Bharat Mehta joins the GFCF board!
02 Nov 2021
The board of the GFCF is pleased to announce the appointment of Bharat Mehta. Bharat stepped down as Chief Executive of the Trust for London on 30 June 2021. Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (NSF, renamed RETHINK). He has also worked for the Medical Research Council; the National Council for Voluntary Organisations; the Social Services Department of the London Borough of Waltham Forest; and as a community worker for Pensioners Link.
He is a board member of a number of organizations including: Home Group, one of the largest registered social landlords in the country; and his local performing arts venue, Park Theatre.
In the recent past, he has served as a board member of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation; as non-executive director of the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust; the Human Rights and Social Justice Centre; London Emergencies Trust; and as chair of governors of Bowes Primary School. He has also served on numerous government and civil society commissions and advisory groups.
In January 2000, he was appointed an OBE for services to NSF and the voluntary sector. In June 2016, he was appointed CBE for services to Finance in the Charitable and Voluntary Sectors, as part of the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours.
Speaking about his appointment to the GFCF board, Bharat commented:
“Communities, be they geographical or sectoral, are often best placed to find solutions to issues that confront them. Local community philanthropy organizations are powerful vehicles to fuel community unity, enterprise and enthusiasm to coalesce around issues; to advocate, promote and implement solutions; and to hold to account policy makers, state institutions and corporates. The GFCF is perfectly placed to use its financial, temporal and networking resources to help local community philanthropy organizations globally to seek out, fund and work with grassroots community organizations to flourish. Whilst I have much to learn, I am thrilled and honoured to join GFCF to contribute and support local philanthropy.”