Meet the Board
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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)
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.
Rachelle Adad Mesley
BOARD DIRECTOR
(She / Her)
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.
Jenny Pattinson
BOARD OF 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.
Meet the Team
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. In her free time you can find her bouldering, hiking or cooking. She loves cooking so much she has set up a work desk in her kitchen; now that’s what we call a good work-life balance!
Jason Sung Chi Kwong
OUTREACH OFFICER AT ON YOUR SIDE
(He/Him)
Jason is 100% made in Hong Kong and has lived in the UK for the past nine years. He is a historian and his thesis explores the intersection of race, colonial labour system, and the Chinese Labour Corps during the First World War. He has been volunteering as a Community Champion before joining the team so you might have seen him at some events already. Beside working on outreach initiatives, he also enjoys reading, music, exercising and cooking. He loves the sea and the sound of the waves (and most definitely dislikes the noise and buzz of London, particularly the sirens). He hopes to bring his outgoing personality to the team and remind people that there is always someone on their side.
Julia Hirata
PROJECT SUPPORT OFFICER
(She/her)
Julia Hirata has diverse experience in the non-profit 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.
Eden Ng
OUTREACH AND SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER
(She/her)
Eden is a young, queer, Chinese Malaysian woman and lover of learning who is committed to seeing and creating meaningful, community-led, intersectional change in her lifetime. Eden also cohosts the podcast of global nonprofit Dear Asian Youth, called Dear Asian Generation, which uplifts and celebrates the stories of Asian girls, women, and all those who identify with the feminine lived experience. In what time she has left, she reads (Tash Aw, more often than not), plays her instruments (piano and guitar), and walks her black and tan miniature dachshund (Missy, who has an affinity for cheese).