Equality Panel Members

Philip was born the eldest of four in the summer of 1967 on the outskirts of Heswall, Wirral. His father, born in Hoylake, Wirral, was an engineering draughtsman at Cammell Lairds shipbuilders and his mother, born in Islington, London, worked in a children’s home until Philip was born. She later worked as a chauffeuse.

Philip was home-schooled and, from the age of 11, attended Birkenhead Park High School. Upon completing his A-levels, Philip applied to become a cartographic draughtsman at Ordnance Survey in Southampton. Nine years later he returned to Wirral and retrained as a town planner, studying for a masters degree at the University of Liverpool Department of Civic Design.

Upon graduation, I Philip to become a salaried Housing and Planning Inspector at the Planning Inspectorate. After working in that capacity for a few years, he resigned and set up his own planning practice, based at his home in Birkenhead.

In 2017 Philip applied to become a self-employed Scottish Government Reporter and still occupy that post, working mainly as a local development plan examiner.

Philip has been disabled all of his life and started using a wheelchair in 1997. Philip is the first wheelchair user to be appointed as a Planning Inspector and as a Reporter. He concerned to ensure that disabled people are supported to discover and then make the most of their talents.

Caroline Keep is a highly accomplished Autistic/ADHD educator and data scientist.

She is currently a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Central Lancaster, where she is developing digital tools for education using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

With a track record of success in her field, Caroline has received numerous awards, including the National TES Award for teaching and the Bima100 for her work organizing the Liverpool Makefest at the Liverpool Central Library for seven years.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Caroline is a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity, having worked with the Global Equality Charter as a teacher advocate to make education more inclusive for young people.

For the past two and a half years Kelly has worked for a national sight loss charity, Thomas Pocklington Trust, as the Northwest Engagement Manager for Sight Loss Councils.

During the early part of her career, she worked as a journalist before moving into marketing / PR roles. Kelly then transitioned to the charity sector where she more recently took up the role of Engagement Manager.

Away from work Kelly is a mum and particularly enjoys sport.  She is a keen runner and also enjoys cycling and blind baseball.

Jenny Carter is 40 years old, and has Autistic Spectrum Condition, Dyspraxia and Epilepsy.

Jenny is also a Partners in Policymaking Graduate. She is one of the leads for self-advocacy in Wirral and one of the Directors of Together All Are Able. Jenny is one of the members of the National coproduction Advisory Group and also the News Hound for Northwest Training And Development Team.

Jenny is passionate about self-advocacy and personalisation.  She also enjoys walking and canals.

Mark has Asperger’s Syndrome and is the Founder of the website/project Aspie Heroes (www.aspieheroes.com).

Mark has always wanted to be normal but then realised that having a disability is not a bad thing to have as it has advantages such as long-term memory.

In Mark’s search to find what he wanted to do for a job, Mark took up a web design course where he had to come up with a subject for his website, this is when Mark realised that his struggle to find a job could be his subject and thus Mark created Aspie Heroes, a website celebrating autism, Asperger’s and what people had achieved with these disabilities.

Mark now dedicates his life to helping other aspies learn to manage their conditions and achieve greatness.

Adele is from Wirral. She has two children who are almost 5 and 8 and Adele works at the University of Liverpool.

Her hobbies include music, dabbling in design and going out with the kids.

Adele is a disabled person and passionate about equality and inclusion. Disability and caring for those who are disabled has touched Adele’s family in many ways over the years.

Cosima is the Partnership Coordinator for the Access to Advice Network at Citizen Advice Liverpool. She is also a founding member of the In Limbo Project which advocates for citizens’ rights. 

Natalia is an accomplished HR Specialist with years of experience within Employment Law, Learning & Development. She is a Champion of Employment Law, Equality, Inclusion and Diversity.

Motivated by a personal background of overcoming unfair treatment based on her nationality and mental disabilities, Natalia is deeply committed to fostering Diversity and Inclusion at every workplace by implementing and improving the Employment Law. She aims to create more work opportunities and accessibility for all individuals with disabilities, in order to give everyone equal opportunities, support, safe and friendly environment that all deserve.

As a queer, disabled, gender-fluid person, intersectionality is at the heart of Zoe’s personal philosophy and professional practice. She is a consultant, researcher and EDI advocate working with private, public and VCSFE sector organisations.

