The day-to-day operation of our Law Centres is managed by our Senior Management Team, led by Patrick Marples, our CEO. Patrick is responsible to our trustees for the management of our Law Centre.
Our staff team is supported by our team of dedicated and talented volunteers, to whom we’re all very grateful.
OUR STAFF TEAM
Senior Management Team
Patrick Marples, CEO
Katy Forkah, Head of Legal Service and Housing Solicitor
Chofian Abobakr, Strategic Development & Communications Manager
Rhiannon Hughes, Community, Campaigns, and Policy Manager
Nicoletta Crivellaro, Human Resources and Administration Manager
Nada Aboushama, Finance and Operations Manager
Administration, Volunteer & Pro Bono Team
Aksaa Naveed, Legal Administrator
Shivani Clancy, Receptionist and Triage Worker & Communications Assistant
Sian Mason, Receptionist and Triage Worker
Yusra Toorabkhan, Receptionist and Triage Worker
Benefits Team
Diane Sechi, Welfare Benefit and Community Care Solicitor
Cost of Living Team
Roni Marsh, Cost of Living Project Manager
Tom Chapman, Cost of Living Administration
Rhoda Anokye, Welfare Rights Paralegal
Karolina Rybak, Crisis Navigator
Ashshan Lewis, Crisis Navigator
Nick Lee, Welfare Rights Caseworker
Asad Islam, Welfare Rights Paralegal
Saoirse Akhtar-Farren, Welfare Rights Paralegal
Brian Ribeiro Gouveia, Welfare Rights Paralegal
Employment Team
Sarah Forsyth, Employment Caseworker
Finance Team
Andrew Folkes, Billing/ Costs Manager
Housing Team
Katy Forkah, Head of Legal Service and Housing Solicitor
Janet Bishop, Pro Bono Supervisor (Housing)
Jeinsen Lam, Housing Team Leader Croydon
Paul Wallace, Housing Team Leader Wandsworth
Paul McManus, Housing Solicitor Merton
Hajra Jafri, Housing Paralegal Wandsworth
Shanice Danso, Trainee Solicitor Merton
Tim Cutter, Housing and Welfare Benefits Paralegal Wandsworth
Florence Manders, Apprentice Solicitor
Immigration Team
Pradeep Kumar, Immigration Team Leader
Paul Keeley, Immigration Solicitor
Rajitha Kumar, Asylum & Immigration Solicitor
Sabira Kashmiri, Immigration Solicitor
Kerrin Raulefs, Immigration Solicitor
Agathe Artus, Immigration Solicitor
Ellie Sabet, Immigration Caseworker
Money Advice Team
Roni Marsh, Money Advice Team Leader
Eva van der Spek, Senior Money Adviser
Ariam Sibhat, Trainee Money Adviser
Lana Kaminskiene, Money Adviser
Eunice Ashley-Kesson, Money Adviser
Andrew Boba, Money Adviser
Our Trustee Team
Allan Blake, Chair
Allan was HR Director, Managing Director and Chair of UK, Australian and Russian aviation companies. He transitioned into the private sector after an academic career lecturing in Law and as a Business School Dean. Allan’s other non-executive roles have included: Independent Director/ Company Secretary of the Family Mediation Council, Founder Member of the Legal Aid Board, Chair of Preston Free Legal Information Service and Management Committee of the Legal Action Group.
Sarmad Qureshi, Treasurer
Sarmad joined the Board in 2020 and was appointed Treasurer in 2022. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has over 25 years of work experience, initially with a Big Four accountancy firm where he advised on delivering government projects and most recently as a regional Finance Director for a multi-national, where he was involved in finance raising and in implementing governance processes.
Sarmad also sits as Chair on the Community Monitoring Group of his local police force undertaking independent oversight of stop and search activities.
