Our Board

Phil is the Chair of our board and works as a fundraiser for Bite Back. Phil’s experiences have allowed him to see how critical volunteering is for building community and social infrastructure as well as reducing social isolation and loneliness, which is what VCH is all about. He hopes to bring his fundraising experience and knowledge of the fundraising landscape to VCH to support with the growth of income generation, income diversification, and social impact.

Jade is Vice-Chair of the board and has volunteered with VCH’s befriending and vaccination programmes, which led to a stint supervising volunteers within the programme. The experiences forged a desire to support Hackney’s diverse community. Jade brings with her twenty years of experience working in the film and TV industry.

Olivia lives and works in Hackney, and wants to give back to a borough that has brought her nothing but joy. She is a results-driven corporate fundraiser with a strong track record in forging meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships for a variety of causes. With so much passion to bring to the board, Olivia is also keen to learn more about a charity that sits at the heart of the community.

Ellie has called Hackney home for a long time and is deeply invested in ensuring the borough remains a place where everyone can thrive. Her career has been driven by a passion for public service, spanning roles across non-profits, membership organisations, and local government, all with a shared focus on bettering the communities where she lives and works. She is proud to be a member of the Board, where she hopes to offer strategic direction and expertise in digital innovation to help the organisation navigate new challenges and create a lasting, meaningful impact for service users and residents.

Having called Hackney home for the past 9 years, Omar is proud to serve as Treasurer of the Board. He first encountered VCH while looking to volunteer in the area – volunteering at a local resource centre for homeless people – and was inspired by the charity’s commitment to supporting local people. Joining the Board provides an opportunity to give back to both the borough and an organisation whose work he greatly admires. Omar works in financial planning, fundraising and investments at a tech and AI start up.

Doug is a Hackney resident and is proud to give back to the borough he calls home. He brings several years of board experience at a Canadian volunteer centre, giving him first-hand insight into the governance of a community-focused charity like VCH. Professionally, Doug has spent his career as a finance and analytics leader in the technology sector. He hopes to bring his experience in fiscal stewardship and data-driven decision making to support VCH’s continued growth and impact.

Nawshin specialises in population health, holistic clinical governance, and equitable service improvement, with over 15 years’ experience spanning healthcare, charities, local government, and the voluntary sector. She has extensive experience in stakeholder collaboration, advocacy, service transformation, recruitment, and policy development. Passionate about partnership working, she champions a whole-system approach that brings together health, social care, community organisations, and businesses to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities, and create sustainable benefits for both communities and partner organisations.