Sasha Nemeckova

Sasha Nemeckova is a registered dramatherapist and children’s psychotherapist with substantial clinical experience of supporting adolescent client groups, including unaccompanied asylum seeking children, secondary school pupils at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, and young people with multiple and complex disabilities.
 
Sasha has worked extensively within the UK education sector as well as with different charities, within the UK and internationally. As a therapist, Sasha has sound knowledge of psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment theory and developmental trauma and their application in the provision of therapy, with a particular interest in intercultural psychotherapy and psychological processes underpinning migration. As a practising theatre artist, Sasha’s main areas of interest and investigation are the perceptions of otherness perpetuated and disseminated within public discourse, with a particular focus on immigration, mental health and disability.
 
Sasha has a long-standing interest in applied drama and theatre in the community and works as a theatre workshop facilitator in the UK and in India. Sasha joined the Board of BENNU because she is passionate about the potential of creative arts therapies to enable children and young people to overcome adversity and reach their potential in life.

Ian Comfort

Ian Comfort, is an educationalist and lawyer. He started his career as a maths teacher and went on to teach children with special educational needs. He subsequently qualified as a barrister, with a keen interest in education law. As a lawyer, he chairs professional discipline and conduct committees for a number of regulatory bodies. He is also a presiding justice for the youth court in West London He has extensive experience in the direction and leadership of education services gained as a local authority director of education, chief executive of a large and complex multi academy trust and as the chair of Cognus, an education services company. In his work with children young people and schools, he is acutely aware of the need for early targeted therapeutic intervention to address barriers to learning and development and to children and young people’s wider and overall well-being.

Bontia Cattle

Bonita Cattle is a Cultural Producer with over 25 years experience in the ‘Dance and Event’ arena. She currently works for a local Trust, ‘Vision, and her own company ‘ JBP Production LTD’ heading up a fantastic team, delivering a dynamic and diverse portfolio of events; including the historical community event ‘Fairlop Fair’ and one of London’s most popular Caribbean Festivals for the summer season ‘Dream Land’. Bonita is passionate about helping people achieve their goals and live life with fullness and love. She is encouraged by the support that Bennu and its therapeutic intervention can offer, providing children and young people whose well-being and mental health have been at risk with the opportunity to stay in school and adhere to their learning whilst experiencing some of the toughest times in life.

Sheena Patel

Sheena Patel is a Solution Architect who delights in problem solving and logical thinking.
She taught herself to code at a young age and has been fascinated with computers and
programming ever since. She went on to study Computer Science at university, which laid
the foundations of her knowledge in computation and all its applications.

Sheena has been designing, building and delivering innovative solutions for over 10 years.In her career she has worked at every stage of the project life cycle, navigating complex business environments across a broad range of industries.

Sheena joined Bennu as a trustee to advocate for the availability of services and awareness of mental health and well-being for children/young people at a key stage of their learning development. Creating a better world today and for future generations to come.

Oluwasegun Oyenigba

Olu is a personal trainer, specialising in developing and delivering training programs of physical fitness. As a boxing coach, Olu supports and develops sports training for adults and children, mentoring them to ascertain focus and achieve their goals.  Olu is an advocate in the London borough of Newham supporting education, housing and is one of the boroughs active Covid-19 Health Champion residents where he contributed to a published health booklet called ‘5 Ways to A Healthier Life’ produced in partnership with the NHS in Newham and a group of residents.  Olu admires Bennu’s work, finding it inspiring and very much needed particularly in this climate, where support for mental health and wellbeing is increasing within the local community and wider environment. Olu is keen to contribute positively to Bennu and help the organisation grow.