Meet the Team

Caroline joined Barnet Centre for Independent Living in November 2010.

She supported its board to create Inclusion Barnet as a new charity run for and by Deaf and Disabled People, which started delivering services in 2016.

She has previously worked as a librarian, and as a writer and editor, and enjoys using all the skills acquired in different roles to deliver user led services for disabled people.

Rebecca joined Inclusion Barnet when Barnet Voice for Mental Health became part of the charity in October 2017.

Rebecca worked in advertising before deciding she wanted to put her lived experience of mental health difficulties to better use.

She is passionate about the power of peer support and developing a greater understanding of what makes peer support effective.

Nitish joined Inclusion Barnet in January 2019. Nitish has worked for both local and national charities throughout his career enabling people to reach their full potential. He is passionate about giving people the tools they need to recovery from mental health and a voice to input their views on the design, delivery and evaluation of services.

Patricia joined Inclusion Barnet in April 2018. She has a background in teaching at Primary level working with children special educational needs.

Patricia spent a few years working on her recovery after experiencing a stroke and has now found a great and welcoming place to work.

Nick joined Inclusion Barnet in April 2017 when they went into partnership with Barnet Libraries to run both South Friern and New Barnet public libraries.

Prior to this, he worked for many years at Barnet & Southgate College, delivering beginners IT classes in several Barnet library branches.

Nick is a fervent supporter of public libraries and was excited to join Inclusion Barnet in their venture to maintain and extend the inclusive, life enriching services they offer.

Kyle joined Inclusion Barnet in April 2019 because he believes that his lived experience can be put to good use in supporting other people to achieve their goals. Before joining, he worked in the sight loss sector where he developed a passion for championing the rights of disabled people and making society more accessible and inclusive.

Melissa joined Inclusion Barnet in October 2018 to join the Touchpoint team and in May 2021 moved over to a development worker role.

She has previous experience in various support roles including hostel work, independent living and community crisis and intervention support.

Melissa is passionate about the power of lived experience and about creating more welcomed spaces so that we can hear the voices of so many more.

Judi started with Inclusion Barnet in May 2021, having worked as an Event Manager for the past 6 years with a personal development charity with bases around the world.

In 2013-14 Judi worked within the Barnet VCS infrastructure organisation as a Membership Officer, so comes with some knowledge of the borough.

She has worked in mental health and education for the previous 20 years, starting in 1992 with the first Mental Health User Empowerment Project in Ealing, which went on to be run by a project officer with lived experience. She has also supported the VCS as lead through the Department of Health, Mental Health Strategic Partnership Programme from 2008-2012. She is also a chair of governors within a south London Multi-academy Trust.

Her passion is psychology and continuing to understand how to support humanity to flourish in all aspects of their lives, especially through positive and rewarding work.

Banos joined Inclusion Barnet in March 2021 to lead our co-produced adult social care research and campaigning work.

Banos has over twenty-five years of undertaking social and market research for clients in the public and private sectors, with an emphasis on health service policy development.

Banos has a Masters degree in Social Research Methods and is always looking for innovations in how to approach research to inform better policy. Particularly in how to embed user led research and stimulate user led policy making.

Claire joined Inclusion Barnet In April 2021 bringing her 15 years of comms, marketing and operational experience to the team. Claire is keen to combine her expertise with her lived experience of mental health and her caring responsibilities for her sister.

“Joining IB has felt like coming home. Working with colleagues who live by the social model of disability has been very refreshing. Disabled people and employers are both missing out on a wealth of untapped potential out there, so it is great to be part of a team that is helping to break down some of those societal barriers through peer led working and co-production partnerships”.

Margaret joined Inclusion Barnet in April 2021. She has a French degree and also an MA. She worked as a volunteer for three years as an IT teacher and as an admin assistant for two charities. She is happy to be able to continue working in the charity sector. She enjoys helping people and is glad that she has the opportunity to help disabled people achieve their potential.

Yasmin is a Chemistry graduate who joined Healthwatch Barnet as Peer Research Officer in January 2021. She recently completed her Master’s in Public Health and has previous research experience exploring mental health and wellbeing, with a focus on researching health inequities faced by the BAME community.  Yasmin believes in the value of co-production and is passionate about using her lived experience of health issues to improve health services in Barnet. 

Alicia is a Psychology graduate who joined Inclusion Barnet as the Enablement Assistant in February 2021. She has worked in mental health settings for several years, working in acute psychiatric settings for children and working with individuals with acquired brain injuries. After seeing how she used her own lived experience to support others, Alicia joined Inclusion Barnet. Alicia is passionate about dispelling the stigma surrounding mental health and is enthusiastic about mental health services delivering the best care possible.

With a passion for empowering and improving mental health wellbeing within communities I have experience of working and volunteering within the families and youth charities sector. I have also worked as a project officer for an early intervention charity where I delivered community-based projects enabling others to thrive. Having achieved my dream to become a cameraperson for BBC London News I then went on to work with the community channel where I encouraged increased representation and engagement from BAME charities. Diagnosed with MS over 16 years ago I am thrilled to be working with an organisation that can make a difference in others’ everyday lives.

Leila joined the Touchpoint Team within Inclusion Barnet in October 2020. Leila has worked in various support roles in HMP Pentonville, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, psychiatric hospitals and a homelessness charity. She has experienced the benefits of lived experience work first-hand as a patient through the NHS and is excited to be working with such a supportive and inclusive team.

Kate joined Inclusion Barnet in March 2020 as the Touchpoint Services Manager. Kate has worked in the mental health sector for 10+ years in a range of different roles but most recently as a Peer Support Coordinator. With a passion for peer led services, she wants to continue to use both her professional and lived experience to support and develop the Touchpoint Services for the future.

Ellen joined Inclusion Barnet in July 2020 to work for Barnet Together as their Fundraising and Organisational Development Advisor, in November she moved into a new position as Voluntary and Community Sector Support Lead. Ellen has worked in the arts, heritage and charity sector for 30+ years, in Fundraising, Marketing and Project Management roles. She is keen to use her experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to support Barnet’s voluntary and community organisations to develop and grow.

Andrea joined Inclusion Barnet in February 2020 to work with the volunteer teams at New Barnet and South Friern Public Libraries. She feels happiest surrounded by books and is passionate about reading as a force that enriches lives, develops empathy, and spreads happiness. Her background is children’s publishing and literacy charities.

Eve has been User Voice Project Lead since October 2020, having originally joined IB as a Peer Worker on the Touchpoint team.

She is passionate about amplifying voices that often go unheard by society, creative approaches to accessibility and providing opportunities for disabled people to participate in politics.

Eve lives with multiple sclerosis, hypermobility syndrome, Graves’ disease and auditory processing disorder. Her communication requirements are mainly related to the latter – for example, she finds it difficult to function in loud environments because the pathways between her ears and her brain do not work as they should.

Her favourite thing about working at Inclusion Barnet is that people are encouraged and supported to bring their whole selves to work. She continues to be amazed and heartened daily by her colleagues’ willingness to be open and vulnerable.

Shulbha joined Inclusion Barnet in June 2017 as a volunteer at East Barnet Library. Since February 2020, she has been employed as one of Inclusion Barnet’s two Library Officers, working with volunteers at both New Barnet and South Friern Libraries.

Shulbha previously worked within the IT industry as a developer and in production support. She enjoys reading, workingin a warm and friendly environment and being able to help others.