Rajesh Makwana, BEM

Executive Director

Rajesh Makwana, BEM

Executive Director

Rajesh joined Sufra in 2016 as a volunteer and has been Sufra’s Director since 2018. He leads the strategic and operational development of the charity, as well as overseeing our campaigning and fundraising. His background is in advocacy on global issues including poverty, hunger and climate change. In 2022, he was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) by the Queen.

Gill Carter

Deputy Director

Gill Carter

Deputy Director

Gill joined Sufra in 2023. She works with the Executive Director on organisational leadership & operational management. Gill has a background in international development, and spent years managing health programmes in Africa. More recently, she moved into more localised charities. Before joining Sufra, she was the Head of Operations at an advice organisation.

Fahim Dahya

Logistics and Partnerships Senior Manager

Fahim Dahya

Logistics and Partnerships Senior Manager

Fahim has been with Sufra since inception in 2013. He oversees the management of our food aid service (including our buildings and all related building activities), organises collections, storage and distribution of goods and procurement of supplies for all services. He also leads our campaigns and food aid partnerships.

Jo Kay

Programmes Manager

Jo Kay

Programmes Manager

Jo joined in 2022 as our Programmes Manager. She manages our Advice and Garden programs, and coordinates the workshops and drop ins at our Community Wellbeing Project, ensuring Sufra is able to support our guests beyond food aid. She previously worked at one of Sufra’s partner organisations Healthwatch Brent.

Nina Parmar

Food Aid Manager

Nina Parmar

Food Aid Manager

Nina joined Sufra in 2020. She is responsible for the operational management and development of Sufra’s food aid services and pilot programmes, working with referral agencies and the Brent Food Aid Network (BFAN).

Jasvinder Singh

Community Chef

Jasvinder Singh

Community Chef

Jas joined Sufra in 2022. With 25+ years of experience in kitchens, from high class restaurants to Hilton hotels, Jas cooks hundreds of meals a week for our fresh meal service and Community Kitchens as well as Sufra’s Catering Service. He also manages kitchen volunteers and makes lunches for our staff & volunteers.

Abbas Dhalla

Senior Finance Consultant

Abbas Dhalla

Senior Finance Consultant

Abbas has been with Sufra since inception in 2013 and works as our finance consultant. Although we don’t frequently see him in the office, Abbas manages the payment of invoices, our donations and our gift aid processes, and much more.

Sidrah Iqbal

Finance Manager

Sidrah Iqbal

Finance Manager

Sidrah joined Sufra in 2023, she is responsible for managing and monitoring budgets, and spending and preparing quarterly managements accounts. She has a recent background of 2 years in the charity sector after a switch from the corporate sector.

Ben Witcombe

Community Engagement Manager

Ben Witcombe

Community Engagement Manager

Ben joined the Sufra team in 2023 to help us empower volunteers guests to influence decision making within the charity and engage in the public debate on issues that affect them. Ben has experience in the volunteer and charity sectors working with Crisis UK and Depaul.

Nicholas Smith

Community Food Grower

Nicholas Smith

Community Food Grower

Nicholas joined in 2020. He is responsible for Sufra’s growing plan to supply our Food Bank and Kitchen. He oversees the planting, cultivation and harvesting of all produce grown, and leads our garden market. Thanks to Nic, our produce at St. Raphael’s Edible Garden increased by 189% from 2021 to 2022.

Billie Beckley

Community Garden Manager

Billie Beckley

Community Garden Manager

Billie joined Sufra in 2023. She works closely with senior leadership to support the development and expansion of the community garden. Billie looks after the garden team, and it’s volunteers and delivers a wide range of food growing and educational projects to engage people of all ages and backgrounds.

Anaam Yasin Hussein

Administrative Officer

Anaam Yasin Hussein

Administrative Officer

Anaam joined Sufra in 2020. She is responsible for administrative procedures relating to the charity’s operations and providing ongoing support to volunteers and staff. She also answers phone calls and emails, welcomes guests at the door, and teaches ESOL classes to our OpenARMS guests.

Zena Kazeme

Senior Refugee Resettlement Officer

Zena Kazeme

Senior Refugee Resettlement Officer

Zena joined Sufra in 2019. She leads the delivery of our OpenARMS program and Advice Service at our bi-weekly drop-ins. She provides welfare support to our guests regarding benefits, housing, and access to training and employment services – preventing our guests from being dependent on food aid.

Sarah Abbas

General Advice Officer

Sarah Abbas

General Advice Officer

Sarah joined Sufra in 2023 as an OpenARMs Assistant (Trainee). In addition to assisting Zena at our Advice Drop-Ins, Coffee Mornings and ESOL classes, she is undertaking year-long training to gain a Level 3 Award in Information, Advice and Guidance.

Amina Fiaz

General Advice Officer

Amina Fiaz

General Advice Officer

Amina joined Sufra in 2023 as an Advice Assistant (Trainee). In addition to assisting Zena at our Advice Drop-Ins, she is undertaking year-long training to gain a Level 3 Award in Information, Advice and Guidance.

Dee Miller

General Advice Officer

Dee Miller

General Advice Officer

Dee joined Sufra in 2024 as a General Advice Officer. Dee has experience working for Sufra's partners Advice 4 Renters and has been supporting our Community Wellbeing Project guests with advice since it's inception.

Freda Lawson-King

Community Wellbeing Project Coordinator

Freda Lawson-King

Community Wellbeing Project Coordinator

Freda joined Sufra in June 2024 and coordinates the Community Wellbeing Project at Bridge Park. She finds joy in helping others, and creating a peaceful and functional space for people to build connections. Freda has a background in Managing and Training Teams in a large Asylum Support Charity, Primary School Teaching and as a Creative.

