With so many VCSEs and aspiring Trustees eager to take part, BeOnBoard is thrilled to announce the first ever, supersized ASPIRE Cohort!
Did you know that from the top 500 charities in the UK, only 6.6% of Trustees are Trustees of Colour, of which only 2.9% are women of colour? Moreover, the median age of Trustees is 61 years, and only 0.5% of the Trustee population is made up of 18-24-year-olds.
Launched on Martin Luther King Jnr’s birthday, ASPIRE has a dream of changing the face of our Boardrooms for good. Over the next 6 months ASPIRE will run across Bristol to build up the capacity and confidence of VCSE organisations committed to diversifying their Boards and candidates who aspire to become Trustees.
Funded by the National Lottery, ASPIRE was initially set up to work with 4 VCSE organisations and 8 aspiring Trustees. However, due to an overwhelming volume of high-quality applications we were compelled to scale up our ambition. Therefore, we are pleased to announce that the very first ASPIRE cohort will now match 12 aspiring Trustees of colour with 6 courageous VCSE organisations.
So, without further ado, let’s start by introducing you to the 12 amazing individuals who we are affectionately calling the Aspirees. They are…
The Aspirees

Annette Hughes | Southmead Hospital | Complex Discharge Case Manager |
Emmanuel Kamuhanda | Unique Nursing Ltd | Support & healthcare worker |
Jacqueline Braithwaite | Local Artist, Fellow Royal Society of Arts, Member Chartered Society of Designers, Former Head of Design Berkshire College of Art. | Retired |
Karen Michael-Cox | I3WORKS | Principal Consultant |
Mohammed Rashid | GN & RB Enterprises Ltd | Director |
Mutale Malambo Katyoka | UWE | Senior Lecturer |
Olubodunrin Tokosi | Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities | Governance & Strategy LEad |
Pooja Poddar | North Bristol NHS trust | Ward Sister |
Rushwet Motsi | MOD | Senior Finance Business Partner |
Saida Bello | Civil Service | Diversity & Inclusion |
Sara Telahoun | Anthesis | Principal Consultant |
Sheika Johnston | Soundwell | Head of Finance |
The VCSEs
And the very first 6 VCSE organisations that will host the Aspiree’s are, Quartet; Knowle West Media Centre; Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice; St Werburghs City Farm; Wildscreen Festival; Somerset and Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support.
“I am thrilled to see how many amazing candidates and organisations have stepped forward to change leadership in Bristol. Diversifying our Boards is a very important step in helping to tackle the inequalities that many VCSE sector organisations are set up to address” – Kalpna Woolf BeOnBoard CEO

Here’s a few inspiring words from one of our Aspirees and one of our VCSEs on what they hope to gain from ASPIRE:
“The change we’d like to see in our cities, and which we talk about, starts with us having the courage to come forward and do something we wouldn’t usually do. Less talk, more action.” Sheika Johnston, Senior Project Manager
“Sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction and that’s why Aspire is so powerful. Quartet is always looking for outstanding, committed people with the skills, experiences, and motivation to join our Board, but we know we don’t always look in the right places – it’s time to change.” Suzanne Rolt, CEO of Quartet Community Foundation
Scroll further down the page to find more inspiring words from both the Aspirees and the VCSEs, but here’s what the ASPIRE Project Manager had to say about the first-ever cohort.
“The first-ever ASPIRE cohort is an impressive and intersectional mix of people from different sectors, ages and social backgrounds Having met all 12 participants, I’ve been inspired by their energy and enthusiasm to step up and contribute their time, talent, and wealth of expertise to make a difference. Together we look forward to moving the dial on boardroom diversity in the city” – Julz Davis, Aspire Programme Manager
More words from the amazing Aspiree’s
More from the ASPIRE VCSEs
Whilst ASPIRE has only just begun, we’ve already gleaned some fascinating insights about the VCSE sector in Bristol and why there’s such a strong need for programmes like ASPIRE. We promise to share these with you later, so do come back to this page for regular updates. Otherwise, to stay up to date with ASPIRE’S achievements, follow us @ASPIREBeOnBoard or @BeOnBoard. And if you’ve got any questions or suggestions, you can get in touch with the team by emailing Aspire@beonboard.co.uk
Aspiree Blogs
Click HERE to read Sara Telahoun’s blog
Click HERE to read Olubodunrin Tokosi’s blog
Click HERE to read Sheika Johnston’s blog
ASPIRE VCSE News Articles
Click HERE to read about ASPIRE on the Alliance of Sport website
Click HERE to read about ASPIRE on the Wildscreen website, visit