Rita Chadha has almost 40 years’ experience of working in the community, voluntary, faith and social enterprise sector. She is an expert in governance, equity, mergers, organisational rescue, crisis management, and strategic leadership. As a specialist in revitalising organisations in crisis, she has successfully implemented recovery strategies for multiple charities across the UK, including Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours, Small Charities Coalition, and Tandridge Voluntary Action, now known as Voluntary Action Surrey East. Between 2013-2017 she led a number of high profile national campaigns against the hostile environment including successful judicial reviews against the Home Office over the Go Home Vans.
Currently serving as an elected Councillor for the London Borough of Newham, Rita holds multiple committee positions including Overview and Scrutiny, Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny, Standards and the Audit Committee and is Deputy Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Commission.
Practising what she preaches, Rita is also a trustee of a number of other charities, including London Air Ambulance, the Postcode Lottery, London Emergencies Trust, the Befriending Network, and Chair of Street Storage.