

Before joining REF, Simon worked for StreetGames as their doorstep sport activator. Simon was responsible for the monitoring and evaluation system and supporting the network in developing doorstep sport in Wales. Simon has also worked for the Newport Youth Service. He is a qualified coach with a BA in Sports Coaching and Development.

  simon.lu@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207

Fateha Ahmed

Advocacy Officer

Since joining Race Equality First in 2015, Fateha has worked as an advocacy officer for our hate crime project and for our youth against violent extremism project. This involved her working closely with Riad Khan’s mother to identify issues around radicalisation from the perspective of parents whose children have been radicalised and to leading a ‘My hijab’ campaign on YouTube. After dealing with a number of Islamaphobic hate crime cases in the aftermath of the referendum, Fateha ran a campaign to ‘demystify’ the hijab and why this is worn by Muslim women. Fateha is now leading the BME Sport Cymru Project until June 2018.

Skills that Fateha brings to Race Equality First:
Fluent in Bengali and Urdu, knowledge and contacts within: Prevent, Cardiff Council, Sport National Governing Bodies, BME communities, Muslim communities, women’s activities, youth work, issues for carers, venue hire for all activities and parents of children that have been radicalised.

  fateha.ahmed@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    029 2048 6207

Samina Khan

Director

I have been working in post 16 Education since 1985.  I have mainstream teaching experience as a Biology lecturer in FE in Manchester for 3 years and since 1988 to date I have worked with Ethnic Minority Communities.  I took up post in Cardiff as a Community Education Officer in January 1990, as Manager of the ESOL Service in 1996, Head of Essential Skills in 2002, and As Achievement Leader in 2011.  Due to transfer of Essential Skills into the Cardiff and Vale College in 2013, assumed a new role as Community Liaison and Development Manager since January 2014.  From January 2017 my role is new role is Equality Diversity and Community Development Manager.

I was a member of the independent “Life in the United Kingdom” Advisory Group-chaired by Sir Bernard Crick, set up to advise the Home Secretary on the method, conduct and implementation of a “Life in the UK” naturalisation test. I was appointed as a member of the public Advisory Board for Naturalisation Integration and chair of ABNI Wales sub-group from 2005-2008 to implement the recommendations of the Crick Committee.  As a member of the ESOL Advisory Group for DfES-Welsh Assembly, I have been involved in the development of the ESOL policy for Wales, published in June 2014.

Over the years I have been involved in a range of partnerships working locally, across Wales and nationally across the UK. Currently I am Vice chair of Race Equality First, Co-chair of the Cardiff Prevent Stakeholder Group, a member of the Board of directors for Wales Migration Partnership, Management Board of UK centre for Islam- Cardiff University, National Challenge Panel (PREVENT), Channel Partnership- Cardiff and Management Committee of Welsh Asian Women’s Achievement Awards. Safer and Cohesive Communities’ Network- C3SC, Remembering Srebrenica- Wales Regional Board, Muslim Women and Young people’s committee, BAME Health Access group, Cardiff Police and Community Cohesion, Cardiff University Special Interest Group- Ethnic Minorities.

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Catherine Burton

Director

Cat Burton has been a British Airways pilot since 1972 and BA describe her as our most senior woman captain.

She got involved in the work of Race Equality First through our regular LGBT coffee mornings and was invited to join the board of trustees in 2014, to improve coverage at board level for several “protected characteristics:” gender identity, sexual orientation and age. Cat is a transgender woman, pansexual, though serially monogamous and 63 years old.

Cat is passionate about equality and bullying and speaks frankly about all such matters. As an accomplished public speaker, she has spoken on radio and television on behalf of REF and is happy to use her skills for REF’s benefit at any time.

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Aminur Rashid

Director

Aminur Rashid

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Reynette Roberts

Director

Content coming soon

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Alex Lee

Add role

Content coming soon

  alex.lee@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207

Simon Jago

Bid Manager

I joined Race Equality First in December 2016 as a Bid Writer. In this role I am responsible for developing and writing funding applications and tenders. My aim is to secure funding to enable Race Equality First to achieve its organisational objectives. I have worked in charity fundraising for over 10 years and previously I worked in fundraising roles for Techniquest (a science centre) and Weston Spirit (a national youth charity).  I successfully completed a MBA (Masters in Business Administration) at the University of South Wales and a BA Hon’s in Leisure and Environmental Studies at De Montfort University.

Thanks
Simon

  simon.jago@raceequalityfirst.org.uk  |    02920 486207