Gina Patel, Young Combined Authority board member as well as co-lead for skills and digital

The YCA is a youth governance programme for young people aged 16-25, supported by the WMCA and Beatfreeks (A youth engagement.) Additionally, Gina works as a PA at Health Education England within the NHS.

Due to her own personal experiences and barriers, Gina is a champion of equality, diversity and inclusion, in particular a key focus on disability rights and opportunities.

Prior to her current roles, Gina spent 5 years working for a disability rights organisation Changing Our Lives, a rights organisation that supports people with a wide range of disabilities including mental health to be heard as part of the decision making process.

In one of Gina’s previous roles as an apprentice, she developed and organised a disability awareness week to raise awareness of what it is like to live with a disability as well as in her role in the YCA, she has ran a social media campaign for mental health and hosted a disability awareness podcast.