THE TEAM

Ambassadors

judy ling wong cbe

Judy was director of Black Environment Network (BEN) and is a pioneer of multicultural participation in built and natural environment policy and was a founding trustee of Greater London National Park City. 

Caroline lucas mp

Green Party MP for Brighton & Hove, Caroline Lucas is a shining example of what women in power can do for the environment. She has supported Wen for 10 years.

JULIET DAVENPORT OBE

Founder and CEO of Good Energy, one of the UK’s first entirely renewable electricity supplier and generator companies. A pioneer in her field, Juliet is an inspiring leader in a male dominated field.

MARIA ADEBOWALE-SCHWARTE

Maria is a city and urban place strategist. She advocates for inclusive and collaborative placemaking that creates thriving neighbourhoods and better lives.

PENNEY POYZER

Penney runs Foodshare, fresh food banks in Nottingham, an award winning project that sets up educational food growing spaces. Prior to this Penney found fame as presenter of BBC’s eco living series “No waste like home”.

Trustees

Momtaz Lic

MOMTAZ AJID

Momtaz is the founder of a Leaders in Community (LiC), a youth charity based in Tower Hamlets. She has 15 years’ experience of working in the charity sector, empowering young people in leadership and governance. Momtaz has a Masters in Communication and Society from Goldsmiths University.

Monique Johnson - Wen

monique johnson

Monique leads on sustainability and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) for the UK’s largest trade union, UNISON. As one of a handful of the Mayor of London’s: Air Quality Ambassadors, Monique is committed to improving health inequality outcomes for everyone. 

Anupam Parashar - Wen Trustee

ANUPAM PARASHAR

Anupam sits in the Environmental and Social Risk team at Macquarie Group Ltd where he provides expert advice on environmental and social risks and developing and implementing environmental and social risk policies. Outside of work, Anupam participates in local community-led sports organisations and enjoys hiking and camping.

 

Tallulah Staple - Wen Trustee

Tallulah Staple 

Tallulah is Chief Operating Officer for China Dialogue Trust, an international NGO reporting on environmental issues. She has a BA in International Development and Economics from SOAS. Previous roles have seen her working closely with communities, schools and charities across London and especially Tower Hamlets.

 

Isabel Bull, Trustee Wen

ISABEL BULL

Isabel is an Account Manager at political advisory consultancy Hanbury Strategy. There, she advises clients on policy and regulation, with a special interest in sustainability and net zero. Isabel has a political background, having helped develop policy for Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP’s deputy leadership campaign for the Labour Party. She’s previously served on the UK’s National Executive Committee for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. 
Jenna Norman, Trustee Wen

JENNA NORMAN

Jenna is an intersectional feminist campaigner and writer with a background in communications, public affairs and research. She has worked on a range of issues including a gender equal economy, the equalities impact of Brexit and the climate crisis and, girls’ rights, as well as in a range of settings including large and small charities, campaign groups and, a busy MPs office.

CHARLOTTE MILLER

Charlotte oversees the commissioning of women’s health and sexual health research for the Department of Health and Social Care. Previously, she worked for charities both internationally and domestically supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, leading a team who created accessible online sex education and establishing a cycling advocacy group in Boston, USA. 

staff

Kate Metcalf, Co-Director

Kate is an expert in participatory training, developing community networks and project management.A Wen stalwart for over 10 years, she previously worked in international development promoting gender equality globally.

Beth Summers, Co-Director

Co-Director, therapeutic gardener, and Tower Hamlets super fan. Beth has 15+ years in charity sector, studied at SOAS and has a keen interest in psychoanalysis.

JULIA MINNEAR

JULIA MINNEAR, CO-DIRECTOR

Julia has worked in environmental organisations for 15 years and is a former Co-Director at Wen. She believes in the power of using feminist and participatory principles to achieve social and environmental justice.

 

Roshini Thamotheram, Campaigns PROJECT Coordinator

Roshini has a passion for social justice. Having been a classroom teacher, outdoor educator and activist with marginalised groups, she recently completed a MA in Race, Media and Social Justice at Goldsmiths University.

Helen Lynn, environmenstrual campaign manager & Health adviser

Helen was Wen’s Health Campaign Coordinator, helped found the Alliance for Cancer Prevention and No More Breast Cancer Campaign. Helen sits on the advisory board of Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF).

Pedro Costa

PEDRO COSTA,  LOCAL FOOD PROGRAMME MANAGER

Pedro has a background in Food Policy and 10 years of experience in sustainable food systems and environmental communications. He’s driven by food’s potential to bring everyone together to ensure a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system.

 

REBECCA

EVANS-MERRITT

LIMBOROUGH 

OPERATIONS

MANAGER

Rebecca has a Fine Arts background and has worked in Production and Education. She loves living in Tower Hamlets and enjoying all the pockets of green amongst the city. 

