The Board

Ash is Head of Network Services at Citizens Advice Scotland and works full-time.  When not juggling family life and work, Ash likes to do nothing more than drink coffee and eat cake over a blether with her friends.

Prior to joining Citizens Advice Scotland, Ash worked at Scottish Women’s Aid as a manager in member services. Ash has also worked in a local authority in several departments, in the private sector and managed/changed managed two front line specialist domestic abuse services, both were charities.
Ash joined the board at MCFB in May 2023, Ash is passionate about being part of a Charity that helps children and their families at their pace to feel part of their community. Ash has a particular interest in the experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Communities.

Ash has served on boards previously and although it comes with responsibility, she has not only really enjoyed the Governance aspect but also the building connections aspect.

Ash’s passion is creating opportunities to embed Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Participation, obviously no one person can do this on their own, there needs to be collaboration for this to work!

Carol is a qualified solicitor and has over 25 years’ experience in managing litigation and regulatory investigations in the UK and around the world for a major bank.  She loves the variety and pace of her role, its constant learning curve, and the opportunities that it gives her to develop, coach and mentor colleagues.  She has volunteered with young people throughout her life in a variety of school, university, theatre group, church and other settings, and her passion for the creative arts has also led to her write and/or musically direct various children’s shows and events.  

Carol is a mother to two teenagers, three pets and a myriad of houseplants, and in her spare time she loves travelling, coffee and bookshops (ideally in combination).

She joined the Board in 2023 and is thrilled to be involved in supporting MCFB’s work with families and young people in her adoptive city of Edinburgh. 

Eleanor completed her Masters in Community Education at Edinburgh University where she focused on the global impact of racism. She went on to gain her professional experience in both Northern Ireland and Scotland and, whilst much of her career has been spent within the BME voluntary sector - including 12 years working for the Hong Kong Chinese community in a children and families centre , Eleanor has also worked in the Equality Commission and NHS Scotland, initially as Acting Head of the National Resource Centre for Ethnic Minority Health and then as Head of an Equality Support team covering all 22 health boards.

Eleanor has taught on several social work and community development courses, mentored BME students, and published a variety of good practice guidance and quality assurance tools focusing on anti-racist practice.  She was interim CEO in MCFB for a short period in 2021-22 which strengthened her commitment to MCFB’s work as a multicultural social work practice learning centre developed around the experiences of BME children and young people.  

I am a medical doctor and one of the beneficiaries of MCFB, having had a first-hand experience of the lovely cultural cover from MCFB in 2020. After I had my last baby who was born 25 + weeks, with many complications, I was devastated but through the massive support of MCFB I and my family got the right support we needed. So when I had the opportunity to join the board I was excited and thrilled to contribute to the positive impact within MCFB. Coming from a diverse cultural background with a passion for cultural inclusivity, I look forward to actively participating in initiatives that enhance support for diverse individuals and families. and continuously working on breaking the bridge of cultural shock.

Jakki is the Assistant Principal for Creative Industries at Edinburgh College and has worked there since 2006. Students come from school, industry or the local community to study Art & Design, Computing & Tech, Media, Music & Sound Production and Performing Arts.

Prior to joining Edinburgh College Jakki worked at Hendon College (London), High Peak College (Buxton) and Hammersmith & West London College after studying at the London College of Fashion and the University of Greenwich.

Jakki is a member of Edinburgh College’s Anti-Racist Unity Group and has recently established the Decolonising the Curriculum network for cross-college staff to share best practice and drive change within Edinburgh College and the Further Education sector

Jakki is an advocate for inclusive practice and believes that everyone has a right to education and training no matter where they come from and recognises that the same opportunities are not always available

She joined MCFB October 2023 and welcomes the opportunity to support others working with a great group of people.

