Charity Structure
At roshni we are governed by a Board of Trustees. The board act in the interest of roshni and seek in good faith, to ensure that the organisation operates in a manner which is consistent with our core objectives and monitors performance against them.
Board members are unpaid volunteers and bring a wide variety of skill and expertise to the role, which is one of responsibility and trust, and also one of legal liability. We provide a full induction and training for Trustees. It is important that our Trustees are aware of what their position involves and are adequately informed to do the job properly.
Ali Khan, Founder & Chairman
Ali Khan, a prominent businessman from has been the Chairman of roshni since it's inception in June 2002. He became very well aware of the issues surrounding black and ethnic minority communities, both in terms of internal conflict and external pressures, after hearing of incidents regarding abuse which were being brushed under the carpet and felt that something had to be done to raise the awareness of abuse within the minority ethnic communities, which spurred him towards the decision of inviting various organisations and friends to sit round the table and think of the concept which is now roshni. Ali is committed to helping roshni achieve its aims and helping as many children as possible to have a positive childhood experience.
Allan Burnett, Head of Operations
Allan is the latest trustee to join roshni.Alan has just recently retired as Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police. Alan has been heavily involved within the ME communities, having held an extremely pivotal role as Head of Counter Terrorism. Allan's many skill sets will provide an invaluable resource for roshni.
Stephen Whitelaw, Chief Entrepreneurial Officer
Stephen combines a solid educational and technical background with over two decades of business experience. After co-founding the software company Buchanan International Inc in Silicon Valley, Stephen founded the UK headquarters of Buchanan in Scotland. More recently, Stephen masterminded Scotland's most highly valued start up company Actis Technology Limited. Prior to joining roshni, Stephen spent three years working in the field of Enterprise Security in both the USA and Russia. Stephen is married with one child.
Asim Khan, Secretary
Asim, a Partner for a leading Employment Law consultancy firm, became interested in the concept of promoting information and support services available to young people within the black and ethnic communities, in particular with regards to instances of abuse, supporting children under stress and protecting children from any form of harm. Asim has been involved with roshni since its inception and been instrumental in managing the strategic growth of roshni over the past four years. A keen after-dinner speaker and contributor to law trade journals, Asim married with two young children, believes strongly in giving something back to the community and industry which he serves.
On retiring at the rank of Chief Inspector in 2005 after 30 years service with Strathclyde Police, Tom was appointed to the position of Inter Faith Liaison Officer with Glasgow City Council. This post, with a time frame of 3 years was part funded by both Glasgow City Council and the then Scottish Executive. His primary role is to foster good relations between the faith communities across the city and to act as a conduit between the council and said faith communities. He is a long-standing Member of the Chartered Management Institute, and in his spare time is personally committed to voluntary charity work in India, Pakistan, Africa and here at home. Tom was honoured in 2005 by HRH Queen Elizabeth II when he received an MBE for services to the Police and the Community.