Zoe focuses on the development of place-based, culturally sustainable interventions in public spaces and promotes improved access to the creative industries for all.

Every day, Zoe gets out of bed to increase access and improve the working conditions of creative people, no matter their background, socio-economic status, or identity.

Zoe’s achievements include:

• Diversity Hero – British LGBT Awards 2024


• Project Lead – National Transgender Monument


• Board Member for 20 Stories High


• Research includes: Racial Equity in Urban Planning, Culturally Responsible Placemaking for Social, Economic and Environmental Justice, and The Role of Social Infrastructure in Community Building

Steven is the founder and CEO of the Dyslexia Foundation which it is the largest Adult Dyslexia Charity in the UK.

Through his work as, he has set projects throughout the Liverpool City Region, including Moss Side, Rusholme, St Helens, Halton and Sefton which provide support for people with dyslexia within those communities.

Steven also works with public and private sector organisations to reduce the barriers adults with learning disabilities face in education and the workplace.

After being a disability advocate for 25 years he is passionate about increasing equality in employment and education for everyone.

Mark competed for Great Britain in Table Tennis for over 10 years and was a member of GB team at the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000. Mark also qualified for the Athens Games 4 years later but retired from international competition shortly after qualification because of the arrival of his daughter. Mark participated in numerous international competitions, European and World Championships.

Mark has been the Sports Development Manager at Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool, for over 18 years and have also played an active role on the committee of the British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled. (2004 – 2013) as well as various other sports bodies. This includes being the North West representative for the Activity Alliance, member of the Cheshire and Merseyside Neurological Alliance, trustee with GB Power Hockey Association and long standing member of the Liverpool Physical Activity and Sport (PAS) Strategic stakeholder group which helps drive the Liverpool Active City strategy.

Mark’s passion stems from his own lived experiences. Mark has a genetic disability/long term health condition called Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) and married with 3 children.

Mark is passionate about breaking down the barriers that exist for disabled people in sport and leisure. Mark believes strongly that disabled people deserve more choices in sport and leisure and want to see greater representations the workforce.

Zack is a recent Computer Science graduate from the University of Liverpool, where he championed the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).

Alongside his studies, Zack worked as a Disability Coach, helping to facilitate a drop-in desk on campus for disability support enquiries, and as a Liverpool Advocate, supporting campus visits from local primary and secondary schools from a widening participation background. Zack also volunteered in student voice as the Deputy Chair of the Student-Staff Liaison Committee in the Computer Science department, working with staff to raise student feedback and suggesting improvements to the course.

He has been shortlisted for various equality awards at the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool Guild of Students in recognition of his efforts.

Now, Zack works as the Chief Operating Officer at a tech start-up called Harker, which is building an AI-powered CRM platform for homelessness charities to manage their data more effectively. He continues to champion EDI in this role, such as through the Disability Confident framework.

Zack found his passion for disability advocacy after discovering his own neurodivergence whilst at university.

Assistant Director Customer Delivery, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Gary has 30 years’ worth of customer service experience in both a social housing and transport setting. Gary was appointed Head of Customer Delivery in February 2013, later becoming Assistant Director. Gary currently oversees all operations at Mersey Ferries, Mersey Tunnels, a range of Customer Services through our Contact Centre team, along with Facilities and Asset Management functions for the organisation.

Siwan is an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager for Arup, a multinational organisation within the built environment sector.

Outside of Arup, Siwan also holds the role of Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion at Anchored In, working to make innovation more inclusive within the UK, Lead EDI Trustee at The Blue Coat School in Liverpool, and volunteers time to support LMF Network, dedicated to support career development for minoritised groups.

Previously holding roles as Head of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion for Merseyside Police, and Knowledge Transfer Manager – Diversity & Inclusion for KTN, leading on activities for Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation and Young Innovators programmes, Siwan is passionate about enabling and empowering underrepresented groups into business, innovation and employment, and ensuring equitable treatment for all.

In 2021, Siwan was announced as a winner in WeAreTheCity’s Rising Star Awards for Diversity, and as runner up for Women’s Business Club Diversity & Inclusion Award, and in 2022 Siwan was shortlisted as a Finalist for the Ladies First Inspirational Woman Award, and was recognised in Diversein’s 130 Women Who Break The Bias list 2022.

