CHAIR Neville Grant
Neville was elected Chair of the London and Southeast Region in 2006. On the UNA-UK Board of Directors, Neville currently serves as Vice Chair; Chair of the Policy Committee; and Regional Representative. He was Vice Chair of the Region between 2005 and 2006; Secretary of the Region between 2004 and 2005; and Chair of the Blackheath and Greenwich UNA Branch since 1994.

A graduate of Bristol, London and Essex Universities, Neville did his National Service in the Ghana Army, and subsequently worked in many parts of the world including Tanzania and Nigeria. A former career officer in the British Council, he is an education writer and consultant now based in London. He is the author of many textbooks, widely used in many different parts of the world.

Neville is a staunch multi-culturist and internationalist, and espouses strongly the notion of “thinking globally, and acting locally” – he currently edits his local community newspaper in Greenwich.

TREASURER Peter Webster
Peter has been Treasurer of the London and Southeast Region since 1987; Chairman of the London and SE Region UNA Trust since 2002; and is currently Chair of the Streatham and Clapham Branch.

Peter joined UNA-UK in 1981 and was a member of UNA’s Finance and General Purposes Committee and then Deputy Treasurer from 1982-7. He has also served on the UNA Membership Committee and UNA Board.

Peter is the Executive Director of Ethical Investment Research Services. He is a graduate in Mathematics from Oxford University and has a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

HONORARY SECRETARY Wendy Higgs
Wendy joined UNA in 2007, and has been the Honorary Secretary of the Blackheath and Greenwich UNA branch since 2008. She was a Trustee of 2 charities involving young people and has cared for and supported a son with disabilities.

She is an Occupational Therapist working part-time, with a degree in anthropology and psychology from Goldsmiths College and postgraduate work in neuropsychology at Brunel University. She has previously lived in Nigeria and Malawi.

Wendy’s worldwide interests include equality and health issues.

MEMBERS

Max Ehrenwerth
Max has been Chairman of the UNA Hampstead/Camden branch since 2001; and a member of its Regional Executive and Coordinator of its Policy Motions Sub-group since 1999.

Max has a longstanding involvement with UNA, having originally been Chair of the Manchester University UN Student Association; a member of the UNSA National Executive (1959-60). Max was the recipient of the UNA London Region Lawrence Wright Travelling Award. Through the then UNA International Service on Greek/Albanian border, he visited Danilo Dolci's work in Sicily and the World Food Programme in Rome.

Max was Senior Convenor of Camden Council for International Cooperation (1965-1983); Chairman UNICEF North London Group (1992-2000); and Departmental Head of the Botswana Polytechnic, Gaborones (as part of the British aid programme; 1986-89). He is also Trustee of the Budiriro Trust and the UK Botswana Society.

Max is a graduate of Manchester University, Imperial College London and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Services; and has management consultancy experience in the catering industry and local government. He lectures in management studies, the behavioural sciences and management efficiency techniques.

Joyce Edmond-Smith
Joyce joined the London & South-East Regional Executive in 2008, having being a member of the Brighton & Hove UNA branch for 10 years.

She previously worked for UNESCO and was, until recent retirement, a college lecturer. She served as an elected member for Brighton & Hove Council for 20 years, where, amongst other things, she set up and chaired the first Women’s Committee and subsequently the Council’s Sustainability Commission. She was also a member of the Health & Safety Commission.

Joyce is a graduate of Sussex University and has done postgraduate work in multiracial studies and environmental assessment. Her main priorities are environmental sustainability -climate change and world peace through a strong respected United Nations system.

Keith Hindell
Keith Hindell was Chairman of the UNA London & South East region between 1997 and 2001; and a former elected member of the UNA Board of Directors. Keith is currently a member of the UNA Policy Committee.

Keith was a producer, editor, correspondent and presenter for the BBC including being UN Correspondent between 1980 and 1984. He also lectured at the Centre for International Studies & Diplomacy at SOAS. He has written two books and many articles about politics and international affairs.

He was educated at Oxford and Illinois universities.

David Wardrop
David Wardrop is currently Chairman of UNA Westminster branch and a member of the UNA Policy Committee. He is the Director of Strategies for Peace, a group of retired military officers working in the fields of conflict prevention and conflict resolution. He is also Chairman of the International Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the new library located on the site of the ancient world’s most famous library.

He is Secretary of the Hammersmith & Fulham Local Agenda 21 Forum.

