The Steering Group

I was born in Tanzania (East Africa, where my parents were also born) and moved to the UK in the mid 60’s. I have made Wales my home and have lived here since 1999 having previously studied in Cardiff in the 80’s. I am a Registered Social Worker and have worked in a variety of setting for about 25 years. Now, I am Programme Director of the MA in Social Work at the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University.

I have always been actively involved in anti-discriminatory work and meeting people who were also interested in offering support on issues of race. This great group of individuals looked at how we might organise to actively make Wales an anti-racist society and led to us setting up Race Alliance Wales. I am pleased to be able to work along these lines both in my main job and campaigning work, with organisations such as Plaid BME, British Association of Social Workers and more generally across the university

Faith is a co-founder of Women Stepping Out, which promotes education and self-confidence within the Welsh African Caribbean community and managed it between 1994 -2014. She has worked to help empower children, young people, families, and communities in her many roles including community activist, life coach, mentor, and community development consultant. She has 29 years of experience working with communities and is a qualified youth and community practitioner with a BA (Hon) in Community Education and a Master’s in Education. She has spoken at national and international conferences and was an international Panel Member at the 2021 Series UNESCO Chair In Bioethics International panel discussion webinar 36 in collaboration with the World Medical Association.

She is also a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales Committee and the managing director of FW Consultancy. Faith was appointed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales to conduct consultation work on his behalf with the Africa/Caribbean community in South Wales. As well as commissioned by Diverse Cymru to undertake seminal research to identify the needs of the diverse communities of Wales that live with Dementia.

Faith is also one of the Directors of Friends of Cymru Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (FOCSCT) C.I.C, which provides support to those affected and their families. FOCSCT was instrumental in securing funding for the newly Commissioned Service by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) for Sickle Cell Disorder, Thalassaemia Disorder, and additional Rare Hereditary Anaemias. Faith was named in Wales Online, Brilliant Black & Welsh: A Celebration of 100 African Caribbean and African Welsh People. Faith's parents are African Caribbean from Jamaica and were invited to the UK in the 1960s. She is from a family of professional and international athletes and enjoys watching most sport and for five years played Netball for Wales. 

Marco is the founder and Chief Executive of ProMo Cymru.  Marco was born in Andalucia, Spain. Marco is involved with various elements of the Interim Youth Work Board Developments and is the Chair of the Wales Internet Safety Partnership. Marco is a percussionist with the Cougar - Carib, Afro, Latin band and plays Touch (Rugby) in the Seniors category for Wales.

Nirushan is a Cardiff University Law and Politics student. Passionate about social action and having a range of experience with different organisations and volunteering. He was a Peer Researcher with RAW conducting research into the topic of Racism within the Welsh Education system , he was able to further understand the issues affecting BAME young people in Wales. With experience in working on campaigns around Employment and Education as a Leader within Citizens Cymru Wales which focused on tackling inequality , poverty wages and discrimination in the communities of Cardiff. Nirushan sits on various boards and forums including as a trustee for WCIA , trustee with Youth Cymru and being part of the National BAME Youth Forum , Grange Pavilion Youth Forum, Peace First Youth Advisory Board and being part of TEAM Panel at National Theatre Wales. Looking to make a difference wherever possible and to create a more equal Wales. He also has a podcast called ‘’Let’s Talk Ethnic” looking at diaspora issues in Wales.

https://anchor.fm/lets-talk-ethnic - link to podcast

I’m really pleased to be part of the RAW Steering Group as I’ve been part of the beginning when RAW was formed and I have been able to see the group grow and expand into a space and platform where the group can effectively drive forward change for BAME communities and act as a supportive space for BAME individuals to make Wales a more equal place.”

Nirushan is originally from Sri Lanka, moving to Cardiff at the age of 8 with his mother and 2 older siblings making Cardiff and Wales their home. He enjoys volunteering, films, reading , sports and anime.

Pete is currently a councillor representing Plasnewydd ward on Cardiff Council, and is the only Chinese councillor in Wales.

Born in Hong Kong, he is a first generation immigrant, and passionate about celebrating the diversity of identify that comes with alternative heritages.

