Meet the committee

We are committed to culture change across all parts of the Chartered Institute and our fundraising community. Our Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee leads on this mission, supporting us to deliver our strategic objectives to make the profession, and us as a Chartered Institute, more equal, diverse and inclusive, and to provide challenge and advice to the Board and staff team.

Pennylope, has 10 years' worth of experience working in the charity sector. She has worked for big national and international organisations such as BBC Children in Need, The Royal Academy of Engineering, CASE Europe, Voice4Change England and the East London Business Alliance charity. 

Pennylope’s experience has provided her a 360 overview of the charity sector as she has held roles in grant management, fundraising, community development and overseeing corporate partnerships. She also holds a master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies from Canterbury University. She is the Associate Director for Equity and Justice at London Funders. 

Pennylope has founded her own organisation, UBUNTU PHILANTHROPY, working to support small charities primarily from the global majority to access funding. She supports them to consider their fundraising strategy, organisational development, operational plan and governance to ensure good practice. 

Hayley has worked at Macmillan Cancer Support for over 15 years. Her background is in events having spent 11 years working in Challenge Events. Prior to this Hayley’s background has been in the charity sector working at Cancerbackup and Concern Worldwide. 

Hayley is a Fundraising Director at Macmillan Cancer Support, responsible for their UK wide Relationship Fundraising team, Challenge Events team, and their large Supporter Care contact centre. 

Hayley leads a big team and is passionate about improving diversity, accessibility and experience working at Macmillan and the wider charity sector. Hayley has had particular focus on young socially economically disadvantaged people and improving awareness and access to working in the charity sector. In addition to this Hayley and her teams have been focus on making events and fundraising more accessible and diverse for supporters. 

Graham has been working across fundraising for 15 years, helping charities recruit and retain the best fundraising talent, ensuring that the philanthropic funds that are their lifeblood keep flowing. As Director at Bamboo Fundraising, he helps high-growth charities put in place the strategy they need to deliver maximum impact and build a team capable of implementing it. 

Working with charities as clients gives him a broad view over the sector, and an understanding of the challenges faced by charities big and small. Graham joined the committee in 2023, having observed a sector hungry for change, but wrestling with the best way forward. Being a visually-impaired professional, replete with Guide Dog Ricky, he is passionate about all areas of EDI, but has particular expertise within disability inclusion. 

Rebecca has over 20 years of working in the voluntary sector specialising in Trust and Statutory fundraising. Rebecca feels fortunate to have worked for other great deaf and disability charities such as Sense International, SignHealth, deafPLUS, Shaw Trust and RNID, where she honed her fundraising skills in this domain. 

As a Deaf fundraiser, she is one of 3% who classify themselves as disabled. As a representative of disabled fundraisers, Rebecca is passionate about addressing key inequalities that deaf and disabled fundraisers face in the profession and would like to support the Chartered Institute's aim to increase representation and diversity as set out in their change collective strategy.   

Rebecca is now the Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association (BDA), a Deaf-led national organisation which campaigns and advocates for Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL). The BDA’s mission is to protect, preserve and promote BSL and ISL.  

Rebecca was elected to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising's board of Trustees in July 2021. 

Paul Amadi is the current Chief Supporter Officer at British Red Cross. Prior to this, Paul served as the Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement at MS Society from March 2015 to June 2018. Before that, Amadi was the Director of Fundraising at Diabetes UK from January 2012 to January 2015. Paul began their career in 2010 as the Director of Fundraising at NSPCC. Paul Amadi has a Master's degree in Political Science and Government from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Bachelor of Arts - BA in Political Science from University of Nottingham. 

Paul is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and a former Chair of the Chartered Institute.  

Gina is a Founder, ADHD coach and trainer.  

She has led multiple digital transformations for some of the UK’s biggest brands - focusing on psychological safety as the basis for any high performing team. 

She coaches clients and delivers workshops all over the world both remotely and in person.    

With over a decade of expertise in technology and consulting, she has become a driving force in empowering individuals and organisations to harness the power of neurodiversity. 

Gina's journey has led her to specialise in ADHD coaching, facilitating individuals in understanding their ADHD and unlocking their true potential as neurodivergent talents.  

She also supports Founders, Managers, and leaders in creating inclusive environments through Neurodiversity and inclusion training, fostering diverse teams that thrive. 

She strives to foster understanding, acceptance, and growth. Gina’s work exemplifies her dedication to forging a brighter future for neurodivergents across the world.  

Monwara has worked in not for profits in the areas of community development and youth work from the start of her career in 1992, and fell into fundraising two years later in her first leadership roles as Senior Youth Practitioner and Chair of a community organisation.  In 2010 she became a member of the Chartered Institute after completing a Diploma in Fundraising Practice and Management.   

Monwara has led teams of passionate people, developing ambitious community programmes that tackle social inequality and invested in skills, capability and talent at local level within three London boroughs.  She is currently the Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Community Hub, a leading charity known for their collaborative and agile approach in serving communities at a grassroots level.  After venturing into fundraising for international development work in 2019 she co-founded Stow Inspire CIC in 2021, fundraising to build homes for vulnerable single parent women living in poverty-stricken conditions in Bangladesh.   

