Published On: 31 May 2022

The Race Equality Foundation, a leading national charity promoting race equality in public services, has today announced the appointment of Karin Woodley CBE as its incoming Chair, alongside five other new appointments to its trustee board.

Following an extensive recruitment process, a range of lived experience and expertise from financial services, parenting, law and academia will be represented on the new-look board.

The Foundation is delighted to confirm the below new appointments.

Incoming Chair:

  • Karin Woodley CBE is Chief Executive of Cambridge House. She has over 35 years’ experience in community empowerment, education, the arts and social justice. She previously held roles as CEO of ContinYou; CEO of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, and Director of the Tabernacle Centre for Arts and Learning. She is currently a non-executive director and audit and risk committee member of the Ministry of Justice’s Office of the Public Guardian, Vice Chair of Community Southwark and a member of the Better Way Network.

Board members:

  • Reena Anand is a lawyer and former ombudsman who has founded a consultancy on autism with a specific focus on cultural biases that can impact Black, Asian and minority ethnic autistic children getting support. She is also a Trustee at Aubilities, a social enterprise helping organisations use autistic neurodivergence to increase value, and Chair of the governing body at her local primary school.
  • Dr Jagbir Jhutti-Johal is a Reader in Sikh Studies at the University of Birmingham. She is a lay member of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Women’s Network, was the first Sikh female presenter for BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day, and advises Government departments and NGOs on a range of policy issues relating to the Sikh community.
  • Tricia Lawson, FCIPD is Head of HR, EMEA Region at Wells Fargo Bank and has held HR leadership roles with NatWest, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Commerzbank and Wells Fargo across a 35-year career.
  • Donald Mbeutcha is an Enterprise Account Manager at FullCircl. He is the Co-Founder of the Fatherhood Awards UK. The Awards recognise and celebrate positive role models. Donald has also been a community manager for Dope Black Dads as well as a trustee for Beyond Equality.
  • Amanda Pinto QC is a senior barrister at 33 Chancery Lane chambers and former Chair of the Bar Council. She also sits as a part-time Judge in the Crown Court and is a trustee of the Slynn Foundation, a charity working with senior judges and justice institutions around the world to enhance the rule of law.

Commenting on the new appointments, Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation said:

“This is a significant point in time for race equality. Our incoming Chair and trustees bring with them a wealth of experience across multiple industries, as well as a solid commitment to making race equality a reality. We are delighted to welcome them to our board and extremely grateful to those stepping down for their years of service.

“With these new appointments comes a new strategic chapter for the Race Equality Foundation in which we will draw upon our leadership to drive forward our mission to shape a future where race equality is a priority in public policy and services.”

The new trustees take up their posts this month, with the Chair formally taking up her role in July 2022. They are appointed initially for a three-year term.

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. Press contact: comms@racefound.org.uk

2. The trustees remaining on the Race Equality Foundation’s board alongside the new appointees are:

Dr Melvina Woode-Owusu

Professor Gurch Randawa

Clenton Farquharson MBE

Abdul Chowdry

Tajinder Gill

3. About the Race Equality Foundation

The Race Equality Foundation is a national charity tackling racial inequality across public services to improve the lives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. We do this by:

  • Exploring what is known about discrimination and disadvantage
  • Developing evidence-based better practice to promote equality
  • Sharing better practice through educational activities, conferences, written & online material
  • Working with national and local partners from the community, voluntary, statutory and social enterprise sectors.

The Foundation was established in 1987 as part of the National Institute for Social Work and was known as the Race Equality Unit. It became an independent charitable organisation in 1995, and in 2006, changed its name to the Race Equality Foundation.