Meet the Members

My day job is centred on issues of racial justice and accountability and so it was no surprise that this role resonated with me since I already work in this field with a particular interest in education. What I hope to achieve is to hold our leaders to account by pressing for action in working with the team to dismantle the structures and systems that combine to limit the potential of specific groups within our borough. I’ve lived here for over 30 years and will be keen to see progress that we as citizens can all be proud of.

Sharmarke DIRIYE is currently the Programmes Lead at Golden Opportunity Skills and Development (GOS&D), a progressive charity that engages and supports the socio-economic and health aspirations of marginalised communities. Sharmarke has amassed over 15 years’ experience working with and supporting the work of Civil Society organisations, in bridging inequality gaps through various impactful projects. Sharmarke has also undertaken numerous leadership roles where he has always championed ideals of equality, inclusion and unity.

It is an honour to be a member of the Citizens’ Tribunal and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the Ealing Race Equality Commission’s recommendations are implemented. I live in Ealing and by profession am a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, with over 25 years’ experience as a clinician and trainer in the NHS, private and third sectors. My special interest is in Neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism and ADHD and I have led specialist teams in this area in several CAMH (Child & Adolescent Mental Health) Services, including in Ealing. I also have a Master of Laws in Human Rights and experience of multi-agency work, advocacy and report-writing, which I hope to put to good use in the tribunal.

As a volunteer I have worked with children’s and homelessness charities, the London 2012 Paralympics, Team London Ambassadors and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In the latter two organisations I am currently involved in EDI projects. I am also Disability Officer in the Ealing Central and Acton Constituency Labour Party.

I applied to become a member of Ealing Citizens’ Tribunal in the hope of making tangible improvements to the day to day lives of people who experience race inequality. My area of expertise is in education. I am a skilled teacher, tutor and lecturer with wide experience in researching, designing and teaching curricula and interventions.

Understanding how the education system creates barriers for a range of learners, students of Black Caribbean heritage in particular, has been my area of research interest. The evolution of the assessment gap has been well documented over the decades and, repeatedly, the education system has failed to pursue recommendations of key reports.

I was pleased, therefore, to see the approach taken by the Ealing Race Equality Commission: Emphasis on tight timelines for its demands, and provision of support for the Council and Ealing schools in promoting race equity. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on the tribunal to provide this support in identifying and implementing effective interventions.

With over 25 years experience working within the National Health Service, Angela is committed to continually strive to commission quality care and health services, especially for diverse communities, and the most vulnerable. This was recently demonstrated in the Covid vaccination Programme where she championed work to ensure the most clinically vulnerable residents living within care homes received primary health care services and their vaccinations promptly. Other experience includes transformation and innovation in primary care to improve access to GP care and development of self-care models, working in partnership with and holding key stakeholders to account.

With her Caribbean heritage and lived experiences, Angela is a keen advocate for making the health service more accessible and services visible to underserved communities. She does this by developing programmes that support and encourage BAME communities to seek early medical intervention, in particular raising awareness of preventable and often undetected health conditions most prevalent in the black community, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension, which if not treated early can lead to life changing conditions.

My name is Michelle Alexander, Founder of Aka Life Coaching Ltd., offering life coaching, family support, and early intervention for women, families, and underrepresented groups in #EDI. With 28 years of experience, working in education, social care early help, private and charity sector.

I am an NLP Practitioner, childcare assessor, mental health first aider Adults & young people, parenting program facilitator, and specialise in ADHD and Autism. I also volunteer with the TedXLondon Women Speaker team and was a part of the Flexible Working Parliamentary Steering Group. 

Living in Ealing for 44 years, I am honoured to help implement the Ealing Race Equality Commission’s recommendations and ensure all community members thrive and hold policy makers accountable. 

I am Rebecca Luke-Isaac, and I am delighted to join the Citizens Tribunal, focusing on health, employability, and income, with particular interest in issues affecting people from racialised communities and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

As a parent of children with SEND, I bring lived experience and a strong understanding of the barriers families often face when accessing services and support. Professionally, I work for a national charity supporting families with disabled children, where I help to amplify family voices and promote inclusive practice across health, education, and social care.

I arrived in the UK from Barbados in 1961 as an 11-year-old.  I attended Twyford Comprehensive and later Hammersmith College and finally Thames Vally University (known then as Thames Valley University). Apart from the 9 years from 1987 to 81 when I lived in Jamaica, I have lived in the borough most of my life.

There were very few people from the Caribbean in West Ealing in 1964 when my family first moved there. Whenever we met someone from the Caribbean, we would stop and talk, find out where they were from and where they lived. There have been many changes over the years and in my opinion mostly for the better. I feel now that I’m part of a wider community that has had a very positive and enriching impact on my life.

I set up the Lifeline Learning Centre in Hanwell 1998 as an international English school, and an ESOL centre and provided ESOL and Computer Studies for people living in the community. We worked with Ealing and West Thames Colleges as a franchise partners for more than 10 years and provided a welcoming space where learners felt valued and encouraged to fulfil their potential. I was aware that many of our students were professionals in their own countries who had fled conflict, lost everything and language was the main barrier to rebuilding their lives. Many others had no education for the same reasons, but to everyone there, it was our “Lifeline to success”.

As part of the Caribbean community in Ealing, I was privileged to have known the late Willis Wilkie and Mollie Hunte very well. Jessica and Eric Huntley were also very supportive and through these elders, I developed a sense of belonging and community spirit. These people were both friends and mentors and parented me through the birthing stages of Lifeline when I experienced many challenges. I was an active member of the Caribbean Parents Group Credit Union and at one time, I served as president of the Credit Union. Credit union meetings were held regularly at the Lifeline centre.

I retired from full-time work in 2014, but continued volunteering with Hestia, teaching English to women on The Phoenix Project and supporting the Ealing Post 60 discharge service. I’m now a grandmother and a great grandmother; my family are a constant source of pride and joy for me. I am also an active member of my church community and The Caribbean Social Forum

Jacqueline Boothe is an award-winning community leader, Ealing Community Champion, and personal and professional carer. As co-founder and CEO of Empathy Souls CIC, she champions health equity, cultural concordance, and empathy-based advocacy through initiatives such as Empathy in Action training. A certified NLP practitioner and life coach, she delivers Simply Me, a personal growth programme. Jacqueline brings fairness, compassion, and lived experience to every decision.

Dior is an Ealing resident and, currently, a student at the University of Sussex. He joined the Citizen’s Tribunal with a keen interest in enabling the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations and aspires to a fairer borough that everyone can live and work in without disadvantage. Dior aims to give the benefit of his knowledge as a Law student to improve education and local policing in the borough.