Trishna Singh OBE

Trishna is the Founder/Director of Sikh Sanjog the only Sikh Family Support charity in Scotland and Punjabi Junction Social Enterprise the first Sikh women’s Social Enterprise in Scotland. She has over 30 years’ experience working in the Voluntary sector. Graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in Community Learning and Development in 2007, in recognition of her services to the community, she is the first Sikh woman in Scotland to have received an OBE in 2014. Her work is centred on the thematic areas of Community Development Gender- Social Justice, Civic Engagement, Race Equality and Human Rights.

She was appointed first Honorary Sikh Chaplain to Edinburgh University in 2012 and is currently part of the Chaplaincy team. She has extensive knowledge and understanding of the Sikh religion and culture from the lived experience of women.

Her wealth of experience together with knowledge of ethnic communities in particular the women of the Bhatra Sikh Community in Scotland and their needs has resulted in her being asked to represent the Sikh Community in a variety of arenas both statutory and voluntary.

She is keen to continue to build links that can create pathways for women of all communities to participate in civic life. Her aim is to continue to break down barriers to learning, reducing the obstacles that get in the way of people receiving a service and improving communication between professions about the needs of the Sikh and other BME women. She would like to see the inequalities gap closed, especially in terms of disadvantage and exclusion relating to education, skills and training at all levels.