OUR TEAM

Chair

Alan is an accomplished leader in the field of education and community development, currently serving as the Director of Community Partnerships and Income Generation at Cranford Community College and Director at Elevate Community Productions CIC.

With a remarkable 25 years of experience working in West London, Alan has made significant contributions to education and community development throughout his career.

Originally starting as a teacher, Alan's passion for fostering community growth led him to his previous role as Assistant Headteacher for the past 12 years, where he played a pivotal role in cultivating a strong and thriving community at the college. In his current position, Alan actively works to address the social and cultural capital deficit that persists in many areas of West London, aiming to create opportunities for individuals and uplift the entire community.

Alan's journey took an interesting turn as he graduated from a US high school before pursuing his studies in Economics at university. During his time in the United States, he had the unique opportunity to have tea with prominent figures such as Bill and Hillary Clinton. Following graduation, Alan delved into the business world, accumulating a decade of valuable experience working for renowned companies like Coca-Cola and Grand Metropolitan Brewing.

Driven by his passion for supporting young people, Alan collaborated with local MP Seema Malhotra to establish a charity called Hounslow's Promise, which provides essential support to youth in the community. Currently, he serves as a trustee and vice-chair of the organisation, actively contributing to its mission. Before his role as Chair of C-Change West London, Alan served as the Chair of Heston West Big Local for an impressive nine years, amassing extensive experience in successful community engagement.

Alan's dedication extends beyond local endeavours as he also sits on the advisory board of an international organisation called One World Strong, which provides support to survivors of violent extremism. Together with the founder of OWS, Dave Fortier, Alan initiated two global initiatives: One World Marathon and One World Football, harnessing the power of sports to foster positive change and unity.

Recognised as an expert in preventing and countering violent extremism, Alan is part of the European Union's Radicalisation Awareness Network pool of experts. His expertise has led him to contribute to various influential initiatives, including participating in a podcast for the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) on the role of sports in countering violent extremism. In 2021, Alan was commissioned by the European Union to co-write a significant report called the Manifesto for Education, which explores emerging trends and threats in the field.

Alan is a supporter of Chelsea FC and in his spare time, he sleeps!

Secretary

Esther is a dedicated professional with a strong background in volunteer recruitment and management, internship programme coordination, and fundraising product development. 

For the past six years, she has made a significant impact at Cancer Research UK, where she played instrumental roles in these areas. Esther's expertise lies in mobilising volunteers, coordinating internship programmes, and developing innovative fundraising products to support important causes.

Before joining Cancer Research UK, Esther had a fulfilling experience teaching English as a foreign language in Italy, where she honed her communication and interpersonal skills. 

Throughout her university years, Esther actively engaged in various volunteer roles, ranging from fundraising and event volunteering to mentoring and providing administrative support. Her passion for making a difference in the community led her to dedicate her time and skills to support different causes.

In 2020, during a period of furlough, Esther took the opportunity to deepen her involvement with local charities, including Hounslow's Promise and Heston West Big Local. She actively contributed to initiatives such as the laptop donation drive, mentor recruitment, creating food packages, and writing funding proposals. These experiences further ignited Esther's desire to have a more meaningful impact in her local community.

Joining C-Change West London as a Trustee was a natural progression for Esther, given her keen interest in promoting social inclusion, wellbeing, training, and volunteering. She is thrilled to be part of an organisation that shares her values and is dedicated to empowering individuals and fostering a sense of belonging within the community.

Esther's wealth of experience in volunteer management, programme coordination, and fundraising, coupled with her genuine commitment to community involvement, makes her an invaluable asset to C-Change West London. 

Her passion, dedication, and expertise contribute to the organisation's mission of promoting social inclusion and creating positive change through wellbeing, training, and volunteering initiatives.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Poonam is an accomplished HR professional currently serving as the HR Manager at Cranford Community College. With over 20 years of experience in the field, she brings a wealth of expertise in human resources and governance to her role. Poonam's dedication to supporting her local community is evident through her longstanding commitment as a Governor and Trustee at Cranford Park Academy for the past two decades.

Hailing from Hillingdon, Poonam's deep-rooted connection to the area motivates her to actively contribute to the betterment of the community. As a Trustee of C-Change West London, she seizes the opportunity to leverage her knowledge, experience, and skills to drive the charity's mission forward. Poonam's passion for supporting charitable functions further demonstrates her commitment to making a positive impact and uplifting her local community.

With her extensive HR background and governance experience, Poonam plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective management and operation within the organisation. Her expertise in human resources brings valuable insights and guidance, contributing to the development and well-being of the team. Poonam's dedication to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment aligns with C-Change West London's vision of empowering individuals and building a strong community.

With Poonam's valuable contributions as a Trustee, C-Change West London can continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local residents. Her dedication, knowledge, and commitment to her community make her an invaluable asset to the organisation.

