Cllr Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed, MSH Foundation for Mental Health

Manju Shahul-Hameed, a Councillor for the London Borough of Croydon and former Mayor and Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Business Recovery, founded a mental health charity, providing free community mental health events. She recently completed her PhD in integration of health and social care at the University of Greenwich.

Strengths I bring: Leadership, Advocacy, Innovation

What I would like the network to achieve: As part of the EMPOWER Dementia Network, I aim to leverage research on the Intergenerational Dementia Café to inform policy, enhance community care practices, and develop innovative, cost-effective dementia care interventions.

The MSH Foundation for Mental Health charity focuses on raising awareness about mental health and stigma, particularly in BAME communities, by organising events and training people as mental health first aiders to prevent suicide and self-harm. Since 2022, we have been running an innovative intergenerational Dementia Café project to support older generations in coping with isolation and dementia. www.msfoundations.co.uk