Shabana joined as a trustee in December, 2020 and has experience working in community development in inner city areas of London directly with communities experiencing poverty and disadvantage. She has also worked for two London councils where she developed inclusive approaches to supporting civil society and empowering communities, including managing grant funding programmes to the voluntary and community sector. She is now responsible for overseeing the grant making operations of the Access to Justice Foundation which aims to raise and award funds to support free legal advice for those most in need.
Ask Shabana about: all things relating to access to justice and the importance of the law as a tool for social change, relational and inclusive approaches to supporting the free legal advice sector in the UK and community-centred funding approaches that recognise the ecosystem within which organisations are embedded. She’s keen to work with other funders to consider how we can best share insight and learning to support communities to thrive.
Shabana’s hidden London gem: is Hampstead Heath, a beautiful green space with ponds, forests and Parliament Hill where you can see amazing views over the city. It’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle and retreat into nature in the heart of London and is also surrounded by lots of great places to eat and drink!