Fiona is Programme Leader in Executive Education at Liverpool Business School and Chair of Baltic Creative Community Interest Company. She combines her practice, teaching and research to explore how social enterprises and community owned business models are a catalyst for responsible business growth, better ecosystems and contribute to sustainable local and regional economies.

Cleo is a software engineer who is passionate about seeing more women in STEM and improving diversity throughout the sector. 

Anna is currently an Engagement and Inclusion Graduate for Knowsley Council. This means she is able to positively impact the experiences of employees and residents of Knowsley in relation to EDI issues. Anna has currently been in her role for 11 months, and has learnt so much and grew with confidence in the role.

Advocating on behalf of marginalised groups, and fighting for a more inclusive society are both a huge part of her current role at Knowsley Council, and something she plans on doing on the Women’s Equity Panel.

Anna’s proudest achievement so far is graduating from Liverpool Hope University last summer. Studying a BA in Education Studies, sparked her passion for social justice issues and was a driving force for my current career in EDI.

Samantha is a socially engaged practitioner and PhD scholar, with extensive grass roots experience in community building and citizen led initiatives.

As a creative coproducer with Homebaked Community Land Trust she ran green space initiatives which led to and development Homegrown Collective, a women led community organisation which teaches local women horticulture, low carbon brewing and environmental technology in Anfield.

She has worked extensively with communities, locally, nationally and internationally to reimagine, reconnect and redesign their local environment, public space and creatively explore methods of tackling climate change.

She has took part in ‘In Transit – Urban Development and Placemaking’ research exchange led by the Goethe-Instituts, Eutropia : Cooperative Cities workshop and symposium, Berlin and presenting at ‘Transforming Places from the Inside out’ One Manchester, ‘How do we reclaim our communities?’ Interdependence-Utopia-Now, Manchester international Festival, “Social Making: Socially Engaged Practice Now and Next” Plymouth University & Take Apart, ‘Food and Sustainability for the 21st Century’ Oxford Brookes, ‘Geographies of Co-production Conference’ Royal Geographic Society, ‘Creative Citizens Conference’ Royal College of Art, ‘Co-Production as Practice’ The Royal Art Institute of Stockholm, ‘The City in Co-Creation Symposium ’ Denmark and ‘Giant Step Symposia’ Vessel International Curatorial Workshop, Bari, Italy

Kirsten is Chief Operations Officer and co-founder of Make CIC. She has been involved with other projects across the LCR such as the Generation for Change, BinARTary, Dada Fest and Farm Urban Community Growing.

Ellie takes great pride in the advocating that she does on behalf of marginalised voices.

Often finding herself on the front line, Ellie is currently a case worker for victims of Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking.

She assists survivors in overcoming barriers which can include; securing accommodation and legal representation, accessing educational opportunities and mental health support, whilst also aiming to promote the reintegration, empowerment and personal development of her clients.

Ellie is well versed in adult safeguarding and risk mitigation after having a career which has so far seen her work extensively with groups that often present with some of the highest levels of health and social care needs, including those who have been deemed to be lacking in capacity.

Ellie believes that equity can only be achieved once the lived experiences of all those affected by an outcome have been heard and considered.

Ellie celebrates what makes us unique and different; in her previous role as a Community Coordinator she took much satisfaction in networking with community groups and charities throughout the City Region in order to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds

Amy has worked at Carpenters Group as a Solicitor for over 7 years.  She is also proud and honoured to have participated in supporting the various charitable works which they have undertaken; from volunteering at Claire House and Zoe’s Place, to donating clothes for the homeless and bake sales, plus many more!

Amy has been an active member of her in-house EDI Committee since its formation, and is always willing to share her knowledge, experience and opinions in hopes of assisting in their continued progression.

In 2021, Carpenters asked colleagues to share their experiences for Pride Month, and so Amy wrote an article about her asexuality, which was published on their Intranet.

In 2023 Amy was honoured by Carpenters at their Employee Recognition Awards, as the first recipient of the ESG Award for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.

Amy has been a proud member of the Liverpool Law Society EDI Committee for about 3 years and is currently Deputy Chair. In her role, she has assisted in the running of their meetings and sharing her experiences with mental health, and as a Carer, whilst working full-time as a Solicitor.  Amy also drafts articles for the Liverpool Law Society Magazine summarising the meetings.

