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Newham Community champion receives honorary doctorate from the University of East London

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Ramesh Verma - Newham Community champion receives honorary doctorate from the University of East London

Ramesh Verma, a champion of the elderly and those for whom English is not their first language, has received an honorary Master of Business Administration from the University of East London.

Ramesh first came to east London with her family in 1976 as a teacher although stopped work to care for her blind mother who could not speak English.

It was during this time that she realised greater support was needed in the borough for families in similar situations to her own; living in near poverty and with English as an additional language, if at all.

Her campaigning began when she contacted hundreds of minority ethnic organisations and discovered that many of those communities struggled with the language barrier and were not informed of the social services available to them.

Spurred on, Ramesh set up a conference ‘Elders in Newham, Know Your Rights’ and invited local councillors to learn more about the needs and diversity of local people. This led to a series of workshops for local people on health and housing and other services, educating communities and bridging the gaps between them and their council.

Mrs Verma received the award ‘in recognition of her outstanding achievements in supporting the elderly minority communities of Newham and raising awareness around issues of diversity in the community’.

She said: “I am both touched and thankful for this recognition. It is an honour not only to me but to my elders, my family, colleagues and everyone who has supported me in my work.

This award will be the closest to my heart as it recognises my social campaigns and efforts to improve the lives of older people who don’t have a voice. I will continue to serve my elders, making sure that they receive appropriate services and are treated with respect and dignity in their golden years.”

Other honoraries were comedian Lee Evans and Alan Ingle, former Secretary and Registrar at the University of East London.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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