VICE CHAIRS

Roger Hallam
Roger is a founder member and deputy chair of the Enfield and the Barnets branch of the United Nations Association. He has been a member of the London and South-Eastern Region Executive Committee since 2005.

Roger has been a member and trustee of Enfield Racial Equality Council since 1982, and was chair for three years.

A graduate of Leicester University and the London School of Oriental and African Studies, Roger was until his retirement a lecturer, and latterly deputy dean of faculty, at London Metropolitan University.

Virginia Morris
Virginia is Chair of UNA Twickenham and Richmond branch.

She lived for 2 years in Southeast Asia working for the United Nations Development Programme and then living in remote villages in Lao PDR conducting research into ethnic diversity and war.

On her return she became a Partner and Director of Max Fordham’s, a Mechanical and Electrical Consultancy which specializes in environmental engineering. At the same time she became a Councillor at Richmond upon Thames which she has continued, specializing in planning and the environment. Today she runs her own production company and is an author of two books on the Vietnam War.

She graduated from Manchester University in Aeronautical Engineering and continued her studies to gain a PhD in fracture mechanics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catherine Pluygers
Catherine is a part-time music teacher and also a performer (oboist) and concert promoter currently promoting music by women composers and running a small annual contemporary wind music festival. She has toured widely as a soloist including Scandinavia, India, USA, Hong Kong and as a special guest for the North Korean Pyongyang April Spring Music festival in 2005.

Her interest in UNA began 6 years ago when she joined UNA Westminster branch as a committee member. Other current committee work includes WILPFE (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) London Branch and Executive; and Network for Peace. She is also a member of WNC (Women's National Commission).

Catherine was educated at the Royal School of Music, Banff School of Fine Arts Canada, and University of London where she attained her Bachelor and Master degrees. She also has a Diploma in Development Studies from Birkbeck College.

Angela Viano
Angela has been a member of UNA UK since 2006. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of UNA Westminster branch.

She recently spent three years in the United States studying in two master’s degree programmes with focus on Peace and Conflict. During this time she was also an active member of UNA-GP's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign Committee and a volunteer in the One-Campaign to reduce poverty around the world.

Angela has over 20 years of experience in interpreting and translating both in the public and private sector. She has travelled extensively and strongly embraces the idea of multiculturism. She is currently the European Development Representative of an African Rural Community Support Organization and since December 2008 the co-ordinator of a Social Action Group on Peace and Justice.

Sheila Kesby
TO COME

 

CO-OPTED MEMBERS

Shivakuru Selvathurai (TO COME)
Anusha Vamadeva (TO COME)

The Region remembers those who had selflessly given their time and passion for the ideal of the United Nations.

Jeffrey Segall
1924 - 2010

Jeffrey Segall, veteran champion of UN reform through the more systematic participation of world civil society, died on 22nd May after a long period of illness.

For many years a member of the Finchley Branch of UNA, he founded and led a series of reform initiatives from the early 1980s, culminating in UNGA-Link UK (UK Network for Civil Society Link with UN General Assembly).

All were to promote his conviction that peace would only be possible when “we the peoples” were given due weight in the UN system against the realpolitik of the member states.

If you would like to make a contribution to honour Jeffrey's work, you can send cheques payable to UNICEF whose work was close to his heart and that of his wife, Elizabeth.

 

 

Read other obituarues.

2010 Committee

• President
  Baroness Helena Kennedy

• Chairman
  Neville Grant
  Treasurer
  Peter Webster
  Secretary
  Wendy Higgs
  Deputy Chairs
  Roger Hallam
  Cllr. Virginia Morris

  Members
  Joyce Edmond-Smith
  Max Ehrenwerth
  Keith Hindell
  Sheila Kesby
  Catherine Pluygers
  Angela Viano
  David Wardrop

  Co-opted Members
  Shivakuru Selvathurai
  Anusha Vamadeva

Branches

Bexhill and Hastings
Bexley
Blackheath & Greenwich
Brighton, Hove & District
Canterbury
Dartford & District
Deal
East London & Woodford
Eastbourne
Enfield & Barnets
Finchley
Hampstead
Hendon & Golders Green
Highgate & Muswell Hill
Lewisham
Merton
Purley with Sutton (Youth)
Putney & Roehampton
Sevenoaks
Streatham & Clapham
Tunbridge Wells
Twickenham & Richmond
Wealden
West London
Westminster