He is a project and policy professional with over 20 years’ experience in political, Government and voluntary sector public service delivery; including Project management, HR, Operational delivery, political adviser, and has also been heavily involved in engaging and supporting local communities through political campaigning. He hopes to bring the experience of the challenges he faced in being an ethnic minority working in these fields to achieving genuine race equality in Wales.

In his spare time he enjoys the visual arts and messing about with bicycles.

Moved to Swansea 1988 at the age of 9, grew up Townhill, Swansea.

I have been fortunate to have experience of working in different sector, statutory / private and voluntary sector. I have experience working in industries such as catering/ vehicle mechanic/ security/ grocery & butcherer shop/ call centre/ door to door sales etc/ Youth Justice/ DWP and so on.

I am humbled and privileged to be part of a team that started EYST Wales in 2005, and now a co-director at the organisation, we are a leading Black Asian Minority Ethnic organisation in Wales.

My love and passion is to make a better Wales and world. I enjoy all types of challenges and the benefit it brings. I feel blessed to be in this position and able to serve the Black Asian Minority Ethnic communities and the people of Wales and playing my part to make it a better society for all, I just love working towards a better Wales. I love people from all walks of life and the differences we have in diversity/ Knowledge/ Experience/ Tradition/ culture/ food/ language/ dress code and so on that compliments each other and the society.

I am motivated to better myself and everything around me hopefully. I am a believer of that A Human has no superiority over other humans except by piety, good deeds, kindness, all forms of charity one is capable of doing or giving, standing up to what is right, fighting injustice, inequality and poverty.

Lloyd Williams is currently the EYST Co-director and Head of People and Governance, he has worked for EYST for over 9 years supporting both staff and volunteers. He has a particular passion for both volunteering and supporting Sanctuary Seekers. “ I truly believe in the power of volunteering and the impact it can have in lives of both the volunteers, the clients they support and the host organisation. I am hoping through the work of RAW, breaking down stereotypes and raising awareness that volunteering is among the main areas of life that RAW will have a lasting impact on”

Tripti is a Post-Graduate in International Commercial Law and has received an LLM from Swansea University. She also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management.

Tripti is passionate about working for community development and aims to bring people to the mainstream of society. She has the skills to work with external stakeholders and decision-makers such as Councils, Healthcare, Police, Educational Institutions & Corporates.

She is a director of NWAMI(Centre for cultural engagement). She served as the Chair of Aurav Disha from 2020 to 2022. She is also a Community Governor of the Coed Glas Primary school.

Tripti’s core interests are Equality, Diversity and Human Rights.

My name is Sheila Hendrickson-Brown. My current role is CEO of Cardiff Third Sector Council (C3SC) which I joined as Chief Executive in July 2012 following a career predominantly in the public and third sectors. In this role I lead the team and organisation and supports the Board to support inclusive volunteering and community action, championing equality and an asset-based approach to community development and influence.

I was born, raised, and educated in Cardiff. I have previously worked in the third sector in a variety of paid and voluntary leadership roles – including as the Chief Officer and as Chair of charitable organisations with a focus on social justice, equality, and inclusion taking forward programmes of improvement and change. Prior to this, I was employed within the public sector, latterly as an employment law advisor and conciliation officer. I have a first-class honours degree in law –achieved whilst holding down a full-time senior role, volunteering as Chair of a national charity and raising a young family.

My voluntary roles have included School Governor at primary schools in Cardiff, Co-chair of an After School Club providing after school childcare in Adamsdown - one of Cardiff’s most diverse and economically deprived wards, Trustee and Chair of Black Voluntary Sector Network Wales building the capacity and advocating for the needs and interests of Wales’ BME communities, Chair of Trustees of BAWSO (Black Association of Women Step Out) providing advice and services to BME people experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse or gender based violence, Trustee on the UK Citizens Advice Governance Board, London – promoting inclusion in the support services provided to people to better understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities and campaigning for policy change, and Governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University – broadening the diversity of the board and ensuring the views learned from decades of living within and working with the local community help to shape the University’s plans and its delivery against its inclusion objectives.