Kim is a town planner, specialising in creating inclusive urban environments and community engagement. She has helped to write a number of publications including ‘Designing cities that work for women’.

Whilst working at ARUP she has previously been an Equality Diversity and Inclusion champion and the Chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute. She is also founder of Ideas for Liverpool. 

Catherine is a Lecturer in Planning at the University of Liverpool where she is also co-convenor of the Liverpool Feminist City Network. Catherine’s research focuses on public disengagement from planning, and she also advises on engagement with marginalised groups and seldom-heard voices.

Catherine is an advocate for inclusive cities and partnered with Arup and the United Nations on the award-winning ‘Designing cities that work for women’ report.

As a neurodivergent and transgender woman with disabilities, I hope to represent intersectional as well as gender diverse experiences on the panel. Advancing women’s rights, safety, and capacity to thrive in the LCRCA are of major importance to me, as well as providing better infrastructure to support gender diverse communities whilst raising awareness of our unique struggles navigating day to day life. Our world is naturally diverse, painted with an array of dazzling pigments. As such, addressing the multifaceted problems in society requires an equally diverse perspective – One that I hope we can wholeheartedly achieve together.

Wherever Erika can, she makes sure women are at the table. Once there, in a majority, women radically change things. Erika uses the opportunities and privileges she enjoys trying to demonstrate the financial, social and environmental benefits of a much more inclusive economy and hope others will join in.

Erika initiated One Day – an Economic Strategy for Liverpool City Region written from a diversity of Woman’s perspectives to benefit everyone which has subsequently been endorsed by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and resulted in their Gender Equality Action Plan.

Erika is the Director of Creative Economist undertaking regional, national and international work to deliver placemaking by unlocking local, social, and creative entrepreneurs that exist everywhere.

Erika helped set up and continues to work part time with Kindred-LCR a £6.5M social investment fund – the only social fund in the UK, as far as Kindred are aware, led by a woman.

She has assisted Islington Mill in Salford secure and realise a £7M expansion of creative space that will serve an expanding, diverse Queer community.

Erika helped set up and then Chaired Baltic Creative CIC for over 10 years maintaining at least 50% women on the Board throughout and am delighted to see her successor further diversify that Board, the sector it serves, and the wider Baltic Triangle.

Waf is a dynamic entrepreneurial researcher and seasoned educator at Liverpool John Moores University, holding a degree in Critical Social Science. As an Innovation Coach for the LCR Founders EDRF project, a collaboration between LJMU and University of Liverpool, she has significantly contributed to the city region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. At the School for Social Entrepreneurs based in Blackburne House, she led transformative initiatives empowering women from marginalised backgrounds. Waf actively supports women’s organisations across the region, championing social enterprises and community development.

In 2022, she received the Best in Track for Start-Up and Scale-Up Enterprise Support from Enterprise Educators UK.

In 2023, she was honoured on the Northern Power Women Award- Future List (sponsored by BNY Mellon) for her profound community impact and inspirational role in driving social change.

Steph is an experienced relationship manager with a demonstrated history of working in the philanthropy sector. Skilled in coaching, event management, fundraising, leadership, and Steph has a strong networking professional.

Steph has worked in the charity sector for over 10 years and has worked closely with young people who face numerous challenges, in Steph’s most recent position Steph’s focuses on development for young people across the LCR who are at risk of under employment due to social mobility barriers.

The charity Steph works for specialise in placing young people into long lasting meaningful careers by bridging the gap between businesses across the region and the talent pool of young people who need support to reach this business network.

Assistant Director, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Claire is Assistant Director at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, leading a team responsible for developing policy and strategy for the combined authority. Her role covers a wealth of areas including transport, housing, economic development, culture, employment and skills and spatial planning. Over the last 12 months Claire has played an integral role in developing key policies for the City Region including the Plan for Prosperity and Five-Year Climate Action Plan. Claire and her team work closely with local authorities and government departments and are responsible for leading the city region’s work on devolution.

Claire is passionate about the power of education, having previously spent nearly 20 years working for a succession of skills funding agencies, most latterly as Deputy Director for the Northwest. She joined the Combined Authority in 2019 to oversee the devolution and delivery of the Adult Education Budget before moving to her current role. She is also a Governor at a local specialist high school for pupils with autism.

