Meet the Board

Val Shaw has been a resident of Barking and Dagenham her whole life. After various jobs, including being a legal secretary she was made redundant and therefore decided to put something back into the community by volunteering.

Val volunteers at a number of the different places including the Broadway theatre, Barking Community Hospital and assisting the local council. She is interested in improving health and social care services for everyone. As well being on the board Val is also an Enter and View Representatives and the Healthwatch Champion for Longbridge Ward.

Zahra runs B&D Somali Womens Association. The vision of the association is to become a resource centre and hub for women in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and living in surrounding boroughs.

The organisation wants to be part of a community that enables individuals to make informed choices maintain good health and achieve their potential regardless of their health, education and social circumstance. Zahra shares the same vision and is passionate about her involvement with Healthwatch and making a difference.

Dr David Sollis has over 20 years of experience working in the charitable sector around areas such as disability, health & social care, sport and children and young people.

He is CEO of the Youth Enquiry Service, chairman of ATF and sits on the boards of Active Essex, Healthwatch Barking & Dagenham and St Johns Church Colchester.

Daniel Singleton is the Interim Chair of the board, where he works with the other board members to give insight and challenge to Healthwatch.

Daniel’s work for our host organisation involves him advocating for faith and community groups to national and local government. Daniel’s team at Faith Action have a particular role with DHSC and NHS England, informing and scrutinising policy and system development, which is of particular value to our Local Healthwatch board. He is passionate about playing a part in raising standards and making sure all can access and benefit from health and social care services.

Rachel Allen moved to Barking and Dagenham from Maryland, USA in late 2019.

She was immediately embraced and assisted by a local church. She often reflects on her various vulnerabilities when she arrived -- being an expecting mum, a foreign resident unfamiliar with the NHS and other social systems, prone to social isolation, all on the cusp of a pandemic.

She is beyond grateful for her church's support, which combatted these vulnerabilities. During the pandemic, Rachel began volunteering with Lifeline Community Projects to support local initiatives that are restoring belonging and connection. She volunteers at a local playgroup, befriended a terminally ill resident through BD CAN Connect, and joined an enrichment group for women. Rachel currently works as a Bursary Programme Officer at the City of London School for Girls, and is also finalising a collaborative research project between FaithAction and King's College London on belonging, faith, and identity in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Elspeth is the Health Lead for Community Resources, a charity based in Barking & Dagenham which grows creative solutions to local issues.

Thriving communities where people have a sense of agency are vital for health and wellbeing; Elspeth is incubating an approach to healthcare that joins the dots between the clinical, mental, social and community aspects of the system and gives greater agency to the individual. She is a member of the leadership group of the emerging borough partnership under the ICS system in Barking & Dagenham, and also represents the BD Collective (voluntary sector) on the Health & Wellbeing Board. She has 20+ years of experience of working in the voluntary sector and is married with two adult children.

Petrena Notice began her volunteering journey in Barking in 2019 through her local church, City of Faith Ministry, which provided numerous opportunities to support the local community. She has a deep passion for improving health and social care services, and strives to make a significant impact in these areas.
Petrena is a legal scholar and researcher who focuses on sustainable development and bauxite mining. To promote women's development and foster global connections, she founded the Global Women's Network Vision Ascend. 

Mizan is currently Chief Executive of Ekota Academy , an award winning community organisation who were awarded the King’s Award for voluntary services in 2024. The organisation works to empower and support local people in Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge.

Community engagement is an area he is committed to and he has worked hard to build this into the development of a range of successful community initiatives.

With over two decades experience of working in the voluntary sector, Mizan has built up relationships with a wide range of national and local organisations. He is currently working to provide support on a global level to those who are developing grass roots projects.

He has an extensive background working as a pilot, as an executive in the aviation industry, in IT and website development, as a consultant, in education and training, as well as running various businesses including a local media organisation.

Mizan is a local resident and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for engaging, supporting and developing communities.