Our people

Aliya leads Race Equality First’s strategic direction, income generation, external partnerships, and maximises the reputation of the organisation.

She regularly advises the United Nations Committee and liaises with the Cabinet Office, Welsh Government and local councils, as well as organisations across the world to ensure our research and activities positively influence and help victims of hate crimes across Wales. 

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.

Roon oversees the work of the Advice Service Managers and all sessional workers and volunteers that support this service and our community activities across Wales. Roon also leads our Discrimination & Hate Crime service in Cardiff and the Vale and surrounding regions. She provides one-to-one advocacy, advice, support, representation and mediation for people who have suffered hate crime or discrimination. Roon also delivers training to community groups and organisations on hate crime and discrimination, as well as cultural awareness.

Roon was awarded Chwarae Teg’s Community Champion Award in 2021 for her commitment to helping improve the health and wellbeing of the families and communities she supports.

Skills that Roon brings to Race Equality First:

She is fluent in all dialects of Arabic, often translating and interpreting 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 and has an extensive network of contacts in all Arabic/ Muslim communities in South Wales.

Laura joined Race Equality First in October 2018 and is responsible for financial, fundraising and project administration for the organisation.

Laura deals with financial, project, and management reporting for the Board of Directors and grant funders as well as being responsible for bid and project development, compiling the annual report and liaising with external auditors.

Skills that Laura brings to Race Equality First: 

She has significant experience in the Third Sector in both finance and project management, and wide-ranging knowledge of the varying needs of different service user groups, particularly in the health and social care field.

Christina heads up our research team, and she was instrumental in curating the 2021 Joint Non-Governmental Organisation Shadow Report for Wales on racial inequality submitted to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), to inform its forthcoming review of the UK and devolved nations. 

Christina is currently working on a piece of research in collaboration with Cardiff University on why race and religion hate crime prosecutions are so low in Wales. As part of this work, Christina liaises with the four police forces in Wales and CPS Cymru to analyse their hate crime data, with the aim of understanding what factors influence the likelihood of a prosecution and, as a result, improve the conviction rates of hate crimes in Wales.

Skills that Christina brings to Race Equality First:
Christina is a skilled researcher 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.

Region – South Wales

Zainab leads our Marketing and Communications activities, ensuring all the work we do is communicated to our stakeholders, through marketing, PR, social media platforms and the REF website. Additionally, she manages key projects for us including our Schools Against Racism Annual Poster Competition and works with partner organisations to develop content for beneficiaries and service users.

Skills that Zainab brings to Race Equality First:

Zainab brings the experience and skills of website design, advertisement, analysing complex data and editing numerous types of content such as video, podcasts and imagery to REF. 

Region – Gwent & South East Wales

Kyron leads the Discrimination & Hate Crime service and all advocacy support needs in the Gwent and South East Wales region. In this role he provides  one-to-one advocacy, advice, and support to individuals and communities, allowing for representation and mediation for people who are the victims of hate crime or discrimination.

Kyron liaises with national and regional stakeholder groups and works collaboratively with other organisations to ensure people with barriers have access to public and social services, and that they are fully supported. Kyron has developed an adaptive client-centred practice to work proactively and dynamically to support the unique needs of each beneficiary.

Skills that Kyron brings to Race Equality First:

Kyron is passionate about contributing to create a world where opportunity is equal regardless of protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion and sexual orientation.

Anna leads on all aspects of our training, which covers our anti-racism, cultural awareness and diversity, hate crime and discrimination training. She provides talks, presentations, and workshops to organisations, schools, community groups, and individuals on anti-racism and works with all audiences across the UK.

She promotes cultural diversity and raises awareness of the effects of racism and discrimination. She has a personal interest in this area of work and she has many lived experiences and stories to share, which makes her training more personal, informative and engaging.

Skills that Anna brings to Race Equality First:

Anna has a wealth of experience in creating and producing education and training resources. Anna is also a qualified counsellor and originally joined us to manage our our mental health support project in 2019.. 

