Staff.....
Our team comprises of highly experienced community activists who are passionate about education, women's rights and ending violence against women.
Our core team is made up of dedicated and empowered females with strong experiences in the fields of education, women's empowerment, health, human rights, citizenship, community cohesion and interfaith.
Rafaat Mughal
Rafaat Mughal has been a long standing women’s rights activist. Her experience includes teaching and lecturing in East Africa, the Middle East, Europe and various other countries and appearing on African and Middle Eastern TV channels presenting on parental and women’s issues. Rafaat speaks a number of languages including 3 African and 5 Asian languages.
Rafaat moved onto working with MORI Poll as a researcher on issues affecting ethnic minority women such as Health and Racism. Rafaat has worked for various local authorities and has trained front line service providers on race, equality and diversity issues.
She was previously a Councillor and served two terms in Haringey. Rafaat was one of the first Muslim women to be elected in the borough as a Councillor and was the Chair of the Ethnic Minority Consultative Committee and an Assistant Whip. In addition, she also sat on various committees including Planning, Fostering & Adoption, Housing and Education.
In 1989, Rafaat founded JAN Trust to educate, engage and empower grass roots disadvantaged women. The organisation was formed from the demand of ethnic minority women. It was noticed there was a lack of services and knowledge of the systems within the UK. Over the years, she has led the organisation from strength to strength and has served and assisted thousands of women to become empowered, active UK citizens and has increased their independence in society.
JAN Trust and its work has been recognised by not only its users but by key dignitaries such as Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister , Lynne Featherstone, MP and Minister and Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London. The organisation has also won a range of awards including the Community Achievement Award 2011 from the Co-operative Group and the most recent award for the Highly Commended Community Project 2012 from The European Diversity Award and Bank of America. Rafaat was also awarded The New Year’s Day Award for Recognition of Outstanding Achievement 2006 and her efforts were also recognised when she was invited to 10 Downing Street in 2009 and commended by the former Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown. Rafaat was awarded the Ambassador of Peace Award in 2009.
Most recently, Rafaat was shortlisted and a runner up for A Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 from the DSC Social Change Awards http://www.socialchangeawards.org.uk/ceremony.html
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Sajda Mughal
Sajda Mughal's previous experience has entailed her working for Management Consultancies and Investment Banks.
After narrowly escaping being seriously injured or killed in the atrocious London terrorist attack on 7th July 2005, Sajda shifted her career focus to working as a community and women’s rights activist through managing projects at JAN Trust. She has a passion for working with the community and empowering those from under-represented groups, whether it is providing a voice for women, combating violence against women, or motivating young people to aim high and aspire to achieve in society.
Sajda develops and delivers programmes locally, nationally and internationally focusing on issues such as women’s’ rights, education, integration, citizenship and community cohesion. Sajda is particularly interested in community cohesion due to her first-hand experience as a victim of terrorism and the fact that she is the only known Muslim survivor of the London terrorist attack on 7th July 2005. Sajda is currently leading an innovative forced marriage campaign which she developed out of a community need. The ‘Mujboor’ project (‘forced’/’desperation’ in Urdu) raises awareness and prevents forced marriages from occurring. It is being delivered in various schools and colleges across London. Sajda recently published a report on forced marriages entitled Consent Matters – Towards effective prevention of forced marriages within the Pakistani community in the UK which was launched by JAN Trust in the House of Lords in July 2012. The report was written in order to raise awareness of the issue of forced marriage in the UK, with a particular focus on the issue within the Pakistani community. The report challenges the criminalisation of forced marriages and suggests alternative strategies for eradicating the practice within communities in the UK.
Sajda has travelled widely across the Middle East including Israel and Egypt carrying out human rights and community cohesion work. During one interfaith trip to Jerusalem she visited the Holy Sepulchre, the Wailing Wall and Masjid Al Aqsah. She has also carried out projects relieving poverty, promoting human rights and encouraging community cohesion in Kenya, India and Pakistan. She was also nominated and part of the US government's Leadership programme where she visited the USA.
