Trustees
Lesley Grahame
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Lesley is a retired nurse, and a former Green Party councillor.
She helped raise the profile of access needs in the city centre by organsising access walks and highlighting barriers to access that were largely unnoticed by those not affected. The severe disability and premature death of her first child was her initiation into the issues and injustices faced by disabled people. It has made her passionate about inclusion not as theory but as experience and says that 'the political is personal, local and global'. She is proud to be part of a movement of movements, from nurturing street-based community groups looking after their local areas, taking direct action inside a military base to stop cluster bombs being deployed, to supporting Quaker initiatives practising quiet diplomacy and peacemaking.
Lesley chose a picture with microphone, as she's normally on the other side of the camera, and because 'for a shy person, finding your voice is one the most challenging and empowering things you can do in a world where silence means siding with the powerful against the rest'.
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Image shows Lesley wearing a bright woolly hat and scarf, holding a microphone.
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Ryan Bedwell-Woods
Treasurer
Ryan has passionately supported disability rights and equal opportunities for all for many years. Ryan has advocated for the rights of young people with disabilities in Norfolk to be listened to and respected within statutory and voluntary service provision. Ryan has developed a Disability Awareness campaign to ensure there is equal access for all young people to activities and venues. Ryan has sat on the Norwich Youth Advisory Board, spoken at events with The Department of Education and represented England at an International Disability and Activism Conference. Additionally, Ryan is dedicated to ensure that society does not restrict or pre-determine what career path or education options a young person has, based on where they grow up or go to school.
Image shows a close up of Ryan, a man wearing glasses and smiling at the camera.
Paul Pacey
Member and currently a Trustee. Born, raised and Educated in Scotland. Lived and worked in Norwich/Norfolk for 20 years. His professional background is as a nurse/clinical manager in health, predominantly mental health in Scotland and general health in England. His work has included spells in a production bakery based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner with trainees diagnosed as having Learning Disabilities, and in a Housing Association providing Supported Accommodation. He took early retirement due to disabling health condition, and he has significant experience of mobility aids and seeking a level of personal independence.
Paul says, "I love people, nature of all kinds, art (visual and auditory), humour. My greatest love is for the NHS."
Image shows Paul, a man with a grey beard, wearing a blue shirt and glasses. He is smiling at the camera. Behind him is a red telephone box.
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Dave Shraga
Chairperson.
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After finishing a master’s degree at UEA, in International Development and Research Methodology, I decide to stay in Norwich because I love the city so much. I wanted to support the local community and that’s when I found Inclusive Norwich. I realised the charity’s mission aligned with my personal experiences and everything I had studied.
My studies opened my eyes to the causes and impacts of poverty and marginalisation. Also having been a wheelchair user after an accident in 2000, I’ve often experienced being unable to do something because the building or transport was not designed with consideration for wheelchair users. It is this lack of inclusive design and consideration that excludes and disables many, many people from living a full life. I’m very passionate about changing this mindset and infrastructure in Norwich.
When I’m not working for the charity, I’m mostly busy with my own small business or out enjoying the beautiful Norfolk coast.
Image shows a close up of Dave, a man with short brown hair and a short beard, wearing a check shirt. He is smiling at the camera.
Rachael Andrews
Trustee / Social media and Website Manager.
Rachael is registered severely sight impaired and devoted owner of guide dog Ajay. They can often be found in local areas of natural beauty as despite being of extremely limited vision one of Rachael's hobbies is photography. Her husband is also a guide dog owner.
Rachael experienced sudden vision loss overnight in one eye in her early twenties, and in her other eye a couple of years later. Since moving back to Norwich in 2006 she has become an active campaigner in the rights of disabled people, with a particular focus on the accessibility of information for sight impaired people. She successfully took the UK government to Judicial Review regarding the unlawful provisions for sight impaired voters, which has helped to drive an ongoing overhaul in the way blind and sight impaired people vote, and has successfully undertaken several other legal cases around the lack of provision of accessible information.
She loves chocolate and cheese !
Image shows a brightly lit close up shot of a large yellow Labrador cross dog and a blonde haired lady giving the side of his face a big kiss.