Junior Seri is the Training and Engagement Officer at Race Equality First, where he delivers training sessions and workshops on anti-racism and the impact of gambling harm, particularly within minority ethnic communities. With a background in youth justice, Junior brings experience in working directly with young people and families affected by inequality.

A certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) practitioner and counselling student, Junior integrates trauma-informed approaches into his engagement work, supporting wellbeing alongside education and advocacy. He is fluent in French and has a long-standing involvement in grassroots community-building through Baha'i-inspired children and youth programmes

Shobnam oversees the growth and management of our social media channels, ensuring they remain engaging, impactful, and aligned with our mission. She effectively plans and schedules content that fosters community engagement and stays ahead of emerging social media trends to enhance our initiatives. Additionally, Shobnam monitors social platforms to identify opportunities and address potential risks, ensuring our messaging is relevant and responsive to current social and political developments.

In addition, Shobnam creates impactful content that raises awareness and drives action on issues of racial equality and social justice. From crafting written pieces to producing high-quality videos, she ensures our platforms remain dynamic and engaging. Shobnam also ensures that our digital resources are accurate, up-to-date, and reflect our core values. 

Skills Shobnam Brings to Race Equality First:

Shobnam brings a diverse set of skills to Race Equality First, combining creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of social media management. With expertise in content creation, written, visual, and video content that resonates with audiences and drives engagement.

Samuel Bartlett is a Senior Research Officer overseeing the design and delivery of a two-year research project funded by the Welsh Government and Macmillan, exploring the experiences, challenges, and barriers that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in Wales face in accessing palliative and end-of-life care. He is responsible for co-producing research with community and religious stakeholders, leading qualitative data collection through interviews and focus groups, and producing evidence-based reports to both inform and challenge current policy and service planning.

Samuel holds a PhD in History from Royal Holloway, University of London, and an MA in Islam in Contemporary Britain from Cardiff University. During his PhD, he also worked on the "History of Islam in Wales" project carried out at Cardiff University, where he was involved in conducting oral history interviews with Welsh Muslims. His research has been both contemporary and historic in scope, with a strong focus on documenting the lived experiences and personal histories of BAME people, especially British Muslims, both past and present.

Laura heads up our Financial and Digital Inclusion project with the aim to help our beneficiaries with both their financial and digital skills by getting online and giving them the skills needed to use online tools and resources confidently, safely, and effectively.

Laura also supports beneficiaries with their money skills, surviving cost-of-living issues, budgeting advice, helping with income maximisation, and making sure people are receiving the welfare benefits they are entitled to. The project involves a combination of one-to-one support and outreach sessions in the community.

Skills that Laura brings to Race Equality First:

Laura has completed her Budget Coach training and uses these skills within her role. She utilises the several Microsoft Office Specialist qualifications she has in order to share this knowledge with beneficiaries to help develop their digital skills.

Samiul works at the heart of the community, building trust and creating spaces where voices are heard and celebrated. At REF, he brings people together through events, youth workshops, and creative campaigns that challenge stereotypes and highlight the richness of Wales’ diversity. From classrooms to community halls and mosques, his work is about sparking conversations and building real connections that inspire action against racism.

With years of experience in design and event planning, Samiul combines creativity with a deep understanding of people and culture. He knows how to turn ideas into engaging campaigns and materials that speak to different audiences, using design as a way to tell stories, share experiences, and bring communities closer together.

Farah is Project Manager for the Healthy Minds Project. She is also our counsellor and provides one-to-one counselling to ethnic minority groups that have suffered discrimination or hate-crimes. Farah also delivers educational group sessions to ethnic minority groups with the aim to: break down stigmas that exist around mental health, tackle social isolation, and empower people within the community by offering knowledge and tools to support their development to improved health and wellbeing.

Skills that Farah brings to Race Equality First:
She is trained in various therapeutic modalities and specialises in Focused Acceptance and Commitment therapy, a form of cognitive behavioural therapy. Farah has experience working with clients of different age groups who have faced a broad spectrum of day-to-day challenges, such as anxiety, stress, chronic pain, bullying, abuse, low mood, relationship struggles and more.