Simon Tinkler
Simon joined our Board at the end of 2019. He has worked as a solicitor in private practice in Bristol and London, as well as in industry. In 2000 he became a partner at Clifford Chance, a long-standing supporter of law centres in London, including SWLLC. He was appointed a deputy high court judge in England and Wales in 2021. Simon also sits as a member of the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal, ensuring that the regulatory standards of the profession are upheld. In addition, he has held positions in national and regional sports governing bodies, with particular responsibility for governance. Simon has lived in south London for more than 10 years, and believes in ensuring access to justice for everyone. He came on board with us having witnessed at first-hand the effect of lack of legal representation on people’s rights, and lives. He sees a vital role for SWLLC, and law centres generally, in providing this fundamental protection to everyone in society.
Nimmisha Aslam
Nimmisha has been a volunteer adviser in our legal advice clinics for over ten years and prior to that she volunteered as an employment law adviser at the Birmingham TUC centre for the unemployed. She is now a senior associate in the personal injury and clinical negligence team at Russell Cooke LLP where her clients include some of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Nimmisha was a founding member of the Law Society LGBT+ Committee, and currently volunteers with both Hidayah LGBT+ and Laamiga, where she mentors black and minority ethnic women from refugee and migrant communities in London to help them find employment. She joined the Board of Trustees in December 2022 and has a particular interest in ensuring disadvantaged individuals from BAME and LGBT+ backgrounds have access to justice.
Sarah Bergstrom
Sarah had a background in finance before qualifying as a barrister, initially undertaking her legal training in civil commercial law before going on to practise in crime. She currently works as a Senior Legal Manager in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division and has led many projects seeking to remove barriers to justice by improving access to the Court for litigants in person. She sits part time as a Judge in the Crown Court and has lived in the local area for over 20 years. Sarah has previously volunteered in the community as a Magistrate sitting in South West London and as a trustee for a charity in Wandsworth, supporting and housing women and children fleeing domestic violence. She is passionate about access to justice for all and joined the Board in December 2022.
Susan Field
Susan joined the Board of Trustees in December 2022. She is Senior Pro Bono Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, with a background in international arbitration and dispute resolution. She has over 15 years’ experience of working with advice units, pro bono schemes and humanitarian organisations in the UK and abroad. She has lived in South London for 8 years and is passionate about helping to design and deliver projects focused on the prevention and alleviation of poverty and on access to justice for marginalised groups, including with SWLLC and other law centres.
Melanie Felten
Melanie Felten brings a diverse set of skills to the Board. Since August 2019, Melanie has been instrumental in setting up workflows and influencing governance within a financial services start-up.
Her commitment to social justice and community service is evident through her roles as Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Addiscombe West and and Women’s Officer for the Croydon East CLP.
Melanie’s extensive background in finance, project management, and community activism makes her a valuable addition to SWLLC. She is passionate about improving living conditions, combating discrimination, and enhancing legal education within the community. Melanie’s expertise is further demonstrated by her significant fundraising efforts and her proactive stance in local campaigns, particularly against inadequate housing conditions.
James Waugh
James Waugh is a qualified solicitor and a senior civil servant at the Competition & Markets Authority, bringing a wealth of experience from both the civil service and the charitable sector. His career is marked by significant roles in competition law, consumer enforcement, and regulatory matters across various sectors. James is deeply committed to social justice, having served as a London regional representative for Amnesty International where he was actively engaged in grassroots activism, and he has previously worked for LawWorks, the pro bono charity.
With over six years as a trustee for Healthwatch Kingston, James has honed his expertise in risk management, legal compliance, including data protection, and strategic funding initiatives. His voluntary sector and leadership experience are assets that he brings to the South West London Law Centres, aiming to leverage his skills to further the Centre’s mission in serving the community.
Theo Watkins
Theo qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2018. Prior to moving in-house in 2023, Theo worked for several national and international law firms. Theo currently works as corporate legal counsel at Succession Wealth (an Aviva group company) and sits on its Senior Leadership Team.
Theo has extensive experience in advising senior company board members of their rights and obligations, and preparing constitutional documents for various legal entities (including charitable organisations). As a local resident of South West London, Theo aims to leverage his experience to further the mission of the South West London Law Centres, with a particular focus on addressing inequality, poverty and fighting social injustice.