We are Equality Action from February 2017 (formerly known as Human Rights & Equalities Charnwood (HR&EC). Until 9 September 2008 we were Charnwood Racial Equality Council. We were first established as the Charnwood Community Relations Council in the Borough of Charnwood in May 1969 (then known as "The Garden”).
We are a registered Charity number 1088411 and a Company Limited by Guarantee Number 4198889. We have a board of 10 trustees who oversee the work of the organisation. We are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) for our immigration work.
We have been working in our locality delivering work and projects to meet the needs of the community. This has included campaigning, lobbying, delivering long and short term projects.
English My Way Big Lottery Funded (2017-2018)
Meet the people behind Equality Action.
Executive Officer
Operations Officer
Financial Officer
Vita Minds Project Officer
Vita Minds Project Officer
Caseworker / Vita Minds Project Officer
Caseworker
Caseworker
Positive Minds Project Officer
Positive Minds Project Officer & Core 20Plus Co-ordinator
Administrative Assistant.
Chair
Geetha has a background in Health and Nutrition having graduated with a PhD from the Ohio State University. She worked in the US for the federal government’s Women, Infants and Childrens’ food programme. Aim of the national initiative was to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in deprived areas of the US. On moving to the UK, Geetha worked for the BBC and had many roles from presenting, producing and training. While at the BBC, Geetha was involved in a number equal opportunities initiatives. Her final role was Organisation Development Adviser. Geetha left the BBC to set up her own consultancy to provide leadership and management training and development. She also trained and works as an executive coach and workplace mediator. Geetha has worked with people from a variety of cultures and from different countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, France, India, Indonesia and Cambodia. She is a Trustee of Glebe House, an organisation in Loughborough, providing services for people with learning difficulties and autism and a Non-Executive Director of Lantern Health CIC, provider of Medical Services to the NHS based in the London Borough of Newham. Geetha believes that when we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and create a more cohesive world.
Vice-Chair
Emily Keightley moved to from St Ives in Cornwall to Loughborough in 1999 as an undergraduate student. She now lives here permanently with her partner and their children. Emily is Professor of a Media and Memory Studies in the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture at Loughborough University. She teaches and writes about memory, time and their mediation in everyday life. A lot of her research has involved engaging with the local community and she was delighted to be invited to join the board of Equality Action this in summer 2018.
Treasurer
I came to Loughborough university in 1989 to study English Literature and stayed after graduating. I worked in finance for a number of years, working for organisations including Leicester Housing Association and David Wilson Homes. After having children I wanted to work termtime only so retrained to work in playgroup, thoroughly enjoying working with young children and leading sessions. However, I still did accounts work during this time. I have looked after the accounts for a number of charities, including an overseas aid charity, Churches, playgroup and a counselling charity. I enjoy reading and visiting the theatre. I am delighted to be joining Equality Action and am looking forward to working with everyone.
Osas Adetutu is the Partnership Liaison Officer at VitaMinds NHS IAPT Service. She has a rich background spanning Journalism, Customer Experience, Media, Public Affairs, and Communications. Osas is particularly passionate about education and the dissemination of practical information amongst vulnerable people and deprived communities. She worked in Nigeria for the National Human Rights Commission, championing public sensitization and media coordination on several human rights issues. Since moving to the UK in 2012, Osas has completed the MA program in Public Relations at the University of Leicester. Inspired by her Christian faith, she now employs her public engagement experience towards educating and equipping people, especially women and children, with the requisite knowledge to break barriers that hold them back from living their best lives.
