Board of Directors

  • Eleanor Lisney

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    (She/They)

    Eleanor Lisney is a campaigner, co-founder member, public speaker and director of 2 disabled people's organisations. She is an access advisor, and an aspiring creative practitioner.

    She was born in Malaysia and has lived in Strasbourg, France and studied at Austin, Texas. She is passionate about embedding intersectionality in all of her work. She has two grown up children.

  • Dewi Cynthia Stümer

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    (She/Her)

    @d_cyn_s

    Dewi, a Cultural Psychologist of Indonesian-German heritage, has been leading projects for 13 years, advocating for anti-discrimination, gender inclusion, and decolonization. Her recent article, "The Identities of Second-generation Indonesian Diaspora Communities," examines the experiences of young adults of mixed ethnicity in Germany. At EVR, she collaborates with Indonesian/Malay organizations to provide culturally sensitive and inclusive support services. Additionally, she works as a Diversity and Inclusion coordinator at the Berlin International Film Festival

  • James Olabre

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    (He/Him)

    James works as an Operations and Development manager in the public sector. A co-founding member of EVR, he has helmed EVR’s recruitment and helped steer internal operations (including line management of staff) and advocacy.

  • Jenny Pattinson

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    (She/Her)

    Born in the UK with a Malaysian Chinese and Scottish heritage, Jenny has always been passionate about human rights and minority rights, whether within the UK or abroad and she is a supporter of Amnesty International and Reprieve. Her dissertation whilst studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Law was on the Macpherson Report and institutional racism following the tragic death of Stephen Lawrence.

    Having been a victim of racism herself during the Covid pandemic, Jenny has been a vocal advocate to stop ESEA hate crime and has contributed to Prof. Binna Kandola’s report on Covid 19 and Anti-Chinese Prejudice which led to her speaking to several national newspapers including the Huffington Post and being interviewed on RT News. As a Board Director, Jenny uses her background in law and corporate governance to support EVR’s work and strategic vision.

  • Rachelle Adad Mesley

    BOARD DIRECTOR

    A teacher, stay at home mum and social justice activist, Rachelle's passion for social justice only intensified when she moved to the UK seven years ago. Born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, Rachelle was lucky enough to grow up in a diverse city, so when she moved to the UK countryside, it was quite a culture shock to be the only person of colour in her workplace.

    Since then, it has been Rachelle's mission to raise awareness through schools and her local community on the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the need for decolonisation in order to create a better world for our children and future generations.

EVR Staff

  • Ankita Banerjee headshot

    Ankita Banerjee

    HEAD OF SERVICES

    (She/Her)

    With a background in inclusive education and 7 years of experience working with marginalised communities across 5 different countries, Ankita brings with her extensive expertise in trauma-informed programming. Her experience spans across the education, child protection and mental health sectors alongside cross-cutting issues such as disability and gender inclusion.

    📧 ankita.banerjee@evresea.com

  • Julia Hirata headshot

    Julia Hirata

    OUTREACH OFFICER FOR ON YOUR SIDE

    (She/Her)

    Julia Hirata has diverse experience in the nonprofit sector, including a focus on gender-based violence and social justice. With a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Global Health and Development, Julia brings a multidisciplinary approach to designing and implementing effective strategies for positive change. Julia is a person of mixed race including Japanese and Irish heritage.

    📧 juliahirata@evresea.com