Jordan Fleary has been appointed as our new Chair of the Board of Trustees and we couldn’t be happier. Raised in Carlisle and now based in London, Jordan is an HR Business Partner for a global News & Media organisation. Passionate about equity and opportunity for all, he was a founding member of ARC and stepped up into the role of Chair in the summer of 2023.
Jordan’s blend of local and national insight and experience has already been invaluable and we are proud to have him heading up our seven strong board which has recently welcomed Aneela Scott as Treasurer too. You can meet Aneela, and all our brilliant board below:
Aneela Scott – Treasurer
Aneela Scott – Treasurer
Today Aneela works as a Finance Director and when she isn’t at work you can find her in her veg plot or on the fells with her dogs. Aneela joined ARC in 2023 to support the charity’s financial stability and ambitions. Born in Salford to immigrant parents and then moving to South West Wales when she was 5, Aneela grew up in a community where she was visibly different and experienced overt racism first hand. At 18 Aneela moved to London and then Manchester before moving to Cumbria 21 years ago. “It was a bit of a culture shock suddenly becoming the person who stood out when walking down the street again!” I am a strong advocate of equity both inside and outside of the workplace. Within work Aneela is team sponsor for their Embrace network (for underrepresented and minoritised people) and takes an active role in promoting ethnic diversity and influencing change, helping the business better appreciate the diverse ethnic contexts in which it operates and understanding the challenges faced by its employees who aren’t white British.
Zainab Houghton
Zainab Houghton
Zainab was born and raised in South Africa during the apartheid regime and immigrated to the UK in 2002. Zainab has been with Anti Racist Cumbria since its inception in 2020. Zainab has 2 dual heritage sons who were born here and are being raised in Cumbria. Zainab is passionate about ensuring the county they call home, feels like it!
Laura Goad
Laura Goad
Laura is Director of a Cumbrian education charity, whose focus is on building a fairer and more sustainable world- through empowerment and unlocking agency. Passionate about justice and equity, she joined the Anti Racist Cumbria board in 2020. When not out on beautiful Cumbrian dog-walks, you’ll find her in front of a fire, knitting her next jumper.
Nick Anderson
Nick Anderson
Nick has lived and worked in Cumbria for 17 years, teaching in secondary education for 15 years after being head of the Travel & Tourism department within the school. Prior to teaching he worked for a local authority as a community development officer working with local community groups, identifying needs and improving access to services, facilities and recreational activities. Nick has also worked as both a Sports Development officer and a School Sports Coordinator, for grassroots and key stages 1 & 2 respectively. Throughout his career he witnessed the negative impact of racism in schools and the community which enables him to bring invaluable insight to our work in these key areas.
Mina Banisaeid
Mina Banisaeid
Mina is a Children Residential Support Worker. She works with unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people leaving care. Mina is passionate about equity and intersectionality and how all these issues affect peoples’ mental health. She believes in the power of storytelling and she hopes one day to become a facilitator to help people to find their sense of belonging. Mina joined the ARC Trustee Board team in 2022.
Sonny Peart
Sonny Peart
Sonny Peart is a trail and ultrarunner. This year he will run the 125km Highland Ultra and the 235 mile Deadwater six day ultramarathon. He co-founded Black Trail Runners in July 2020, aiming to increase the participation, inclusion and representation of black people in trail running.
We’re really proud of our Board of Trustees, as a registered charity its their job to support our charitable aims, ensure we keep to our values, make sure we don’t go belly up and of course provide insight and expertise into how we grow and deepen our work. Each brings their own experiences and identities to their work and there is so much richness and strength in the variety of thought they bring to the table. Thank you Trustees!