Kirit is chair & founder of south Asian Health Action a patient’s,carer and community led charity. His current role is the volunteers / network coordinator for race on the agenda (ROTA) Communicating Race Equality Messages Effectively (CREME Project). He his passionate about inclusion of diverse patient public involvement so is a member of East Midlands PPI Senate, advisory group member of NIHR Centre for Engagement &Dissemination, member of the coalition of race equality network (CORE), and member of NHS England patient public voice member. He is also a trustee of voice 4 change England, Director & health lead Hindu Council U.K., and Aikyam U.K. He has significant paid and voluntary sector experience both as a patient and community activist in research, community engagement and health services having worked across the East Midlands, Nationally and Internationally. He has experience and passion in delivery of equality and diversity particularly in Black and Minority Ethnic communities. He currently is an Associate for National Voices, Regional Partner for Ubele /The Phoenix Way. He has over the last 8 years worked on Organ, Blood and Stem Cell awareness with BAME, Faith and Diverse Communities. He has developed Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims Embrace Organ Donation Awareness Campaigns and Community Ambassadors community engagement project for Organ, Blood and Stem Cell Donation working in Midlands, Yorkshire and London.
ZamZam has over 10 years of experience working within the community and young people sector. A big believer in social justice, ZamZam supports and volunteers with local grassroot organisations including being a former United Nations intern advocating for Refugees and Asylum seekers. ZamZam is a qualified Youth worker and holds a BA (Hons) with registration Youth Work and Community Development with JNC qualification incorporating the Award in Teaching and Learning Upper Second award from De Montfort University. ZamZam is currently working for a charity called Leicestershire Cares as an Action Research Officer and as part of her role, she is supporting ethnic minority grassroot charities in building their capacity in adding value to their vital services. Being elected to be part of Equality Action as a trustee is a great honour and I look forward to working with the charity in a professional capacity to support them with my skills and knowledge. When ZamZam is not working, she enjoys kick boxing, socialising with friends and spending time with her four children and husband.
Alea is a primary school teacher and has been a teacher for 7 years. She is a member of the local community and has actively been involved with the community from a young age working as a home school liaison officer, a family learning support tutor and most recently promoting and leading a dementia support group. She has previously worked for equality action and strives for equality and diversity.
Charles was a parish priest working in this area before moving to be a Team Rector in Leeds in 2000, where he also became Chair of Leeds Faiths Forum. He retired in 2016 to Loughborough, to be near family, and has been a Trustee of Equality Action now for a year. He loves gardening; and leads contemplative prayer at Emmanuel Church.
Jill has lived and worked in Loughborough for many years. She was a researcher in Social Policy at Loughborough University and a Borough Councillor. She continues to be involved in local voluntary and community activities, in particular with Equality Action and Charnwood Arts and the Generator arts and culture centre project.
Abida Akram is a retired Equality, Diversity & Inclusion specialist with over 34 years of experience in various sectors. She supports EA and the Board of Trustees on equality and personnel issues.
In July 2022 I took up the role of Leicester Prevent Coordinator and this is a post hosted by Leicester based interfaith charity, the St Philip’s Centre. The Prevent Coordinator role manages the partnership delivery of the Government’s Prevent Counter Radicalisation programme and my role and associated local Prevent projects are funded by the Home Office’s Homeland Security Group (HSG). Between Summer 2017 and February 2022 I previously worked within Leicester City Council’s Community Safety Team in the post of Community Coordinator. This was a role externally funded by the Home Office’s Counter Extremism Unit (CEU) and I worked as part of a national network of 40 Community Coordinator’s across England & Wales. The core aims of the Community Coordinator were aligned to delivery of the Government’s Counter Extremism Strategy 2015 and the key principle of the role was, ‘To build a partnership with those opposed to extremism’. Prior to moving to Leicester in 2017 I previously lived and worked in Oxford and from 2007 to 2017 worked as the Oxford Safer Neighbourhoods Manager. This was a partnership management role funded by Thames Valley Police and Oxford City Council to manage Neighbourhood Policing activities and community safety priority setting across Oxford. I worked very closely with local residents, community associations and local councillors in addition to the local statutory agencies involved in community safety to reduce crime and Anti-Social Behaviour. This role built upon my previous experience of working closely with communities to deliver joint action plans and neighourhood initiatives.
