Neeta Patel, Chair of Management Committee
Neeta is the Research and Development Manager at Newham University Hospital NHS Trust where she manages a team overseeing research conducted within the trust. This involves the development of a strategy to ensure that future services meet the demands of the community, particularly in relation to local health issues such as the increase in diabetes and stroke in the under 50s.
Neeta has worked in the commercial and non profit sectors, most recently as a project manager with a socio-economic regeneration consultancy, developing skills and pathways to employment in the creative and cultural industries for some of the UK’s many disadvantaged communities.
In 2003 Neeta became co-chair of an action group representing residents affected by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) landslip in Stratford, an incident which caused extensive damage to her family home and business, along with several other homes in the area. The ensuing difficulties and negotiations between residents and the many different agencies involved in the incident further fuelled Neeta’s interest in mediation as a tool for building community cohesion, ultimately leading her to Conflict and Change.
Since joining the management committee, Neeta has held the posts of Treasurer and Vice-Chair, and since 2007 has been the Chair. Neeta has also completed core mediation training and has volunteered as a mediator for a number of neighbour disputes.
