Page 85 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

NEW Nero Ughwujabo
2019
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister Public Sector & Third Sector

Nero is a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Social
Justice, Young People and Opportunities and his remit
includes leading on No 10’s Race Disparity Audit, which was
published in October 2017.
The audit proved what many already knew: across
Britain, people from a minority ethnic background face a
disproportionate disadvantages compared with their white
counterparts when it comes to issues such as housing,
employment, health, education and social justice.
Nero has been tasked with trying to explore solutions
to a number of the problems highlighted by the audit and,
although he has been in his job for only just over a year, he
has achieved a great deal.
One of the main challenges Nero is faced with is to
increase engagement by connecting the ethnic minority
communities to No 10 to plug them into the machinery of
government, to further highlight social justice and increase
opportunities, particularly with regard to young people.
With that in mind, Nero has hosted a number of key
roundtables. He has ensured that in all of these meetings
there is sufficient representation from black and Asian
experts and that they are involved in all decisions.
Two of the most high-profile events Nero has been
involved with are Windrush Day, which will take place on
June 22 every year, and Stephen Lawrence Day, which will NEW Marvin Rees
commemorate the murder of the teenager every April 22. He 2019 Mayor of Bristol
championed both to the Prime Minister.
The former will be supported by a grant of up to £500,000,
available to charities and communities wanting to hold “Fifty years ago, my dad arrived here from Jamaica to
commemorative and educational events, and the latter will signs saying: ‘No Irish, no blacks, no dogs’,” says Marvin.
be used to encourage and support young people and to “At around the same time, we had the Bristol bus boycott
reflect on Stephen’s life, death and the positive change he because they wouldn’t employ black and Asian people. And
has inspired. now they’ve elected a mixed-race guy to be Mayor. That says
something about the journey Bristol has been on.”
Throughout his career, the UK’s first directly elected
Mayor of African or African Caribbean heritage has worked
in diverse areas. Beginning at a UK international Christian
aid agency and other voluntary sector roles, he developed
his skills in Washington, DC, helping to organise the
response of faith-based organisations to President Bill
Clinton’s Welfare Reform Bill.
His career then encompassed public health while working
as a manager for the NHS focused on delivering race equality
in mental healthcare for Bristol, South Gloucestershire and
North Somerset. Marvin also worked in radio broadcasting,
becoming a broadcast journalist for BBC Radio Bristol.
His determination to improve opportunities for young
people from disadvantaged backgrounds led him to found
the City Leadership Programme in 2012. It invests in the
personal development and training for future leaders, and
he continues as its director.
Marvin was elected Mayor of Bristol in May 2016 and since
then he has worked on fulfilling his pledge to make Bristol a
fairer city for all.
His priorities are to tackle Bristol’s housing crisis by
building more homes and protecting private housing,
improve transport and people flow across the city, ensure
early intervention in health and well-being and progress
social mobility through access to education and skills.

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