Jay is passionate about developing and maintaining a strong, independent third sector in the Borough, which is responsive and makes a real difference to the heart of local communities.  He has been described as a person-centered, innovative, solutions-focused leader, with key skills including strategic development & review, organisational restructuring, funding, and income generation, tendering and commissioning, people management, and change management.

His external roles include serving as a Director of Wirral Health & Wellbeing CIC and a Trustee of.  Committed to the growth of future leaders, Jamie spends a lot of time speaking on leadership and management issues and undertakes a lot of pro bono coaching and mentoring, supporting programmes such as those run by ACEVO, The Kings Fund and, more recently, providing support to other charitable organisations through being a Pilotlighter with Pilotlight.

Outside of work, Jay has a strong interest in performing arts, and worked as a Dance Teacher, Choreographer and Adjudicator across Europe for several years.  Having retired from professional teaching in recent years, Jay now enjoys spending his spare time with his five dogs.

Dance is Miguels passion along with Equality and diversity and he brings extensive knowledge around creating judgement-free zones.  He uses arts and culture to address issues related to diversity and gender identity in schools, colleges, working environments, special education, and working with young offenders.  He believes in helping people become the best versions of themselves, and he’s excited to work with anyone who shares that goal!

Miguel has helped to unlock the full potential of students, community projects and commercial events.  He is passionate about community work, dance, equality and diversity, marketing, and helping companies be more socially responsible.  He is heavily involved in the community sector and is proud to have delivered over £2.5 million worth of community work to support causes like human trafficking, slave trade awareness, domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ Pride

Susan is a youth worker, leading on a LGBTQIA+ Youth Group.  She is also part of the internal corporate equalities group and the Merseyside Police’s community LGBTQAI+ Group. She won the Liverpool City Region Pride Award Winner in 2019 for Campaigner of the Year.

Angela was born into a working-class family on the Wirral and work in Liverpool but spent a good part of her life living and working in South Africa during the period when apartheid was ending and the rights of groups that had faced discrimination on the grounds of race, gender and sexuality were starting to be recognised.

Angela was involved in organising the first ever Gay Pride March in Johannesburg and have spent most of her life fighting for equality in one arena or another. Angela currently works for a charity working with adults with learning disabilities and involved with LGBTQIA+ work through involvement in local politics. Angela also runs a small charity in memory of her daughter that provides financial support to those undergoing treatment for blood cancer.

Angela’s personal background and her experiences in life have made Angela a passionate advocate for those who need support to have their voices heard and she hopes to be able to continue that work through the LCR LGBTQIA+ Equality Panel.

Nathan McCarron (he/him) is a STEM Staffing professional with a passion for fostering diversity and inclusion, and a background in Biomedical Science and Pharmaceutical Quality Control.

Nathan is a proud Liverpudlian who graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Science and a PgCert in Pharmaceutical Manufacture & Quality Control from Liverpool John Moores University. Since graduation, he has developed a career within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) staffing sector with a global organisation, focusing particularly on clients within the Liverpool City Region and North West.

Nathan is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. As a gay man, he has developed a passion for driving diversity and inclusion and advocates for equality in both business and life, and actively supports ED&I (Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion) initiatives across the board.

Nathan currently lives in Huyton with his partner, Joe, and their much-loved Miniature Dachshund, Dash.

Steven (he/him) has 5+ years of experience within HR Employee Experience which includes EDI, wellbeing, culture, engagement, learning & development and internal communications within the travel and tourism industry, as well as 10+ years in customer/visitor/member experience in various roles throughout his career.

Steven has always been passionate about all elements of inclusion and diversity within all roles, with EDI becoming a more official part of his job roles in organisations over the last 5 years as both an internal and external advisor. As part of his lived experience, Steven aims to champion the ‘B’ of LGBTQIA+ alongside mental wellbeing and inclusive workplaces, as well as continuing to advocate for all inclusion and diversity matters.

Steven has an enthusiasm and drive for making a difference, wanting to make the workplace and society fair and just, for all.

