mEET pROJECT MAMA’S TRUSTEES

Catherine Gilmore - Co Chair

Catherine works at University College London, where she oversees a research programme examining how community and creative organisations can be better integrated with health systems and used to tackle health inequalities.  She is passionate about promoting equitable partnerships and community co-production in research. Prior to this , she did a PhD in reproductive biology, spending 4 years examining placentas and the effects of toxic exposures during pregnancy. Catherine is a mother and has also trained as a doula. She has joined the board to lend her skills and solidarity to the incredible Project Mama team, in particular to support with developing research collaborations and evidence.

Ermioni Xanthopoulou - Co Chair

Ermioni works at Brunel University London where she is teaching on and researching EU migration, EU criminal and human rights law. She is also the Brunel Law School Director of Research, leading the research strategy of the school. She is passionate about social justice and advocates for a fair development of the law, through research, teaching and advocacy that have fundamental human rights at heart. Ermioni also co-leads the Brunel Refugee Project, organising students volunteering for refugee-support organisations. She is a mother of a young child and has a lived migration experience herself. She strongly believes that migration is a way of culturally enriching societies that is to be celebrated.

Angela Conway - sAFEGUARDING

Angela has worked as a named nurse for safeguarding children over the past 5 years both in Wiltshire and more recently joining a mental health trust in Cornwall. Safeguarding has been integral to her career over 20 plus years from working in a prison drug unit to health visiting. She is passionate about equality and high standards of services for all vulnerable families.

Heeral Dave - Treasurer

Heeral is passionate about social justice causes, she’s been working as a management consultant for 7 years, working with local government, central government and the charity sector, supporting on a variety of projects, from monitoring and evaluation, strategic reviews, to social care reform and implementation. She has supported childcare charities in London and Kenya, and previously worked with Children’s social care.

Beth Benedict - FUNDRAISING

Beth has worked in the social change sector for 13 years, beginning her career as a volunteer with Refugee Action in Plymouth. She went on to spend 8 years working internationally to support young people to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and has held senior leadership roles in the UK and Zambia. Beth has led Comic Relief’s Government Partnerships team, delivering funding programmes on a range of issues in the UK and Africa, including women’s rights, ending violence against women and girls, and women’s leadership. She currently works as Head of Philanthrophic Partnerships at Global Greengrants Fund.

Payzee Mahmod

Payzee is a British Kurd and Campaigner at IKWRO – Women’s Rights Organisation. She campaigns to raise awareness about and to end harmful practices including child marriage, FGM, virginity testing and hymenoplasty, drawing on her own lived experiences & the loss of her sister Banaz, in a so called ‘honour’ killing. Payzee’s TEDX talk ‘A Survivor’s Plea to end Child Marriage’ has been viewed more than a million times. She has been an influential voice in leading the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill’s Campaign which achieved historic success in 2023 to make child marriage illegal in England and Wales. Payzee’s advocacy has resulted in her being named UK Parliament Volunteer, celebrated at the UN Women UK Awards, and selected to take part in The Obama Foundation’s Europe Leaders Programme.

Monique Lakhman - SECRETARY

Monique is a Senior External Affairs and Cabinet Support Adviser working in strategy, policy and communications supporting two cabinet leads in their respective portfolio areas for the London Borough of Lambeth. Prior to that Monique’s experience has been in Children's Education/Rights charities; she also possess a Masters in Sustainable Development focussed on climate justice, human rights and collective action.

Julia Dixon Barrow

Julia has worked with refugees and migrants offering different support services in Bristol since graduating with a Postgraduate in Career Information, Advice and Guidance in 2012. Julia started her career offering Career Advice and Guidance within organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees. She was inspired by individual stories, perseverance and determination and moved on to develop refugee support services from implementing strategy, managing projects supporting with integration, campaigning, and advocating for policy change. Since having two children, she noticed the disparity of support women receive pre and post birth and is passionate about change.