EASTSIDE COMMUNITY HERITAGE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Collections Manager, Amersham Museum

Job Titles:

• DIGITAL COMMUNITY OFFICER

Kicking off her career in community heritage, Freya is excited to be designing digital outputs, delivering workshops, and working with community groups to explore ECH's archive. With a background in the charity sector, she has previously worked in fundraising and charity administration, and has volunteered in outreach programmes. During her MA in Global Literature and Culture, Freya became passionate about the ways that sharing stories can empower marginalised groups and create strong communities. She is excited to work with the oral histories archive to uncover and share our hidden histories.

Job Titles:

• Treasurer
• Trustee

Gary was appointed as a trustee of ECH in January 2023. He was born in North London of Irish parentage, and has lived in East London since 1983, initially in Newham and latterly in Redbridge. Gary has had a long career working in older people's charities, as a volunteer, then worker, then the chief executive. He has worked in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hounslow, Brent, Camden, and Enfield. Gary also has extensive trustee experience including stints as the Treasurer or Chair. He is currently also a trustee of Tax Help for Older People, and combines this with part-time consultancy work supporting charities. Gary is married with two adult children, and enjoys cycling, music, and cooking.

Job Titles:

• Governance Officer, UKCISA

I currently work for UKCISA as Governance Officer. Previously, I worked at Queen Mary University of London, Anna Freud Centre, Association of Commonwealth Universities, Royal College of Pediatrics & Child Health, Royal College of Surgeons and the Office for Health & Disparities. I am also a Community Author at the Museum of the Home and on the Editorial Board of Short Fiction Journal. I gained my Master's in Renaissance Studies at Birkbeck, University of London and hold a BA (Hons) in Government from Birmingham City University.

Job Titles:

• EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

With ECH since 1998, Judith is responsible for the organisation's core work programme. Judith has trained over 60 community groups in oral history and is currently delivering an oral history "apprenticeship", an NVQ accredited qualification unique in the UK. Previous to joining ECH, Judith was a set designer and stage manager at Theatre Royal Stratford East, working with Mike Leigh. She was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2012 for her work, and her commitment to Community Heritage.

Job Titles:

• DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Focusing on strategic planning for the future of ECH, Kaaren has many years' experience of organisational development and service transformation, as well as community capacity, co-production, project and change management for both the non for profit and public sectors. In addition she has worked in information and policy, as well as in the roles of research fellow, writer, and librarian. Kaaren is passionate about community engagement, and empowerment. She enjoys visiting art galleries, playing table tennis and walking on the beach.

Job Titles:

• Heritage Open Days Marketing and Projects Manager, National Trust

Liam is a museums and heritage professional with an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies from UCL's Institute of Archaeology. He currently works as a Marketing and Projects Manager leading on the national promotion of the Heritage Open Days festival. Having worked in museums and arts organisations in various roles, he has a wide background in marketing and branding, visitor experience, commercial services, museum management, and community engagement. He is a Forest Gate resident with a keen interest in local history.

Job Titles:

• Chairman

I have followed the progress of Eastside Community Heritage since its inception. I was first involved in its initial funding via my role as Chief Executive of Stratford City Challenge, a government backed regeneration programme of the 90s. My original interest and passion for local and oral history originated in the early 1980s in the course of my professional work. This was an inevitable interest with its focus on local people which mirrored the central attention of my career to date within community regeneration. This interest has persisted in roles within the areas of health, housing and regeneration which I have held since. I have kept up my interest in oral history and now lead and coordinate the oral history course of the University of the Third Age in Tower Hamlets.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive of SubCo Trust

Having lived and worked in Newham since 1983, an Asian Muslim woman and mother with 3 children born in Newham, Taskin is passionate about influencing all areas that impact the lives of individuals and families from our communities. In her current role as the Chief Executive of SubCo Trust, she provides a range of services for Asian elders and their families; partnerships across community organisations; training and capacity building. Taskin has a close working relationship with many organisations both locally and nationally with existing and new partners and is collaborating on several projects that will impact positively on residents of Newham. She can highlight the impact of the lack of engagement of older people and vulnerable families, particularly during the Coronavirus epidemic. Taskin has sat on a range of boards and steering groups in the statutory sectors, including Newham Primary Care Trust, as a school governor, various Health and Wellbeing Strategic Boards and Leadership Groups, and as a trustee of numerous voluntary and sector community groups. She has worked for both Newham Council and the voluntary sectors in Newham for over 38 years. She is a qualified Social Worker, Graduate and Manager with Leadership skills.