Originally from the United States, Jenn was born in San Antonio, Texas, and lived in several cities in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida before moving to the UK in 2016. Jenn currently lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion champion on the East Anglia committee, having joined the Chartered Institute of Fundraising in February 2020. 

Her first charity role was at The Salvation Army of Clearwater and Upper Pinellas County from 2013 to 2016 in Clearwater, Florida. In the UK, she has worked in a variety of roles at Clare College – University of Cambridge, Red Balloon Learner Centres, The Nehemiah Project, an abstinence-based residential Recovery Programme and The Nystagmus Network, the UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting those with the eye condition nystagmus. Jenn is currently the Trusts and Foundations Manager at Little Village, a network of baby banks that support children under five living in poverty across London. She is passionate about creating genuine relationships with donors (from individuals to trust contacts) and utilising fundraising data to inform best practices. She loves connecting with other fundraisers and is committed to working towards the changes we need in our sector. 

Joyce grew up in South London, and has lived and worked internationally including 5 years in Jamaica where she was Head of Human Resources Development & Airline Procedures, for Air Jamaica. Whilst in Jamaica she also established the Computer Learning Centre in New Kingston. In the UK she headed up Human Resource Development for Europe for the Australian High Commission Department of Immigration and Multi-Culture, Managed Technical Training for UK Power Networks, and provided consultancy for EDF Energy, and Transport for London. Joyce currently lectures for the Open University Business School. She devotes her time to charity, chairing the Black Heroes Foundation, in tribute to her late husband Flip Fraser. Issues of race, equality, opportunity, and empowerment are the DNA of Joyce’s modus operandi. 

She incorporated the Black Heroes Foundation as a charity in October 2016. Its vision is “a world where Black Heroes are acknowledged, respected and celebrated”. Their event “The Black Heroes Soul Café” goes into communities engaging, educating, entertaining and empowering, the young, old, homeless and sick. Working across communities, cultures and generations, impacting on people’s health & wellbeing, sense of belonging and empowerment.  

Joyce was elected to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising's board of Trustees in July 2019. 

Matt Parkes has worked in fundraising since 1999, beginning in direct marketing and legacies at CAFOD and most recently as Director of Development at the Diocese of Westminster. He has worked for a range of national charities, including ChildLine, NSPCC and Blind Veterans UK, and was Client Services Director at fundraising agency Bluefrog, where he set up their Gifts in Wills team. He recently set up a consultancy with a former colleague, offering fundraising, communications and leadership development services. Matt has dyslexia and brings a wide understanding of neurodiversity, including the challenges it causes and the tremendous strengths it can bring. 

David Mbaziira is a consultant, supporting the Chartered Institute to integrate inclusion within the new strategic plan for the organisation, driving change across membership including individual and organisational members.  

A communications practitioner with over 25 years’ experience, he has worked in both advertising agency and client-side senior roles in the financial, not for profit and sport sectors, developing strategic marketing campaigns and inclusion programmes. 

David is a passionate advocate for all areas of diversity and inclusion, he founded the consultancy okusoka + co in 2018 working with clients to co-create inclusive cultures with a focus on the strategic business drivers for organisations and the value of inclusive leadership.  

He has spoken at international events and conferences on a range of issues including the power of inclusion, creating positive organisational culture, public trust and media perception, growing income from individual giving and fundraising regulation. 

Electra is a theatre professional with 15 years of experience in Scotland's Arts and Festival scene. Electra is currently the Head of Development at Reconnect Theatres, an organisation that operates, restores, and ultimately brings back to the community historical buildings. Electra is a member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising EDI Committee, working to make things more equal. Coming from an ethnically diverse background, she has lived experience of the challenges people from an ethnic minority background face as they try to establish a long-term career in the third sector. Electra is committed to ensuring everyone gets a fair shot in the arts and that art can change the world, one stage at a time.

Giada is a Corporate Partnerships Manager and BAME Network Chair at the Royal British Legion, having recently been successful in attaining the REM Trailblazer Bronze Award for the charity. As well as the Chartered Institute’s EDI Committee, Giada also sits on the Chartered Institute's Corporate Fundraisers special interest group.

Giada is passionate about corporate charity relationships and bringing these sectors together to positively impact communities in need - whether that's through fundraising, knowledge sharing or strategic relationships. Having previously worked in the private sector, she is able to draw on her experiences in her work and volunteering.

Michele Welch, Head of Professional Conduct and Inclusion at the Chartered Institute, is an accomplished social worker and psychosocial therapist, as well as a passionate advocate for social justice. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Michele has dedicated her career to safeguarding adults, promoting inclusion, diversity, and championing a speak up culture in order to create a more just society. 

As a psychosocial therapist, Michele brings empathy, compassion, and expertise to her work. She helps individuals and groups navigate through a wide range of psychosocial challenges, addressing the interplay between psychological factors and the social context in which individuals live. Michele's therapeutic approach is rooted in understanding the complex dynamics between personal experiences, social structures, and mental well-being. She brings this experience to support and facilitate organisational change with a focus on trauma informed practice.  

Michele has conducted numerous workshops and educational sessions to promote understanding among professionals, communities, and families. She firmly believes in embracing diversity and promoting a society that values and celebrates the contributions of all individuals. 

Beyond her professional work, Michele remains an active participant in advocacy groups and organisations.