We employ a team of highly skilled, dedicated refuge workers and children’s support workers who work tirelessly to support the women and children in their care. Our diverse staff team reflects the local population, can offer services in different languages, and can support women with additional barriers through understanding cultural issues.
The charity is governed by a board of committed trustees with experience across the wider charity sector, plus accountancy expertise:
Gaby Price serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Aid in Luton . Her unwavering commitment drives the organisation’s mission to establish safe havens for women and children, extend vital support, and dismantle the cycle of abuse. With a solid foundation as a qualified Social Worker, Gaby has dedicated 30 years to the field. Her expertise spans a diverse spectrum, including the operational delivery and strategic commissioning of comprehensive health and social care portfolios. Notably, she has provided visionary leadership in both the charitable and statutory sectors.
Tahera Aanchawan, Chair is a management development consultant with experience in health and social care organisations and the voluntary sector in the UK and Africa. She has extensive links and experience of working with women, refugees and asylum seekers and black and minority ethnic communities. Tahera was awarded the Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Award in 2004 for her services to the Public Sector. In addition to being Chair at Women’s Aid in Luton she is Chair of Transform Africa, a capacity building project for community groups in African countries and trustee at the Noel Buxton Trust.
Siobhan McCarthy Morton, Vice Chair manages a £1 million grant programme in Environmental Health for the family foundation, The Savitri Trust. Formerly CEO at Adventure Ashram, a charity focused on supporting women and children with experience of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in South India. Previously Siobhan was also Head of Operations at children’s heart charity ECHO, and Head of Communications at grant-making organisation, the Grand Charity. Siobhan holds a Master’s in charity management, specialising in Philanthropy, Grant-making and Social Investment from Bayes Business School.
Perpertua Chagonda, Treasurer is an ACCA qualified Management Accountant with over ten years’ financial and management accountancy experience.
Anoshe Waheed is head of people and culture at Macmillan Cancer Support. Prior to this, Anoshe spent 7 years at the social work charity Frontline in several roles, most recently as head of people, before that she was head of programmes for Firstline and coaching, and worked as a project manager on the Frontline programme. Before joining Frontline, Anoshe held project management roles at a range of international development charities, including Virgin Unite and Save the Children.
Laura Jopson is an experienced major donor fundraiser, with over 13 years’ experience of working in the third sector. Before running her own fundraising consultancy, Laura worked for a host of charities and institutions, including Friends of the Earth, The Open University and The British Library.
Harshinder Hundal is a Principal at FG Solicitors Limited where she heads up the Commercial Property department. Harshinder has over 20 years legal expertise in acting for clients from all sectors including not-for-profit and charitable organisations in particular legal, management and governance in this sector.
Jess Atkins is a Senior Inclusion Adviser at Business in the Community where she works with a wide range of national and international organisations to raise the standards of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social impact through strategy development, leadership coaching, workshop delivery, policy creation and programme implementation. Prior to that, she was at Brunswick, a critical issues advisory firm, where she consulted on multiple social and environmental issues. She brings an intersectional and cross-sector lens to each issue. Her background in strategy, stakeholder engagement, and communications supports all her work. Jess is a representative of the UN Commission on the Status of Women , co-chair of BITC’s Gender Equality Network and co-founded the Race & Ethnicity steering group. She has worked in India with victims of trafficking and worked with refugees and refugee-support groups in Leeds.