Meet the trustees and our team

The Board of Trustees play a vital role in the Charity by guiding and strengthening our organisation as we work towards a future where Black people have access to culturally appropriate mental health support, advocacy, and education.

Our Trustees bring together a wide range of professional expertise, lived experience, and strategic insight across sectors including mental health, finance, governance, community engagement, corporate leadership, safeguarding, and organisational development.

As the charity continues to grow, our Board provides governance, oversight, accountability, and support to ensure that our work remains impactful, ethical, financially sustainable, and rooted in the needs of the communities we serve.

Shola Apena-Rogers

Chair of Trustees

Gemma Senior

Treasurer

Camille St-Omer Donaldson

Trustee

  • Dr Shola Apena Rogers is an Associate Professor of Forensic Psychology and a HCPC-registered Practitioner Forensic Psychologist at the University of Birmingham.

    She is an academic-practitioner with extensive experience across higher education, the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector, with a strong focus on race equity, culturally responsive mental health practice and systems change.

    Alongside her academic role, Shola has held senior leadership positions within the voluntary and community sector, most notably with Black Thrive, where she led partnership development and co-designed culturally appropriate peer support and advocacy models to address racial inequalities in mental health services.

    This work involved close collaboration with NHS partners, commissioners and communities, embedding lived experience and co-production at the heart of service design.

    Shola also brings significant governance experience, having previously served as a trustee of StreetDoctors, where she contributed strategic oversight, safeguarding expertise and a focus on prevention and community-led responses to serious youth violence.

    Her work extends into higher-education innovation through initiatives such as Beyond Academia, which centres equitable partnerships between universities and racially marginalised communities to reshape research, teaching and practice.

    Across all her roles, Shola is committed to advancing anti-racist practice, amplifying community voice and translating evidence into meaningful, sustainable change.

  • Gemma Senior is an experienced accountant, strategic advisor, and founder of Accounting Gem Ltd, a digital-first accounting practice supporting charities, creative organisations, and purpose-led enterprises.

    With over 15 years of experience across finance leadership, governance, and organisational transformation, Gemma specialises in building resilient financial systems that enable organisations to grow with clarity and confidence.

    She currently leads finance for several cultural and community institutions, where her work focuses on strengthening internal controls, improving transparency, and supporting executive teams and boards through strategic planning, forecasting, and digital innovation.

    Gemma is honoured to join Black Minds Matter as a Trustee. As a Black woman dedicated to wellbeing, representation, and community empowerment, she is deeply committed to widening access to high-quality mental-health support for Black individuals and families across the UK.

    She brings both her professional expertise and lived experience to the role, with a strong belief that sustainable financial stewardship is key to long-term impact.

  • Camille St-Omer Donaldson (she/her) is a fundraising leader, consultant, and sector speaker with over a decade of experience in fundraising compliance, quality assurance, and ethical best practice. She has supported charities to build accountable, values-led fundraising that centres both supporter trust and community impact.

    Currently Head of Engagement & Relationships at Fundraising Everywhere, Camille leads global membership strategy, growth and learning for over 4,000 fundraisers.

    She began her career as a Telephone Fundraiser and held senior roles at the British Red Cross, leading on fundraising compliance, supporter experience, and culture and engagement, as well as consulting for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and the NSPCC.

    Also a recognised voice on race, equity, and accountability in fundraising, Camille brings deep sector knowledge and a strong commitment to fundraising practice that centres Black communities, trust, and care to her role as Fundraising Trustee at Black Minds Matter UK.

Meet the team

Portrait of a Black man with glasses, a beard, wearing a black blazer over a blue and white striped shirt, standing in a library with bookshelves in the background.
A woman with short black curly hair wearing a green collared shirt, smiling in a well-lit room with curtains, a TV, and a decorative antler wall hanging.

Shantel Kwarteng

Project and Operations Manager

Nneka Bolaji
Digital Fundraiser

Close-up of a woman with long black hair, tan skin, and makeup, looking slightly to the side against a plain white background.
Rita Kaana, Black Minds Matter UK

Zeona Ankrah
Programmes Manager

Rita Kaana
Finance Officer

Darlington Zvionere
Head of Clinical Services

Danielle Bridge
Chief Executive

  • With nearly 20 years of experience working within the social sector, Danielle has built a career rooted in advocacy, systems change, community engagement, and leadership within mental health and social care.

    Known for her direct, transparent and people-centred approach, Danielle has become a respected voice in conversations surrounding racial inequality in mental health care, culturally responsive therapy, workforce diversity, and the realities of building sustainable grassroots organisations


  • Darlington holds responsibility for the clinical direction and delivery of the therapy service within the charity.

    He is also responsible for establishing therapeutic and clinical pathways in partnership with statutory services, third-sector and other charitable organisations, all for the benefit of the Black community.

  • Shantel is the Projects and Operations Manager at BMMUK, responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination, and delivery of key organisational projects while ensuring that day-to-day operational processes run efficiently. She works across teams to streamline workflows, monitor project progress, manage resources, and support the effective implementation of organisational priorities, helping to ensure that BMMUK’s activities are delivered smoothly and to a high standard.

  • Nneka is committed to strengthening BMMUK's fundraising capabilities. She develops and implements digital fundraising plans to increase income from new and existing donors, directly contributing to the organisation's goals. Nneka also ensures that supporters are well-stewarded and understand the significant difference their contributions make.

  • Rita is a highly motivated and dedicated Finance Officer with extensive 15 years of experience in the Charity sector.

    Rita has a broad knowledge of a wide range of financial practices, including, payroll, credit control, budget handling and forecasting.

  • Zeona is our Programmes Manager She leads the coordination and growth of our university-based programmes, manages relationships with partner institutions, and supports our Student Ambassador network.

    Zeona also oversees the development of our volunteer bank, creating clear and effective systems that enable volunteers and programmes to operate safely and consistently across Black Minds Matter UK.

    Her work helps strengthen partnerships, improve delivery, and expand access to culturally appropriate mental health support.