Atiha Chaudry has over 30 years of experience within the public, voluntary and community sectors and has worked for a range of organisations including the National Association of Local Government Women’s’ Committees, Newcastle City Council, the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), and since setting up her consultancy company, Equal Access Consultancy in 2001 she has worked on many commissions locally, nationally and at an international level.
She has paralleled her paid work with voluntary work throughout her life and continues to give generously to community for many good causes.
She has spent some of the time living and working abroad and had the experience of working for the Brunei Civil Service institute delivering training on a Women and Leadership programme.
Atiha was born and brought up in Kenya and undertook her early schooling in Nairobi. She then moved to the North East of England where she completed her further education. She graduated with a B.A (Hons) in Public Administration and has pursued a successful career in the public and voluntary sectors.
Atiha has extensive community and voluntary sector experience gained over many years of work in the community, both on a voluntary and paid basis. She is passionate and committed to the community and voluntary sector and over the years has given her time generously to the sector.
Atiha has served on several community and public organisations over the years and continues to give her time to the sector. She is the chair of the GM BAME Network and Leaders Forum and has led this sub regional network for many years; she is the lead Associate for Manchester BME Network CIC which delivers many community projects and services in the local community, and she founded the Rafiki Food Network during the Covid pandemic to ensure that diverse communities were able to access culturally appropriate food. She has served as a Trustee of GMCVO and is a member of their social investment panel. She has led the work on creating the GM BAME Social Enterprise network.
She served, for 17 years, as a Justice of the Peace at Stockport Magistrates Court.
She was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester in 2012 in recognition for her work in the diverse community.
She was honoured to receive the 2016 Inspiring Women Award for her work in the community and in 2022 she received the BBC North West Christmas Star award in recognition of her work on food poverty.