The Board of Trustees and Executive Board
Profile of Board of Trustees
Sir Stephen O'Brien has been the President of Proshanti since 2010. This followed a visit to Juri, Bangladesh in 2009 where he saw for himself the urgent need for additional health care facilities in the area, especially for the poor and disadvantaged. Stephen has been involved in health care in London for many years having been CEO of London First, Chair of Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust and Chair of Barts Health NHS Trust, the largest health trust in the UK.
Revd Helen Matthew has been the Vice President of Proshanti UK since 2014 after serving five years as the Founder Chair of the charity. She now lives in Kent and is a full-time writer.
The four trustees
Lilu Ahmed is one of the founders of Proshanti and has been chair of the charity since March 2014. She was born and brought up in Juri and is a founder and honorary member of the T N Khanom Academy College in Juri. Lilu is also a founder and working member of the Bromley by Bow Centre. She is currently Family Support Conference Coordinator, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London.
Dr. Jaha Afroze Momena (FRCOG). Born in Bangladesh, Dr Jaha Afroze Momena is an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in UK. She has been involved with Proshanti since 2013 and provides clinical advice on management of patients at Juri.
Dr Rebecca Scott is a GP at the Bromley by Bow Health Centre. Having lived and worked amongst Bangladeshi people in East London for many years, she and her family went to live in Sylhet from 2011-2013 and learnt to speak Sylheti Bangla while they were there. She also volunteers at her local church, teaching the Bible. This includes using her Sylheti to teach local Bangladeshi women. Rebecca provides clinical support to this project.
David Storr has over 30 years of experience managing hospital and NHS primary care health services and health projects in the UK. Internationally he has worked with a number of NGOs in Bangladesh and Swaziland to strengthen local management and effectiveness of healthcare services. David has held posts in the School of Management and School of Health & Social Care at the Open University, teaching students in the UK and internationally. He is a trustee of Proshanti UK and a board member of two Yorkshire-based health and community support charities.
Other members of the Proshanti Team
Dr AKM Momin is Programme Consultant. He has worked for almost 23 years in Bangladesh, for various national and international organisations such as CARE International, OXFAM UK and CRP in Bangladesh. He has a Master's in Health Management, Policy and Planning and PhD from the University of Leeds. He has set up various community based organisations in Bangladesh. Proshanti is very pleased that Dr Momin has joined the team, helping to develop the Proshanti Healthy Living Centre in Juri.
Susan Storr is Honorary Treasurer of Proshanti. She had a 30 year career with H.H Revenue & Customs working on compliance. Following early retirement, paid employment has included finance and administration for a church in Bradford, a housing organisation supporting vulnerable young people and adults and finally the local council in their Children & Young Persons department. For many years, Sue has worked voluntarily for the local church in various roles: treasurer, church warden, secretary and a member of the Parochial Church Council. She was previously the treasurer of Friends of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP). CRP is based In Savar, Bangladesh. For 28 years Sue has been a Justice of the Peace serving on various panels: adult, youth, family, training committee and Crown Court.
Graham Rowbotham is the company secretary for Proshanti and is also the company secretary for the Bromley by Bow Centre, an innovative community organisation in east London. He was formerly partnership secretary of Linklaters LLP, one of the leading international law firms in the City.”