Sajda’s role and her extensive work at JAN Trust has been covered by The Independent, Al Jazeera, The Daily Mirror, The International Herald Tribune, Asian Times and Eastern Eye She has also appeared on TV and radio shows including the BBC and BBC Asian Network commenting on her 7/7 experience as well as her community and women’s work. Her work has also been noted and commended by various key dignitaries including the Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP.
She advises a number of governmental consultative groups and departments as well as national bodies on various issues such as Islamophobia, Forced Marriages, Honour Based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation, BAME unemployment and integration.
Sajda Mughal has been honoured with a number of accolades. In 2012, she was awarded the highly respected International World of Difference Award (alongside Cherie Blair QC) recognising individuals whose efforts have advanced the empowerment of women (http://www.tiaw.org/global_forum_2012/AWARDS.pdf).
Sajda won the prestigious GG2 Leadership Award 2012 in the category of 'Spirit in the Community': http://www.gg2.net/Awards/ This was presented to her by Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
She was also named 'Highly Commended' Woman for The Women of the Future Awards 2012 for Public Service: http://realbusiness.co.uk/news/women-of-the-future-awards---the-winners
Hope Not Hate (with the support from the Daily Mirror) awarded Sajda with a Community Champion Award which was presented to her in February 2013 at a central London location.
In 2013, Sajda was a finalist for the British Muslim Awards in the category of 'Young Achiever' and most recently she won The Muslim News Awards for Excellence and Community Achievement which was presented to her by Sadiq Khan MP, Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.
For any speaking events please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nina
Nina recently graduated with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Prior to starting her degree Nina spent time working in a women’s rights organisation in Mexico. During her degree she worked with a mental health charity and trained with an anti-sexual violence organisation. She is passionate about preventing domestic and sexual violence, and empowering women and young people to build healthy families and relationships.
Sana
Sana joined JAN Trust after graduating from a UK based university with an upper second class degree in Mathematics. She has worked with marginalised communities through different volunteering activities ranging from being a mentor in a youth program aimed at tackling underachievement in Hackney, to volunteering in a homeless shelter kitchen where the users were predominantly substance misusers.
During her time at University, Sana developed a strong interest in human rights, and actively campaigned for the rights of disadvantaged groups. Following her graduation, Sana volunteered teaching in a refugee camp abroad. The project took place in a women’s centre in the camp and provided her with experience of engaging with refugee women and young people enabling her to gain some insight into the various issues afflicting the region.
Sana has an interest in women’s empowerment and in supporting under represented communities to become more active in society.
Razina
Razina recently received a postgraduate diploma in counselling and psychotherapy. She has a keen interest in helping to empower ethnic minority women to gain the right skills they need to live happy integrated lives as well as promoting positive mental health. Razina has previously worked with lone BAME parents helping them to overcome mental health issues.
Natalie
Natalie graduated with an upper second class degree in media from a UK based university. Since then she has worked in the private sector and carried out voluntary work for charities. Natalie joined JAN Trust as she has a passion in supporting marginalised women and assisting them to overcome any barriers to inclusion.
Sarah
Sarah joined JAN Trust after spending over 10 years as a project manager in the Civil Service. Her varied career has included working for a charity helping unemployed graduates, managing a charity summer play scheme, volunteer teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, delivering job search programmes for the long term unemployed and demonstrating prams! Sarah most recently co-ordinated a 'women into business' training programme for a London based social enterprise agency. She now supports JAN Trust with their vital work needed by the local community.
Barbara
Barbara comes from a financial background, having started work in a clearing bank, before moving on to a role at an international bank. Barbara recently retired from a retail bank, where she was the District Manager, having responsibility for a number of branches.
In addition to her time in banking, Barbara has also worked in both media and retail. She now carries out training on conversational English and finance. She particularly enjoys providing financial literacy training to disadvantaged communities, and helping those suffering from financial exclusion.