Lauren is a CIMA chartered accountant with finance and accounting experience in the banking and defence industries. Her roles have required business partnering, senior stakeholder management, contract negotiation, revenue and profit planning and business intelligence. She joined the board at MCFB in 2023. The mission of MCFB to reach under-served parts of the community and to support families during key transition points drew Lauren to MCFB. 

Lauren moved to Scotland from the US in 2015 with her husband, and they have two small children who were born in Edinburgh.

After returning from VSO in Nigeria, Marianne qualified (in Edinburgh) as a social worker and worked in community social work in Leith during the 1980's. In the 1990's, she co-ran a Practice Teaching Unit at Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council for 19 years. The work with Social Work students within a range of voluntary organisations allowed for creativity, responsiveness and innovation. Marianne says her subsequent work as Learning & Development Manager for Midlothian Council (and jointly with Scottish Borders Council for 4 very challenging years!) enabled her to understand the constraints of local authority work and to continue to value the contribution of the Voluntary Sector. Marianne is our newest board member and is delighted to have the opportunity to support our work both with BAME children and families and in the education of our future professionals.

In addition to this voluntary role with MCFB, Marianne volunteers in her local park, developing medicinal plant areas, and (after completing a Diploma in Herbology) with the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh’s Physic Garden.

After living and working in North Carolina and the West Midlands while bringing up her family, Mary returned to Leith in 1998 and has worked ever since at St. Mary’s (Leith) Primary School as the Depute Headteacher. Her main role and area of interest has developed over the years and is now very much focused on supporting children’s emotional wellbeing as individuals, within the family and within the wider community. This involves a lot of work with families in school and support in accessing facilities and resources in Leith. Mary is also involved in positive transitions into Secondary School, with a particular focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Multicultural Family Base has long been a friend of St. Mary’s (Leith) and its support of so many children and families at the school over the years, has drawn Mary to become more involved in the organisation itself.

Morris Ong is a highly accomplished and versatile individual who has made remarkable contributions to scientific research and development. His ground-breaking work in scientific research led to the development of an acrylamide-free baking solution, which revolutionised the food industry.

Morris's commitment to continuous learning and excellence is demonstrated by his impressive achievement of acquiring over 4,000 certifications. His vast range of expertise spans diverse areas, including Early education and care, Special education, Public health, Food in NeuroHealth, Climate change, BSL, etc... This broad knowledge base enables him to tackle complex issues and develop comprehensive solutions that integrate various disciplines.

For the past 25 years, Morris has been actively involved in community and charitable endeavours, utilising his skills and expertise to make a positive impact. 

Geoff worked as a Professor of Grain (Cereal) Science at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He was awarded an O.B.E. for research work on cereals. He has served as a Board member of various community organisations and received the Darling Good Citizen Award from Edinburgh City Council for his contribution to community work. Geoff joined the Board because he felt MCFB was at the forefront of work which benefits disadvantaged sectors of the community especially black and minority ethnic people.

Toyin Adenugba-Okpaje, I work as a main grade locum social worker and tutor in the undergraduate social work program at the University of Edinburgh. I have been involved in health and social care practice for many years in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland before moving to social work practice in 2017.

I have a B.SC degree in Sociology, a PgDip in Management Practice, and Advanced Social studies. On-the-job training includes certification as a Carer Champion and a Dementia Champion. I am a Master of Social Work graduate from the University of Edinburgh, and I am presently in the fourth and final year of a Ph.D. program in Social Work. My research interests include the experiences of teenage care-experienced mothers in Scotland and the experiences of older adults who are living with dementia in Scotland.

I am involved with the Scottish Association of Social Workers (SASW) as a Vice-chair on the standing committee. I co-chaired the social work race and racism curriculum review working group at the University of Edinburgh for 3 years. I also work with other social workers and partner organisations to improve the experiences of ethnic minority social workers and social work students in Scotland. In addition, I have been newly co-opted into the board of the Multi-Cultural Family Base organisation in Edinburgh.

I am a Christian whose faith has helped me to wear the many hats that I juggle, and I am a single parent to four young adults.