Alice Tilley (she/her) is one of the educational psychologists who works for Liverpool Local Authority. Alice has worked for Liverpool Educational Psychology Service since 2002 and wake up every morning interested in what her day at work will bring. Alice is a governor in a Liverpool school and have been doing that about 15 years. Alice came to Liverpool to go to university in 1991 and has never wanted to leave; Liverpool is her home and where Alice wants to be. Outside of work Alice plays hockey for a local club and enjoys spending time with her 12 year old.

Helen is excited to be a part of the new LGBTQIA+ panel.

Helen has lived and worked in Liverpool for over 2 years now and feels that this was a unique opportunity to positively contribute to the region.

Helen has recently completed their masters dissertation looking at ‘The Evolving role of the Archival profession in representing the LGBTQ+ Community archive’.

Helen looks forward to using this position to ensure voices are heard to bring about real, substantial change within the Combined Authority.

Head of Internal Audit, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Laura graduated from Liverpool University with a degree and master’s degree in Sociology and Social Policy. She became a CIPFA qualified Accountant whilst she was a Graduate Trainee working in Internal Audit at Wirral Council, and then progressed to Head of Internal Audit roles at Sefton Council and in 2018, the Combined Authority.

Her role is broad and varied and her service area conducts audit work across all parts of the organisation and also sets and facilitates the Corporate Risk Management Framework and establishes the organisation’s insurance arrangements. This gives a great insight into the many diverse activities of the Combined Authority.

In her spare time, she enjoys a good book, eating out, shopping and travelling, especially to Ireland, which is her “happy place”.

As managing director of Islam & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, Tawhid specialises in advising start-up businesses to large multinational companies. Tawhid utilises his corporate background to advise a diverse client portfolio.

Tawhid is one of the founders of the registered charity Liverpool Region Mosque Network (LRMN) which acts as a single representative entity, working with both local and central government, Merseyside police as well as others in relation to community-based issues. As a grass roots community charity, LRMN has been focussing on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on deprived and vulnerable families with young children resulting multiple food poverty projects helping thousands of people across the city in partnership with LFC Foundation and Islamic Relief UK.

Tawhid has also led on organising the award winning Taste Ramadan event in both 2019 and 2022 which brings together thousands of people across the City Region to share food and friendship at the Pier Head and recently won “best community event of the year” at the Echo awards 2022.

Tawhid is also a Trustee of British Art and Design Association an arts organisation whose main objective is to advance public education and appreciation for excellence in the arts, by promoting fine art, design, craft and developing and promoting artists and designers with a focus on providing opportunities for students from deprived backgrounds to purse arts.

Tawhid is also board member of the Professional services board of the Liverpool City Region.

Lisa Shoko is an Equity and Inclusion Leader who specialises in strategies focusing on improvements in higher education and in healthcare. Lisa is interested in asking critical questions about health inequalities through the lenses of critical race, intersectionality and decolonial theories.

Fatima worked in local government and currently working in NHS in Safeguarding. She has experience working in the public sector and with non-profit organisations. Fatima is a community champion and local activist for her community in L8. She was a board member for Plus Dane housing and a member of the Liverpool University Research Ethics Committee to name a few. She is passionate about equality and diversity and keen to get the local community motivated and involved.

Fatima Ali is originally from Somalia and lived in Liverpool for the last 20 years. She has over 25 years of experience as an administrator and office manager in the UK and abroad. She is completing a double-award degree in business and management leadership from Liverpool John Moors University

Matt Kayoka- Ilunga, is a qualified Solicitor and currently works as a Contracts Officer at the University of Liverpool.

Matt is originally from London and moved to Liverpool in 2016.

Matt has a background in the legal industry having worked in a few different law firms in Liverpool and Manchester. In consequence, Matt has developed an interest in Equality and Diversity, especially in the legal industry.

Matt has previous experience of being a Trustee for a charity in Tottenham and has been involved in Committees focusing on EDI matters.

Charlie is an experienced Project Manager and is currently a Principal at Walker Sime. Charlie was also a member of the recently disbanded LEP Built Environment Board. Charlie is passionate about the Liverpool City Region developing sustainably to ensure there are opportunities for the next generation.

Charlie started his career in architecture before taking a side step into project management as a result of the economic downturn in 2008.

Since becoming a Project Manager Charlie has worked on major transformational projects providing regeneration across both the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester where he worked with the public and private sector.

