Aidan Pettitt

Chair

Brighton & Hove has a proud history of welcoming migrants – including refugees from pogroms, workers brought to the UK during the empire, vulnerable families fleeing war zones and Europeans celebrating freedom of movement. Armed conflict, the persecution of minorities, poverty and climate change continue to make Brighton & Hove a safe haven for thousands of people. City Council data suggests around 50,000 residents were born outside the UK and that 1 in 10 households have at least one member who does not speak English.

Since retiring from a career in education, including as a college lecturer, a manager for the City Council and a Department for Education senior funding advisor, I have been a trustee for an adult education centre and a teacher of English to migrants. Learning English is core to education. Without the ability to communicate in English, rights can be lost and barriers to health, housing, education, training, work and the law emerge. Yet for many born outside the UK the need to be understood, and to understand, cannot wait for English classes.

Recently, I have volunteered with organisations supporting refugees, assisting migrants in detention and providing aid to those seeking asylum in the UK. The necessity of interpreting and translation services, combined with mediation, advocacy and education, has become obvious and this is why the work of SIS is essential to so many in Brighton & Hove and why I’m proud to be a trustee for SIS.

Carole Blomme

Trustee

I joined SIS as a Trustee in June 2024. The mission of SIS immediately resonated with my values and personal experience as a French speaker arriving in the UK with very limited English knowledge. Supporting the community ensuring everyone in Sussex can be understood and access critical services such as health and social care, regardless of their origin, is essential. It’s important that everyone feel supported in their journey in their new country, which is often a lonely journey far from loved ones.

After earning a degree in Spanish, where I discovered a passion for translation, I obtained a master’s in international business. This led me to a career in software sales, where I have worked with customers worldwide for over a decade, holding leadership and customer-facing positions.

I am now eager to support SIS, contribute to its meaningful mission within the community where I live, and gain deeper knowledge of the charity and community sector, as well as the great SIS linguists who make this possible.

Nicky Cambridge

Trustee

I have recently joined the board of trustees and bring experience of working on several Boards locally and nationally.

I have 30 years experience of working in the public and voluntary sectors with roles spanning third sector commissioning, community development, policy, and equality. I currently work at NHS Sussex as Head of Equality and I am passionate about social justice, human rights and equality for all communities particularly those who experience the great inequalities and barriers to services.

Enrique Restoy

Trustee

I joined the SIS board of trustees in early 2021. This is a great professional and personal feat for me. I am local to Brighton, and SIS is a daily reminder that people are precious wherever they are from and wherever they find themselves. Humanity knows no borders. SIS help people who find themselves in Sussex to live with dignity, be able to communicate and understand how things work here, and integrate into our community.

I have worked for over 20 years in human rights, modern slavery and human rights-based international development for international NGOs based in the UK and overseas. These include Amnesty International as a West Africa Researcher; Child Soldiers International, where I was Director of Programmes, and Anti-Slavery, as Director of Advocacy and Programmes. I currently work as a Director of International Programmes at Hope for Justice, a global charity working to end modern slavery.

The fantastic work of SIS resonates with me. Throughout my career I have engaged with victims of human rights violations, asylum seekers and migrant people in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese. I am currently a trustee with the Peace Building Academy (Beirut) and sit on the Impact Advisory Boards of the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex, where I obtained a PhD in human rights in 2016.

Dr Fawzia Zaidi

Trustee

I joined the board of SIS trustees in November 2022. I am a registered midwife and a former senior lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Brighton. I have extensive experience of developing, leading, delivering and monitoring the quality of regulated midwifery Courses and modules.

I joined SIS because it will give me the opportunity to utilise my professional experiences as a midwife and midwifery lecturer in an area that I am passionate about. For me, that is valuing cultural diversity and promoting inclusivity. I believe that individuals, irrespective of ethnic origins, culture or religious beliefs should feel that they are respected, accepted, valued and understood. What really struck me about the SIS community is their genuineness, passion and commitment to working to make a real difference to people with communication needs.

Maria Ines Zerega

Trustee

I arrived in the United Kingdom 15 years ago and I personally know how difficult it is not being able to communicate with others effectively.

It’s a privilege to be part of an organisation that puts peoples mind at rest when they are vulnerable by addressing the issue of the language barrier.

I’ve recently moved to Brighton and I’m eager to make a contribution to such an interesting and diverse community.

I am a Project Manager with experience in the public and private sector, fluent in four languages and with a passion for fairness, equity and equality.

The job that SIS provides, interpreting and translating, is essential for our community and this is why I am proud of being its trustee.