OUR TEAM
Senior Community Caseworker
Our Senior Community Caseworker leads our team of Community Caseworkers. She manages and develops our services and activities to ensure every client receives the best support from us every step of the way.
She is also our lead on developing partnerships across London and runs many of our workshops, activities, and events.
Community Caseworkers
Our team of Community Caseworkers work across London to provide advocacy and support to our clients.
They will arrange an initial assessment with you and talk through at your own pace, what support you need from us and what you want to look at first. Community Caseworkers work in partnership with different agencies and facilitate workshops and events.
Community Engagement Worker
Our Community Engagement Worker provides another layer of support...
… by calling clients to check in and see how they’re doing as well as providing information and guidance on services and support available.
Catherine Skinner
Director
Catherine has been the Director at Maa Shanti since May 2018. She has extensive experience working with the South Asian Community and specialist knowledge of the cultural implications of violence against women.
Prior to her role at Maa Shanti, she worked as a training consultant, focusing on impact, risk, and prevalence of Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Honour-Based Abuse, and coercive control. Catherine has worked as a Chief Executive in the Violence Against Women and Girls sector since 2009 and has a wealth of experience in charity management, fundraising, strategy, partnership working and governance. Her previous roles include CEO at Woman’s Trust and Suzy Lamplugh Trust. She holds an MSc in Mental Health Studies from Kings College London.
Priya Solanki
Chair
Priya is a busy and experienced immigration, asylum and human rights barrister. She is ranked as a leading junior in her field of practice in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
She has particular interest in and experience of cases involving gender violence (domestic violence, FGM, sexual assault), mental health issues and vulnerable clients. Her professional work drew her to this organisation and the client group We Assiste.
Priya has been involved with the charity since 2014 as a trustee. In 2018 she was appointed as the Chair of Maa Shanti.
Humaa Jamil
Vice Chair
Humaa has over 14 years experience in management consulting and business transformation, focusing on business strategy and operations.
She currently works at Alvarez and Marsal. She has been a trustee at Maa Shanti since 2017, vice Chair since 2019, and is passionate about the fantastic work that we do supporting single Asian mothers. Humaa lives in North West London with her husband and two young boys who keep her very busy!
Nishma Tate
Treasurer
The Key Account Manager at Allianz Global Corporate & Speciality (AGCS), Nishma is a chartered accountant who has expertise in commercial and operational analysis and cross-functional partnering.
She has worked at AGCS since 2011 and prior to that has worked at Zurich as the Global Project/Management Accountant, Centrica and IBM. She has been a trustee at Maa Shanti since 2017. She has brought with her a wealth of knowledge and experience including skills in project management, communications, analysis, strategy and technical analysis.
Bhavisha Gorecha
Board member
Bhavisha joined Ma Shanti in January 2022, and brings extensive experience of governance, regulation, conduct and compliance from within the financial services industry.
She is currently EMEA Chief of Staff for Global Operations at Credit Suisse, and head of the Office of the Senior Managers Regime. As a member of the regional leadership team, she has responsibility for leading the design and delivery of regional strategic initiatives, ranging from crisis management and operational resilience, to effective regulatory governance frameworks and workforce and people strategy. Bhavisha has worked at Goldman Sachs, as an Executive Director in Compliance, and the Financial Conduct Authority. She also holds a BSc in Mathematics and Financial Mathematics from the University of Manchester.
Jigisha Lock
Board member
Jigisha Lock is the Global Sustainability Head of Analytics, Data, and Operations at Credit Suisse.
Nikita Mistry
Board member
Nikita is currently the Head of Philanthropy in the Cabinet Office COP Unit and was previously Head of Civil Society engagement ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
She has been working in the Civil Service for nearly 10 years across a range of policy areas and over 12 years’ experience in the charity sector working with a range of charities including those focusing on domestic violence, homelessness, mental health and substance misuse. Nikita has a Master’s Degree in Law, Development and Globalisation from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Birmingham.
Sonia Morjaria-Shann
Board member
Sonia is a marketing specialist working within the technology industry.
Sonia is passionate about supporting women who have suffered from domestic abuse and/or violence to feel confident and strong, and to avoid ever having to experience this type of behaviour again. With her marketing experience she is helping to raise more awareness of Maa Shanti and helping to grow the charity’s effort in putting a stop to domestic abuse of single Asian mums.