Charlie was born in Liverpool and continues to be an advocate for sustainable and inclusive regeneration through positive collaboration.

As a politics student at the University of Liverpool, Krish offers a view tailored for young people. In environment, he serves as a member on the For Planet Steering Committee, an app encouraging environmental action among young people, as well as the North-West Net Zero Youth Steering Group working particularly in green energy.

Krish was a key member of the Access and Assistance for All campaign in partnership with the British Youth Council before its closure. During this time, he wrote a blog about the main issue of which the campaign was focusing on, increasing assistive technology in FE colleges. This was noticed by the Liverpool Echo who published a news article on his work. This campaign is now back up under Thomas Pocklington Trust and Krish is part of it once again.

Krish is also a UK Youth Ambassador for the ONE campaign, an organisation focused on ending extreme poverty and preventable disease. Krish too serves as a member of the Merseyside Youth Commission who wrote a report of recommendations on crime to Merseyside Police and the PCC

Win has achieved a Combined Arts Degree at University of Liverpool, BA (Hons) 1993-96 in English, Sociology & Irish Studies – including study of Irish Traveller culture.

She worked at Wirral Met College for 5 years as a lecturer culminating in developing/implementing Key Skills Communications across Additional Learning Needs, Health & Social Care & Computing Depts.

In 2001, Win began work with Irish Community Care; where she was the first full time Irish Traveller worker, I developed the role and now have a strategic local, regional & national remit.

She is Safeguarding Lead at ICC ensuring a safe culture for reporting, knowledge-sharing, learning & trust.

She has also been a Trustee of YMCA Together since 2008 and Movema since 2022

As a woman of dual heritage, within all her roles Win consistently strives to develop & ensure spaces are accessible & include a wide range of seldom heard communities, as core, not additional to activities.

Bhumika Palni is a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Employment Support Officer with the Liverpool City Council. Driven by a profound passion for helping young adults with disabilities, neurodiversity, and other complex needs, Additionally, she designs inclusive training programs for employers, ensuring that workplaces become more welcoming to individuals with disabilities and neurodiversity.

Bhumika’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is deeply personal. Her younger brother, Saransh, was born with Down’s Syndrome, igniting her lifelong passion for creating an inclusive world. Beyond her work with SEND, Bhumika has spearheaded numerous initiatives to support individuals from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Her volunteer work extends internationally, where she has contributed to quality education initiatives for individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Bhumika holds a master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Edinburgh, with a special focus on Social Entrepreneurship with her favourite subject focussing on, “Organising for Social Change: Strategy, Governance, and Innovation,”. Bhumika was also the youngest and among the top 10 winners of Lakshya 2017, a prestigious national-level business plan competition in India.

Bhumika Palni’s work is a testament to her unwavering dedication to making the world a more inclusive and equitable place for everyone.

Assistant Director Mayoral Programmes, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Lorna is a UK leader in major programme delivery and has over 30years experience delivering innovative and societal interventions across the public and private sector. Currently heading-up the Mayoral Programme Delivery Team at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Lorna has successfully led on many regional programmes that are positively changing communities, business investment and society, including leading the creation of the UK’s first Race Equality Hub – which will tackle racism in employment and business, providing greater accessibility to employment and a voice for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups who have gone under-represented and hold a wealth of un-tapped skills, including in digital.

Since 2018, Lorna has developed the digital team at the Combined Authority, working with partners to lead on Mayoral manifesto pledges ensuring no-borough gets left behind in the digital age. Lorna has led the team in creating a regional Digital Inclusion programme, establishing a Digital Inclusion Network, becoming a regional National Device Bank and delivering Digital Champion Training programmes. Alongside the inclusion work, Lorna has created a new innovative and market leading Joint Venture Partnership to improve infrastructure connectivity across the region.

Lorna is the Combined Authority’s Board Member on the Joint Venture – LCR Connect – bringing resilient and competitive full fibre backhaul connectivity to businesses across the City Region and driving £1.5bn in productivity benefits.

Lorna has been instrumental in driving forward the digital agenda across the City Region, working closely with Local Authorities and creating infrastructure enablers such as an LCR Dig-Once Policy and Advance Wireless Network programmes, to continue supporting telecoms infrastructure investment.