Pauline Chevet

Community Wellbeing Project Assistant

Pauline Chevet

Community Wellbeing Project Assistant

Pauline joined Sufra in 2024 as Project Assistant for the Community Wellbeing Project. She supports the coordination and the CWP team while also looking after volunteers in the shop or the cafe. Pauline has a background in hospitality and environmental humanities.

Sabina Lichacz

Fundraising & Comms Officer

Sabina Lichacz

Fundraising & Comms Officer

Sabina joined Sufra in 2021 as an Admin Assistant and has progressed to Fundraising and Communitcations Officer. She is in charge of all external communications including newsletters, social media and this website, as well as managing Sufra's donor base, fundraising campaigns and relationships with trusts and foundations.

Elalia Kireche

Pilot Project Lead

Elalia Kireche

Pilot Project Lead

Elalia joined Sufra in 2024 as Pilot Project Lead for our Cash First Pilot with SALIENT research. She has experience volunteering with Sufra's advice team pre-Covid and working at Trussell Trust food banks, knowing the charity sector and it's beneficiaries well.

Haydar Al Dabagh

Logistics Officer

Haydar Al Dabagh

Logistics Officer

Haydar joined Sufra in 2022 as our logistics officer. He delivers food parcels and ready meals, alongside our driving volunteers, to hundreds of our of our more vulnerable guests 5 days a week, as well as transporting stock between our hubs and collecting over 1 tonne of surplus food and donations every week.

Zehn Mohammed

Project Officer

Zehn Mohammed

Project Officer

Zehn joined Sufra in 2023 as our Project Officer. He supports our food bank by hosting at the door, packing food parcels, managing our volunteers and data system, as well as scheduling deliveries each week. Zehn first joined Sufra as a volunteer and later as a Facilities Assistant at our Community Wellbeing Project.

Mohamed Abdalla Osman

Facilities Assistant

Mohamed Abdalla Osman

Facilities Assistant

Mr. Osman joined Sufra in 2015. He manages the set-up of facilities, services and activities in the Main Building, Storage and the Garden; undertakes inventories of food stocks and cleaning materials, and keeps everything nice and tidy.

Ludwin Alejandro Jimenez Cardona

Facilities Assistant

Ludwin Alejandro Jimenez Cardona

Facilities Assistant

Ludwin joined Sufra in 2023. He manages the set-up of facilities, services and activities at the Community Wellbeing Project at Bridge Park Leisure Centre; undertakes inventories of food stocks and cleaning materials, and keeps everything nice and tidy.

Trustees

Susan Crane

Trustee (Chair)

Susan Crane

Trustee (Chair)

After joining Sufra as a trustee in Sept. 2018, Susan was appointed Chair in Feb. 2020. She has worked as a senior manager for charities in the field of public health for 25+ years. After a career focused on international development, Susan wanted to get involved with a local community charity involved in preventing poverty and helping the poorest members of society. Susan has an MSc Hons in Charity Management from City University.

Helena Krawitz

Trustee (Deputy Chair)

Helena Krawitz

Trustee (Deputy Chair)

Helena joined as a Trustee in 2019, and was appointed Deputy Chair in April 2020. She is a specialist in strategic communications and marketing, having worked in the financial and professional services over the last 20 years. Sufra’s cause attracted her because she believes that no-one should have to go hungry or be homeless in a country like ours. In her words, ‘With Sufra’s help, our guests can look to build their lives, not just survive them’.

Rozia Hussain

Trustee

Rozia Hussain

Trustee

Rozia joined Sufra in 2024. She specialises in research, evaluation and impact measurement, and she has worked in a variety of sectors namely higher education, local government, the arts, culture and heritage sector, and the third sector including charities and community organisations. Rozia is passionate about equity, diversity and inclusion, and hopes to use her skills and expertise to work with underserved communities in Brent.

Ashraf Mohammed

Ashraf Mohammed

Ashraf became a Trustee in March 2024. He came to the UK when he was 5yrs old and grew up in Cardiff. Ashraf had a career as a commercial solicitor in central London for 20 years and in 2004 moved to the Philippines to work for a leading multilateral development institution whose aim is to reduce poverty in Asia. Ashraf has worked on many poverty reduction projects across Asia.

Zemira Braganza

Trustee

Zemira Braganza

Trustee

Zemira joined as a Trustee in March 2024. She is a HR professional with 25 years plus experience. Zemira is currently the Head of Reward and People Services at Govia Thameslink Railway, having previously worked for Transport for London and the NHS. Zemira has been a resident of Brent and Harrow for 48 years and hopes to bring her experience of Human Resources to help drive and influence Sufra’s long term strategy which aims to address the root causes of poverty.

Lucy Bannister

Trustee

Lucy Bannister

Trustee

Lucy joined as a Trustee in 2021. Lucy works in public affairs and campaigns on national policy. She is currently at Southwark Council, having previously worked for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Living Wage Foundation. She hopes to use her policy knowledge and influencing skills to help Sufra address the causes of poverty.

Latest News

Celebrating Our Volunteers: Sufra's Special Social Night

On September 25th, Sufra hosted a heart-warming volunteer social to honour the incredible dedication of our volunteers and to mark the conclusion of the Community Wellbeing Project at Bridge Park...

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CWP (almost) Final Farewell at Bridge Park Community Kitchen

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