Professor Cecile Wright
Cecile was professor of Professor of Sociology at Nottingham Trent University for 13 years and is currently at the University of Nottingham as an honorary academic and independent researcher. She was the first black female professor in the East Midlands. She specialises in the areas of education, youth, social mobility and social exclusion. She was recently engaged by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner to investigate the relationship between the BME community and the police with a view to producing recommendations to improve relations. She uses her spare time to work for voluntary organisations, charities, a mental health charity and a women’s refuge in Derbyshire and is on the national executive of my union, the University and College Union to fight for better pay and pension rights. She is currently a member of the TUC Race Relations Committee.
Cecile’s political experience is rooted in local community activism and she has been an
active party member for 20 years. Currently holds the position of TULO officer
for her Derby North CLP.
Councillor Josie Channer
Josie worked as a Prison Officer at and was Senior Officer of the Mental Health and Drug Wing. Now a Board member of the largest Probation Trust in England she’s passionate about keeping our Communities safe and reduce crime. In Barking she stood against racism and the BNP to win her ward. As a Councillor Josie has made a difference by introducing mandatory licensing to protect residents against Rogue Landlords. In 2012 in the London Elections she stood as a GLA Candidate and achieved a 10% swing to Labour in Bromley & Bexley.
Councillor Patrick Vernon OBE
Patrick Vernon OBE works for the National Housing Federation as Health Partnership Coordinator, he is also a Committee member of Healthwatch England and Associate member for the Department of History of Medicine at Warwick University. Patrick is a trustee for Social Action for Health and North London Muslim Housing Association. Patrick was former Chief Executive of the Afiya Trust one of the leading race equality health charities in the country. Patrick has previously worked as a senior civil
servant at the Department of Health and Local Government Association; Director of the Brent Health Action Zone (Brent Primary Care Trust),and Regional Director for MIND. Patrick was a former member of the Ministerial Advisory Group for mental health and the Equality and Diversity Council.
Patrick has been a Councillor since 2006 in the London Borough of Hackney where he served as the former Chair of Health Scrutiny. Patrick is a member of Ed Miliband's Taskforce on Mental Health in Society. He is a committee embers of BAME Labour and Socialist Health Association. Finally, Patrick is a Patron of Sante a Camden based charity which aims to improve asylum seekers' rights and health access particularly mental health. www.patrickvernon.org.uk
Councillor Sanchia Alasia
Sanchia works at Brunel university as one of their equality and diversity managers and has worked in the field of equality and diversity for the past 11 years.
She is a Labour Party councillor in Barking and Dagenham and won her seat in the 2010 local elections in Alibon ward, the safest BNP ward in the borough, from the London regional coordinator of the BNP, Robert bailey to become the youngest woman on the council. She currently chairs the councils health scrutiny committee and blogs about health issues as well as European affairs.
Sanchia was one of six new Labour Party MEP candidates for the European elections on the 22nd May.
Sanchia serves as a school governor in Alibon Richard Primary school in her council ward and is a trade union activist, where she is a member of GMB and UNISON.
First Steering Committee Meeting
The steering committee met at the Council House, Birmingham on the 28th June 2014. The meeting was hosted by Cllr Yvonne Mosquito, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands. We discussed a number of important points including:
We will be holding our next steering group meeting in Manchester and will post the outcomes here.
Cecile was professor of Professor of Sociology at Nottingham Trent University for 13 years and is currently at the University of Nottingham as an honorary academic and independent researcher. She was the first black female professor in the East Midlands. She specialises in the areas of education, youth, social mobility and social exclusion. She was recently engaged by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner to investigate the relationship between the BME community and the police with a view to producing recommendations to improve relations. She uses her spare time to work for voluntary organisations, charities, a mental health charity and a women’s refuge in Derbyshire and is on the national executive of my union, the University and College Union to fight for better pay and pension rights. She is currently a member of the TUC Race Relations Committee.
Cecile’s political experience is rooted in local community activism and she has been an
active party member for 20 years. Currently holds the position of TULO officer
for her Derby North CLP.
Councillor Josie Channer
Josie worked as a Prison Officer at and was Senior Officer of the Mental Health and Drug Wing. Now a Board member of the largest Probation Trust in England she’s passionate about keeping our Communities safe and reduce crime. In Barking she stood against racism and the BNP to win her ward. As a Councillor Josie has made a difference by introducing mandatory licensing to protect residents against Rogue Landlords. In 2012 in the London Elections she stood as a GLA Candidate and achieved a 10% swing to Labour in Bromley & Bexley.
Councillor Patrick Vernon OBE
Patrick Vernon OBE works for the National Housing Federation as Health Partnership Coordinator, he is also a Committee member of Healthwatch England and Associate member for the Department of History of Medicine at Warwick University. Patrick is a trustee for Social Action for Health and North London Muslim Housing Association. Patrick was former Chief Executive of the Afiya Trust one of the leading race equality health charities in the country. Patrick has previously worked as a senior civil
servant at the Department of Health and Local Government Association; Director of the Brent Health Action Zone (Brent Primary Care Trust),and Regional Director for MIND. Patrick was a former member of the Ministerial Advisory Group for mental health and the Equality and Diversity Council.
Patrick has been a Councillor since 2006 in the London Borough of Hackney where he served as the former Chair of Health Scrutiny. Patrick is a member of Ed Miliband's Taskforce on Mental Health in Society. He is a committee embers of BAME Labour and Socialist Health Association. Finally, Patrick is a Patron of Sante a Camden based charity which aims to improve asylum seekers' rights and health access particularly mental health. www.patrickvernon.org.uk
Councillor Sanchia Alasia
Sanchia works at Brunel university as one of their equality and diversity managers and has worked in the field of equality and diversity for the past 11 years.
She is a Labour Party councillor in Barking and Dagenham and won her seat in the 2010 local elections in Alibon ward, the safest BNP ward in the borough, from the London regional coordinator of the BNP, Robert bailey to become the youngest woman on the council. She currently chairs the councils health scrutiny committee and blogs about health issues as well as European affairs.
Sanchia was one of six new Labour Party MEP candidates for the European elections on the 22nd May.
Sanchia serves as a school governor in Alibon Richard Primary school in her council ward and is a trade union activist, where she is a member of GMB and UNISON.
First Steering Committee Meeting
The steering committee met at the Council House, Birmingham on the 28th June 2014. The meeting was hosted by Cllr Yvonne Mosquito, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands. We discussed a number of important points including:
- Our membership structure and constitution
- Developing a manifesto for the 2015 general election
- Supporting Black parliamentary candidates
- Analysed the outcome of the local and European elections in respect to Black representation, which were held on the 22nd May 2014
- Preparing for our fringe meeting which will be held at the Labour party conference on Sunday 21st September 2014, 4-6pm at the Friends Meeting House 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS. This is being held outside of the secure zone so you do not need a conference pass to attend
- Planning for our training and development day in October/November 2015 for aspiring Black candidates.
We will be holding our next steering group meeting in Manchester and will post the outcomes here.