Meet our trustees

Mandy Garner, Founder and Coordinator

Mandy is managing editor at WM People [workingmums.co.uk, workingdads.co.uk and workingwise.co.uk] and communications officer at the University of Cambridge.

She has worked as a senior broadcast journalist on health and social care at the BBC and as features editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement. She has also been a school governor. Mandy is mum to Anisha, the inspiration for Talk2Nish, and to Maia, Leila and Gael.

Jasmine Norton

Jasmine (she/her) is a recent graduate of a joint Sustainability and Psychology degree, and is passionate about community work, critical mental health perspectives, and mental health equity.

She is currently working as a Project Curator at Hospital Rooms; a mental health and arts charity, and is interested in how the arts can contribute to social change. Jasmine loves music, photography, books, and has a love for badminton. She is excited to be part of Talk2Nish and has a deep-rooted connection to its missions.

Rebecca Lewis

Rebecca is married with four children and lives in East London.

She has been a primary school teacher for 25 years working in London schools.

Over the past few years she has seen a noticeable shift towards caring for children’s mental health and well being, although there is still a very long way to go in preparing and supporting our young children.

For that reason she is thrilled to be part of such a wonderful initiative to develop a peer mentor system for young people. Talk2Nish is very close to her heart and she is honoured to be on this journey with the rest of the board.

Stuart Shepherd

Having grown up in the Essex area, Stuart’s family currently live in Chingford, London. His wonderful, supportive wife and he have three beautiful daughters, all of whom are still in full time education, two fluffy poodles and two leopard Ghekos! Stuart has spent his whole professional career in IT, most recently as an IT Consultant, working in the Finance sector for large corporate financial organisations, local councils, retail and financial regulators.

Outside of work he is a keen long distance runner and enjoys watching the children stay active across a multiple range of sports including football, hockey, Kung Fu and running. He is a big advocate for mental health, especially for the younger generation, whose mental health needs are often overlooked and underfunded. He is looking forward to helping this great new charity grow and support many young children through previously unrecognised mental health challenges in the memory of Nish.

Salma Shah

Salma Shah is the founder of Mastering Your Power and an experienced leadership development consultant, coach, and author. With over two decades of experience working with leading organisations, Salma supports the development of inclusive, emotionally intelligent leadership. Since launching her independent practice in 2006, she has become a recognised advocate for equity and inclusion in the workplace. She is the author of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in Coaching, shortlisted for the 2023 Business Book Awards, offering practical and courageous approaches for creating inclusive, future-focused cultures.

As a trustee of Talk2Nish, Salma brings strategic insight, a passion for social justice and deep experience in creating environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

Outside of work, Salma is a proud mum to a teenager, a devoted cat mum to two and a lover of theatre, psychology, art and culture.

Annika Williams

Annika Williams is a senior marketing and operations professional with over 25 years’ experience. A Leeds Business School alumna, she now manages a portfolio career, including her role as UK Campaign Manager for the 30% Club, where she manages a national campaign to improve gender representation in senior leadership across UK businesses.    In this role, she oversees campaign operations and plays a central role in stakeholder engagement, research partnerships, event planning and delivery and media communications.

Annika brings significant digital expertise from her time at WM People Ltd, where she led website development projects and digital marketing across a portfolio of diversity-focused platforms. She has a strong track record in project management, building strategic partnerships, and delivering effective communications campaigns.   

Arline Okin

Arline is a marketing expert who has a strong technical background in managing data effectively, whether it’s ensuring data governance or utilising CRM platforms like Salesforce to collect and analyse data for impactful decision-making.

She also has extensive experience in devising and executing marketing strategies that elevate brand profiles and foster engagement and in organising and promoting events. Arline is a mum of two and is passionate about mental wellbeing.