A message from our Chief Executive.

Iqbal is the Chair of the Board and a businessman, restaurateur and social entrepreneur. After graduating from the London School of Economics and working as a journalist in the national press for three years, Iqbal set up his own PR firm in 1991 which specialised in food and drink, before launching Tandoori Magazine. He established the multi award-winning Cinnamon Club restaurant in 2001 and opened Roast, a successful British restaurant in Borough Market in 2005. Iqbal wrote the book "Charity Sucks" in 2016 and was the High Sheriff of Greater London in 2020. Iqbal is a passionate advocate for prison reform and a believer in the power food has to change lives.

Missy is a London-based food and drink entrepreneur, consultant and academic. She is the co-owner of food and drink collective Rita’s and has run restaurants and worked in the hospitality industry in London since she was a teen. Missy is currently undertaking an MA in the Anthropology of Food at SOAS, University of London. She has a particular interest in the social, cultural and historical significance of food and its wider meaning.

Josie is an award-winning writer, blogger and presenter. She had a successful career in film and script-writing before retraining as a nutritionist and naturopath. In 2016, her husband was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Since then, Josie has dedicated her life to campaigning for prison reform. Her critically-acclaimed blog and podcast, Prison Bag, details her journey as a ‘prison wife’ and highlights the injustices of the prison system, from the perspective of a loved one.

Naomi is a lawyer working in human rights and harm reduction with a focus on the right to health, access to justice and health services and access to controlled medicines. She has lived and worked in Indonesia, Nepal, Uganda and New York, defending the rights of the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups in society. Naomi is currently the Chief Executive of Harm Reduction International, a charity that works to reduce the health, social and legal impacts of drug use and drug policy.

Leon is a chef, humanitarian and the founder of three charities, each centred around his mission of no-one going hungry. In 2015, after witnessing the growing refugee crisis, Leon found himself in France and soon founded the charity Calais Kitchens, which made sure 10,000 refugees were served a hot and nourishing meal. During the pandemic, he continued his mission by founding the charity With Compassion which fed up to 4000 hungry Londoners per day. He helped lead The Felix Project through a pivotal period that led to 2.5 million meals cooked and distributed to those in need between 2020-2023.

Kate is a criminologist who has spent her career working in prisons in the UK and the United States. She specialises in the prevention of harm in custodial environments and has worked for HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, the Prisons & Probation Ombudsman and HM Prison Service, where she led on the national strategy for preventing violence. She has investigated deaths and serious incidents in UK prisons and in New York City jails. Kate was Chair of the statutory Brook House Inquiry, an investigation into the mistreatment of immigration detainees which reported in September 2023.

Helena is our Food Educator based at HMP Downview. She is a professional chef, home economist and food stylist. She currently heads up the BBC Good Food test kitchen where she oversees all the recipe testing for the website and magazine. Alongside this, she delivers our cooking course to groups of female prisoners. She specialises in fresh, wholesome and seasonal food that’s good for the mind, body and soul.

Kerry is our Food Educator based at HMP Manchester. She delivers a weekly cooking course based on the wing kitchenettes, teaching them how to make simple, nutritious food with the limited equipment and ingredients the prisoners have available to them. Kerry is a chef and a qualified nutritionist, with a First Class Honours in BSC Nutrition and Health at Edge Hill University.

Veyla is our Food Educator based at HMP Stoke Heath. She heads up a 1-year food growing and cooking programme, in partnership with the NHS. As a passionate gardener and cook, Veyla teaches groups of men how to cook delicious food, grow their own food and keep bees. Her experience as a Family Support Worker at HMP Drake Hall means she understands the unique challenges people face in prison and uses food as a tool for connection, increased wellbeing and joy.