Our Trustees 

Naomi joined the Board of AdviceUK (still FIAC then) in 1996, subsequently becoming Deputy Chair, and now Chair, a position she accepted on an ‘interim’ basis, but has ended up holding for 6 years.

Naomi was born in London, took a law degree at the London School of Economics and carried out labour law research in Cambridge. Many years later, she gained a ceramics degree at Westminster University. She has been involved in the voluntary sector, as a volunteer and trustee, all her adult life.

In her first ‘proper’ job, she was based in Dublin, as a tutor for Irish Transport and General Workers Union. There, over four decades ago, she started using equality law, pursuing many equal pay claims for ITGWU women members, then moving to Belfast to work for the Equal Opportunities Commission for N Ireland in charge of its unusually adventurous litigation strategy. She was subsequently Legal Officer for COHSE (the health union that is now part of UNISON) and then spent many years in the (mostly health related) voluntary sector.
She wrote the first book on Irish Labour Law and co-authored another on bringing peace to Northern Ireland. She is a founder member of campaigning organisation, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, and is Secretary of the British Shalom-Salam Trust, a unique grant-making charity supporting grassroots projects across the whole territory encompassing Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan.

Many years ago, she fell in love with the enabling, democracy-affirming commitment to independent advice-giving that underpins AdviceUK. In, particular, she respects the AUK culture: thinking bottom-up, not top-down, and speaking for the independent advice sector, while serving the very practical daily needs of its member groups and their users, as efficiently, responsively and imaginatively as it can.

Baljit is the Director of Nucleus Legal Advice Centre, where he has worked for the past 24 years. The organisation was established 35 years ago to provide advice to the local community. His aim for the organisation is for it to thrive and retain its values and spirit and to retain its community focus within a changing and competitive environment.

When he took up this post he received lots of support from the AdviceUK London Regional Network as the organisation went through a big change process. He hopes that his involvement as a Board member will help AdviceUK to continue to support its diverse membership.

He volunteered at Woolwich CAB which started his interest in advice and subsequently worked in a law centre before taking up his current post. Prior to this he had trained as a civil engineer. He became politicised at university where he was a member of the Anti-racist Alliance which resulted in a change of career path.

Following Hayley’s graduation from University in 1998, she volunteered at a local charity to gain experience of working with offenders (with the eventual aim of joining the Probation Service). Hayley enjoyed working in the voluntary sector and did not hesitate to apply for the position as a trainee Money Adviser. When her contract ended, she successfully applied for a trainee Manager position at Ipswich Housing Action Group, a small independent charity that primarily helps single homeless people. Hayley has now been managing the Money Advice Service at IHAG since 2002 and continues to expand and develop the service in order to reach as many marginalised, vulnerable people as possible who would find it difficult to access advice elsewhere.

Hayley had been a member of AdviceUK from the start of her career in this sector and valued our support. Becoming a Trustee has not only enabled Hayley to meet new people and gain new experiences, but also enables her to represent smaller organisations such as IHAG at a national level.

Vicki stepped into the world of advice as soon as she graduated from Lancaster University. She began working in community advice on a pilot project that had been brought in by the local council and tendered out to local charities across Lancashire. The purpose of the project was to provide an advice service that could support the community through the up-coming cuts to the social care system. It was certainly a challenge to try to help create an advice service from scratch. Fortunately, the service thrived for a number of years, teaching her a huge amount in the process.

Following this, Vicki stepped back into Higher Education, this time to become a Student Advisor at the University of Manchester Students’ Union. It was certainly a transition from community advice but she thoroughly enjoyed her time working at the largest Students’ Union in the country with never a dull moment.

Over a decade after leaving, Vicki decided to return to Lancaster as the Senior Student Advisor and Deputy Safeguarding Lead at Lancaster University Students’ Union. She utilised her skills from her previous roles to build up the service, which doubled its casework numbers within her first two years of running the service.

Vicki is also part of the membership of Advice UK, as are many other Students’ Union advice services. She hopes to bring her prior experience particular in Students’ Unions to the forefront in her role as a Trustee.

Jawanza entered Advice through Students’ Unions, having held elected positions as an Officer for Leeds Beckett Students’ Union, and the National Union of Students with a focus on LGBTQ+ and Disability Liberation. During their time in elected positions Jawanza held roles in the National Disabled Students’ Committee, National Executive Council of NUS and as a Trustee of Unipol; a unique student housing charity, established in 1975.

Jawanza also sat on the Higher Education Advisory Panel for the Office of the independent Adjudicator for 5 years.

Jawanza has a passion for being technological forward thinking with Advice, and brought in some of the first online self-booking systems in a Students’ Union, trailed the use of Smart NFC Posters, and made use of popular medias such as WhatsApp as a delivery of advice appointments.

Jawanza currently Co-Chairs ACSU- the Advisors and Caseworkers in Students’ Unions Network.

Avinash has worked in the Advice Sector for nearly 29 years after graduating with degrees in Law and Education. Whilst working, He continued with his academic studies and obtained Post Graduate Diploma in Social Welfare Law from University of Leicester and an M.A. with Merit in Peacebuilding from Coventry University.

He was previously Chair of Black and Minority Ethnic Advice Network, Chair of Governors at Glebe School, Harrow, Education Appeal Panel Member at Harrow Council, Trustee at Bedfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support and Trustee at Newham Citizens Advice.

Avinash has always enjoyed working in the advice not for profit sector, and his previous employment has been with Newham Council, Bedford Community Rights Centre and Shelter. Presently, He is Welfare and Advice Manager at Sangam Centre, where the advice service was developed pan London to assist as many people as possible.

Avinash has been a member of AdviceUK for a significant period of time and has always valued the continued invaluable guidance and support.