Joy doesn’t just talk about change—she builds it, challenges it, and makes it impossible to ignore.
Born in Birmingham to Caribbean and Indian parents who carved out a life for their family of five, Joy grew up navigating racism head-on. One of only three Black kids in her school—and surrounded by open far-right allegiance—she learned early how to stand tall, stay sharp, run fast and speak truth to power.
Fast-forward: Joy’s the kind of leader who turns barriers into blueprints. With two young kids on her hip and grit in her gut, she gained her qualifications and kicked off a career rooted in purpose—from grassroots youth work to shaking up further education with access programmes that brought real opportunity to the margins of Birmingham. Joy has held senior roles within education, local government and civil society organisations and has supported many charities in voluntary roles.
Now, with over two decades at the helm of brap, Joy has transformed a local charity into one of the UK’s fiercest voices for racial justice and equity. She’s not here for performative change. brap under her leadership is bold, unapologetic, and relentless in rethinking what equality really means—offering radical research, deep organisational change, and fearless community support.
If your idea of progress is ticking boxes, Joy’s probably not your person. But if you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, unlearn the usual, and make real, messy, necessary change—she’s who you call.
She’s also a proud mum of two wonderful children, a doting grandmother of two, and firmly believes that her marvellous partner is one of her greatest sources of frustration, joy, strength, and sanity.
Oh, and did we mention? She’s still learning. Currently training as a psychotherapist, Joy’s bringing even more depth to the conversation about healing, justice, and what it takes to build a fairer world.
When asked about early influences on her activism, Joy says:
“I remember when I was 19 meeting a wonderful woman, Maxine Shervington, who was doing some radical work in Handsworth and who exposed us to a fantastic Black Workers course. That really helped me ground my activism and my understanding of race and racism.”
