🎤The Policy Team and their Commitments

Meet the Policy Team

Pete Weir - Chief Executive Officer of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust, overseeing a family of seven academies in East Birmingham. The trust operates with values of "Respect, Collaboration and Aspiration" and includes one all-through school, four primary schools, and two secondary schools focused on academic and personal development.

Commitment: Creating the necessary networks to connect schools, businesses, and charities to implement these policy proposals across Birmingham's education landscape.

Raaj Shamji - Senior higher education professional at Birmingham City University focused on local growth, and a chartered management accountant with an MBA from Aston Business School. He has played significant roles in West Midlands political and business communities, including work on Mayor Andy Street's campaigns, and is actively involved in bridging gaps between religious communities through his work at the Cadbury Centre.

Commitment: Birmingham City University to serve as the host site for meetings between council, education, and business sectors to establish this new collaborative network.

Rebecca Waterfield - Director of Business Development at South and City College Birmingham, with extensive experience in employer engagement and apprenticeships. She has worked in various roles supporting businesses with growth, recruitment and training needs across multiple West Midlands colleges over more than a decade.

Commitment: Developing the employer toolkit in partnership with Birmingham City Council and young people to ensure practical, relevant guidance.

Asha Rage - Founder, Director and Welfare Officer of Dream Chasers Youth Club in Small Heath, Birmingham. She established Dream Chasers FC in 2016, which now trains over 160 young people weekly and particularly encourages Muslim girls' participation in football. Beyond sports, she runs community programmes including youth support, police liaison sessions, English lessons for migrants, and food distribution during the cost of living crisis.

Commitment: Ensuring young people lead the change process rather than simply being beneficiaries

Lindsay Carswell - Associate Director of Transformation at NHS Birmingham and Solihull, with extensive experience in organisational development across various public sector organisations including King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Warwickshire County Council, and the Food Standards Agency. She specialises in organisational development, inclusion, and staff experience initiatives.

Commitment: Creating new workplace opportunities within NHS settings and collaborating with the council to ensure all placements are co-evaluated with young participants.

Basharat Dad - Founder and Chief Executive of Our Community Foundation (OCF), a Birmingham-based organisation focused on engaging, empowering and enriching the lives of young people. He works to enhance youth self-esteem, build resilience, and improve physical and mental health outcomes to help unlock young people's potential and improve their employment prospects.

Commitment: Conducting research using existing case studies to develop evidence-based strategies, ensuring young people's grassroots experiences inform both the toolkit development and the network.