Shaheda, Wen

Shaheda Aziz, Limborough DELIVERY MANAGER

Shaheda trained as an Early Years Teacher, then later as a community gardener at a local city urban farm. Happiest when working with nature, growing food, centered around well-being and positive living.

Elle

ELLE MCALL, JUST FACT PROGRAMME MANAGER

Elle is passionate about inclusive climate action, and believes in the unique power of food to bring people together. She has worked in the charity sector 7 years, managing a wide range of environmental projects.
Han - Wen

han smith, JUST FACT MOBILISER

Han values the power of community organising and has previously worked at universities, environment charities and both youth and student led campaign networks. Han is currently learning about food growing infrastructure in London suburbs.

Hussina Raja

HUSSINA RAJA, JUST FACT MOBILISER

Hussina has a background in social justice as well as working as a multidisciplinary artist. She is passionate about working with local community groups and young people. She especially enjoys bringing people together over food. 

Julie yip - Green and Grow Coordinator, Wen

Julie yip, local food coordinator

Julie studied Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art before training in teaching and horticulture. Julie has worked as a coordinator of a refugee supper community project, a gardener greening urban spaces for better mental health and a food-growing educator in several community gardens, working widely from schools to sheltered living for the elderly.

SAJNA MIAH, FOOD RESEARCHER 

Sajna is a researcher on our Food Stories Tower Hamlets project. She has 25 years’ experience working with different communities in Tower Hamlets, including 10 years working for Tower Hamlet’s Women’s Aid as a Bangladeshi Women’s Domestic Violence outreach worker. Alongside Wen, she volunteers at a food bank that run by East End Homes.

SHAZNA HASSAIN, FOOD RESEARCHER

Shazna is a researcher on our Food Stories Tower Hamlets project. She has 26 years’ experience of the Tower Hamlets community in various organisations in paid and voluntary positions. In addition to Wen, she works in a local school during lunchtimes and volunteers for a community cycling group. She grows her own cultural vegetables and loves researching food cultures with communities.

Zoe Miles, Wen

ZOE MILES, food co-op strategy & development lead

Zoe (they/them) is working with three amazing food co-ops in Towers Hamlets to create deep and long-lasting change in our food system. They are a facilitator, grower, and union organiser, and love getting together with people to create strange and wonderful art projects.

glenda trew, garden outreach

Glenda has supported on over 20 community garden projects with Wen.  She delivers hands on community food growing workshops, specialising on non traditional  UK crops and is a master composter.

Bernadette Kennedy, Soil Sisters Therapeutic Gardener 

Bernadette combines her background working in mental health and homelessness services with her passion for gardening to reclaim and transform neglected spaces into community gardens. 

MARIPAZ DE SAN MIGUEL

maripaz DE SAN MIGUEL, OPERATIONS MANAGER

Maripaz has a background in Environmental Science and has worked in this field for 14 years, 12 of those years in the charity sector. Maripaz loves nature and walking.

Alice Walker - from Real Nappies for London (RNfL)

alice walker, rnfl Coordinator

Alice joined Real Nappies for London in October 2010. She is keen to help more boroughs reduce single-use nappy waste and is happy to discuss bespoke incentives and rewards including helping parents promote real nappies in their boroughs.

ALICE STEVENS

ALICE STEVENS, project assistant, rnfl

Alice completed a degree in International Development before working in the health sector.  She is currently completing an MA in Inclusion at Birmingham University.  She is interested in sustainable, inclusive and fun family living practices.

ZARINA AHMAD, WEN ADVISER

Combining Equalities and Climate Change, Zarina has been working in the environmental sector for over 10 years. Zarina was recently named as one of the top 30 influential women in environment by BBC’s Women’s Hour.

Faysal Ahmed, IT Coordinator

Faysal studied Engineering with specialisation in Computer Network at Brunel University before joining Wen in 2008.

Brian Dexter, Finance Coordinator

Brian has 20+ years working in financial leadership while also volunteering tirelessly in his east London community for grassroots responses to poverty and distress. He has three grown up children.

Heidi Ringshaw, Communications MANAGER

Heidi’s experience encompasses marketing, social media & event planning. She’s also worked in garden design and horticulture. 

 

Linda Tai - Wen photo

LINDA TAI, Joint Green Baby Project Manager and Engagement Officer

Linda worked in the health and community sectors for a number of years. She is interested in sustainable communities and co-founded Sunny Jar Eco Hub CIC.

Volunteers

LOUISE TURNER

Louise is researching sustainable solutions to period poverty as part of her masters in environmental governance at The University of Manchester. She writes the Wen feminism and climate justice blog series.

Hollie Andrews

HOLLIE ANDREWS

Hollie volunteer’s in the fundraising and outreach team, alongside studying for her Master’s in Sustainable Cities. She is particularly interested in how social injustices and environmental issues interact within urban settings.

Nina Jeffs

nina jeffs

Nina researches climate change policies that promote gender equality at Chatham House. She has worked on the intersection of climate change, human rights and gender equality at UN Women and the UN Human Rights Council.