Our People

Board of Directors 

Mr Foysol Choudhury

MBE MSP – Chair
 
 

Member of the Scottish Parliament, businessman and community activist, involved in various organisations. 

Mrs Azra Sharif-Qayyum

Mrs Azra Sharif-Qayyum

Co-Chair; Convenor – Volunteer Subcommittee

Involved in the Board of other organisations. Skills in funding, mediation, governance and others.

Mr Ehtisham Khan

Vice Chair

Ex councillor of Edinburgh Council and long standing community activist.

Mr Rajnish Singh
 

Company Secretary

IT Project Manager by profession. Involved with other organisations such as Scottish Indian Arts Forum, Mela, Edinburgh Hindu Mandir and Edinburgh Diwali.

Cllr Carl John
 

Treasurer

Councillor for the West Lothian Council. Involved as a Board member of different charitable organisations, both in Scotland and Africa.

Mr Foysol Choudhury

MBE – Chair

Foysol Choudhury MBE (Former MSP) has been part of ELREC since his teens when he volunteered with us. He has always had an interest in community and charity work and has been an advocate of equality for over 30 years. He has served ELREC in many capacities but currently he holds the position of Chair.

Mrs Azra Sharif- Qayyum

Co-Chair & Convenor

Involved in the Board of other organizations. Skilled in Funding, mediation, governance and others.

Mr Ehtisham Khan
 

Vice Chair

Ex councillor of Edinburgh Council and long standing community activist.

Mrs Lesley Hinds

Treasurer

Former City of Edinburgh Councillor who held numerous positions in the Council, including Leader, Lord Provost and Convener of Transport and Environment Committee.

Mr Rajnish Singh
 

Company Secretary

An IT Consultant actively involved in community engagement in Edinburgh & Scotland since 2002. Also, currently President of Edinburgh Diwali, Chair BEMIS .

In past he has been the Secretary of Edinburgh Hindu Mandir and President of Scottish Indian Arts Forum.

Mr Shahid Riaz

Co-Treasurer

A board member of the Pakistan society of Edinburgh and board member of Edinburgh MELA.

Mrs Irina Lazarenko

Board Member

Willing to serve the community with experience and knowledge.

Mr Mahmood Rajah Khan

Board Member

Cllr Katrina Faccenda

Board Member

City of Edinburgh Councillor representing Leith Ward since 2022, have worked for MSPs in the Scottish Parliament and an accredited tourist guide.  She is also a trustee of The Citadel in Leith and believes that the key role of an elected representative is to give a platform to those not usually heard or included by policy makers.

Dr Kiran Sachane

Board Member

Joanna Ulatowska

Board Member

A qualified Polish language teacher with over 20 years’ experience in education, with a strong professional focus on equality, inclusion and community empowerment. Since relocating to Scotland, she has worked extensively with minority ethnic communities and co-founded No Boundaries School to support children and young people in sustaining their Polish language, cultural heritage and identity.

Mr Saad Nazir

Board Member

Saad Nazir is a dedicated and passionate board member of ELREC, with a deep-seated drive to create positive social change, Saad leverages his experience and unwavering dedication to support initiatives that advocate for marginalised communities, encourage inclusive dialogue, and develop strategies to dismantle systemic racism.

Dr Tahira Rasool

Board Member

As a practicing GP she sees first-hand how  health inequalities affect patient outcomes. She advocates for inclusive services for vulnerable and inclusion health groups.

Yat Law (Ada)

Board Member

Ada is a civil servant with experience in corporate operations and people-centred work. She values equality, inclusion and meaningful community impact, and is keen to contribute her skills and experience.

    Honorary Members  and Observers

Honorary Member

Rt Hon Robert Aldridge

Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh

Patron

Honorary Patron of ELREC. Passionate about encouraging good citizenship and encouraging businesses to do their bit for the city in addressing social exclusion and inequality.

Honorary Observers

   Staff team

Parveen Ishaq
 

Office Manager



Mitra Rostami
 

Open Arms Project Coordinator


Ewelina Lukaszek
 

Ethnic Minority Energy Advice Service Coordinator
 

Franciele Sobierai
 

Communities' Reduce, Reuse & Recycle (C3R) Project Coordinator
 

Rafa Crombie
 

Project Assistant - C3R Project
 

Martyna Michalak
 

Former Conscious Living Project Coordinator

Polish Community Link Officer - C3R Project

Cadence Yu
 

New Scots / Chinese Community Link Officer - C3R Project

Nadia Bhatti
 

Workshop Leader (Efficient and Healthy Cooking program)
 

Gerry Timoney
 

Cycle Officer
 
 
 

Lucy Balint

 

Cycling Administrator

lucy@elrec.org.uk