 Founder and Chief Executive

Taz brings extensive experience as a seasoned community leader, having dedicated over 15 years to working in various sectors, including non-profit, environmental, housing, and education, across Hounslow, Hillingdon, and Ealing. Throughout his career, he has been deeply involved in supporting disadvantaged young people, local residents, community groups, and organisations, demonstrating a genuine commitment to making a positive impact.

His expertise encompasses event management, securing funding, overseeing projects and programmes, as well as effectively coordinating and empowering volunteers. Prior to his role as the manager of Heston West Big Local, Taz played a pivotal role in training, developing, and promoting the wellbeing of young individuals at YMCA West London.

Taz has also contributed his skills and knowledge to several notable organisations, including Berkeley Academy, Groundwork South, Hillingdon Refugee Support Organisation, and Disablement Association Hillingdon (DASH). Currently, he serves as a governor at Cranford Community College and Berkeley Pre-School. Additionally, Taz actively participates in key advisory bodies, such as the Heathrow Airport Local Community Forum, and the NHS North West London Co-design Advisory Body (DAB). Taz is also a Lay Partner Member for the NHS Health Equity Board.

He is currently a Board Director at Hillingdon Refugee Support Organisation, and Chiswick House and Gardens Trust. Taz previously held a director position at Thamesbank Credit Union.

Taz views his role with C-Change West London as an exciting opportunity to build upon the remarkable legacy and achievements of the Big Local over the past eight years. His aim is to provide a platform for local individuals to develop their skills, gain valuable experience, establish stronger connections within their communities, and make a positive difference in their areas and lives.

Furthermore, Taz Virdee is a Director at Elevate Community Productions CIC, a social enterprise based in West London, dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion. The organisation focuses on propelling positive change within the film, media, and creative sectors.   

Project Manager  

Megha is a passionate, community-driven creative professional with a strong background in education, youth engagement and the arts. She pursued a BA in English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London and a MA in English at Queen Mary University of London. Her MA studies have specialised in topics such as postcolonialism, queer literature and the Arabic diaspora. This academic background has provided her with a deep appreciation for the power of language, storytelling and meaningful engagement. Megha is particularly passionate about creating meaningful work that is both inclusive and impactful.

Since her teenage years, Megha has been actively involved in community initiatives through Heston West Big Local and C-Change West London. 

She has developed extensive experience working with young people through her role at Creative Spaces London; within these roles, Megha regularly leads teams of staff and volunteers, helping to create supportive and engaging creative environments.

Megha also has valuable experience recognising and supporting individuals with additional needs through her previous role as a Teaching Assistant within a SEND primary school environment. During this time, she worked closely with children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome and other complex needs. This experience has enabled her to provide autism awareness training for groups working with young people.

Outside of her day-to-day responsibilities, Megha is passionate about social change, education, exercise, exploring the city and fashion. She attempts to lead from a place of empathy, kindness and knowledge.

Project Manager  

Having grown up in the local area and been involved with the Big Local programme from a young age, Juhi’s journey has come full circle – from participant and volunteer to community leader. She is passionate about creating opportunities that help people feel connected, valued and supported within their communities.

Juhi brings over ten years of experience volunteering and working within community organisations, youth services and creative programmes. Before joining the Project Management team at C-Change West London, she worked as a Lead Drama and Film Facilitator for the organisation and as a Lead Drama and Arts Facilitator with Creative Spaces London. She has also played a key role in delivering the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for the past five years and was previously involved in the Big Local Summer School project.

She holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre from Brunel University and has a particular interest in theatre pedagogy and the use of creative arts to support wellbeing, confidence, self-expression and personal development. Throughout her career, she has been committed to empowering young people and helping individuals realise their potential through creative and community-led approaches.

As Project Manager, Juhi is keen to strengthen community partnerships, expand opportunities for local residents and support young people to progress, develop new skills and thrive. Her lived experience of growing up within the community gives her a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local people today.

Outside of work, Juhi enjoys musical theatre, directing and developing her own creative projects. She is passionate about singing, dance and content creation, and is known for bringing creativity, positivity and a sense of humour to everything she does. She also has a love of animals, the colour pink and making people laugh.   

Project Leader 

James Rose is the Community Resilience Project Leader at C-Change West London, leading the Connected Resilience programme across the London Borough of Hounslow. Having grown up in the local area and been involved with community initiatives from a young age, James is passionate about empowering residents and strengthening community-led responses to local challenges.

A former award-winning Heston West Big Local Youth Volunteer, James has extensive experience in community engagement, research, facilitation and youth leadership. He has worked with organisations including The Young Foundation, local authorities and community groups, delivering projects focused on reducing inequalities, improving wellbeing and amplifying community voices. He is also a graduate of the Patchwork Foundation and has represented young people through a range of civic and democratic engagement programmes.

James holds an LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Roehampton. In his role, he works closely with residents, community organisations and public sector partners to build stronger, more resilient communities that are better prepared for future challenges. 

He is particularly passionate about creating opportunities for local people to influence decision-making and make a positive difference within their neighbourhoods.