Our Trustees

Rehana Begum

Rehana is a consultant focused on streamlining financial operations for medium and corporate organisations. Her strengths in financial analysis and bookkeeping have helped organisations improve efficiency and better allocate resources. She holds an MBA, MSc and FLP CIMA and aspires to financial leadership, finding joy in swimming and holidays when not crunching numbers.

Harriet Ann Bignell

Harriet is a policy specialist and advocate with a keen interest in ensuring women have access to public services. Her background includes handling communications for charity pregnancy loss charity Tommy’s before moving into advocacy work. She has focused on health over the past eight years, working on projects for Brooke, RESULTS UK and Oxfam including improving access to medicine.

Katherine Brown

Jennifer Brown 

Jennifer has spent two decades working in the voluntary sector, designing and delivering community-led initiatives to support the most vulnerable in society. She is able to adapt to varied roles, work with people from diverse backgrounds and find innovative solutions to complex needs.

Dr Gemma Burkitt

Gemma is a Reader in Criminal Justice at City, University of London. She is the co-Director of the centre for justice reform, the Department Employability Lead, has Membership of University Gender Equality Working Group and School Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, PG programme development, and is responsible for the design and delivery of several modules at all levels as well as supervising PhD students.

Sir Peter Fahy 

Sir Peter Fahy served as a police officer for 34 years including time in West Midlands Police and was Chief Constable of Cheshire and Greater Manchester. He than ran a street children charity in Africa before becoming chair of a housing association and a police bereavement charity. He is also a trustee of Father Hudsons Caritas, the Diocese of Salford and Vysions community charity.

David Michael Heath 

Dave is an International Human Resources Director and Business Leader who has delivered major organisational and transformational business and culture change  in companies such as IBM and Alexander Mann Solutions. He now leads the Solutions business for Gattaca PLC having most recently led his own HR Consulting practice, “We’re Only Human Ltd” . Dave is is involved in charities supporting refugees as well as Anawim.

Alphonsine Kabagabo

Alphonsine Kabagabo is a senior leader with more than 20 years experience in women’s rights, refugee empowerment, and youth leadership. She brings strong expertise in strategic leadership, governance reform, and organisational sustainability. She is the former Director of Women for Refugee Women and has held senior leadership roles at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), where she led significant growth across Africa and secured major international funding. She is a former trustee of Refugee Council and Womankind. Alphonsine is recognised for her participatory leadership, commitment to inclusion, and ability to build effective partnerships at local and global levels.

Fiona Mactaggart

Fiona, a former primary teacher was Member of Parliament for Slough from 1997 until she stepped down in 2017.  A long serving Chair of the Women’s  Parliamentary Labour Party she established the all party group against prostitution and global sexual exploitation, served as a Home office minister for 3 years and led the All party group on modern slavery and human trafficking.  After she left parliament she chaired the Fawcett society and the feminist Agenda alliance.

Sabreena Mahroof 

Sabreena is a retired Hand Surgeon, who is currently the Chair of Moseley in Bloom, a gardening charity. She also helps to coordinate gardening activities in two schools.

Sheila McGrath – Chair

Sheila served as a volunteer with Anawim for three years, assisting the prison team in supporting women on their release. Her career spans education and social work, focusing on young people facing educational challenges and those at risk of entering care or the justice system. She has worked with major organisations such as Action for Children, Barnardo’s, and the Family Service Units. Additionally, Sheila has held trustee positions at Turning Point, Gloucestershire Probation Trust, and Stroud and District Home Start. Most recently, she served as an Assistant Director at Barnardo’s in the Midlands, overseeing training and development, securing project funding, managing regional operations, and promoting volunteer engagement. Currently, she serves as interim Chair of Anawim, providing supervision to the CEO.

I have spent all my ln the public and voluntary sectors working with people experiencing difficult and challenging circumstances.  After I retired I have always worked as a volunteer and this is how I first came to Anawim.  As Covid ended I heard about Anawim’s amazing services on the TV evening news, rang up and training for a new cohort was just beginning.  The rest is history! 

Paula Ann Mitchell 

Paula is the Clergy Social Welfare Advisor for the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Along with a background in health and social care, she brings her experience in operational management to Anawim.

Ahmad Mortazavi 

Ahmad brings extensive experience in financial analysis, digital transformation, and data-driven decision-making across the financial services and non-profit sectors. Ahmad supports Anawim by providing strategic oversight on financial sustainability, impact measurement, and governance, helping ensure the organisation delivers meaningful and lasting outcomes for the communities it serves.