Howard Simmons, Chair

Howard has lived in Hounslow for over 25 years and worked in and for the Borough for more than 18 of those so has a working knowledge
of its diverse communities.

Howard has had varying roles in the public, private and community sectors ranging from welfare rights and legal advice as a grass roots community worker; as a Corporate Director in Local Government leading on regeneration projects, cultural services, and seeking to tackle inequalities and deprivation.

At a national level Howard has served as a senior manager at the Audit Commission, as an Assistant Commissioner for the Boundary Commission for England reviewing parliamentary constituencies and as a Commissioner for Civil Aviation concerned with addressing both economic and environmental impacts of airport expansion.

Howard has considerable experience of the charitable and community sector at a local, regional and national level. He has contributed to a review of the national Charity Commission as well as undertaking reviews of individual charities and has himself served as a Trustee/Board member and Chair – most recently of the Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust,.

He believes strongly in the vital role of the community and voluntary sector and in the mission of Inspire Hounslow to contribute to building community capacity and resilience.

Mandeep Kaur

Mandeep has lived in Hounslow since birth and has volunteered with organisations such as Home-Start Hounslow, Hounslow Youth Justice Service, Creative People & Places Hounslow and is a part of local projects like the Lampton Park Community Garden. She cares about community and joined the IH board to help ensure it can serve our young people.

She has worked in the Charity sector for the past 7 years, managing the finances for several small and medium sized charities across the Education, Violence Against Women & Girls, Grassroots Activism and Arts & Culture sectors.

Sylvia Cordell

Sylvia has many years’ experience in new business and community development. Having worked with several startups in the private sector, she moved across to the charity sector in Hounslow/Ealing expanding the reach of a local horticultural charity, creating new community gardens and working with many Hounslow community groups delivering horticultural based workshops and event days designed to improve mental wellbeing, community cohesion and encourage healthy seasonal eating. In an earlier career Sylvia worked as a marketing manager for a large multi-national company.

Living in the nearby borough of Ealing. Sylvia a keen (if not too quick!) runner and volunteer at run events. When not doing this you will probably find her gardening, dabbling with yoga or enjoying some of our annual festivals.

Dr Bobby Basra

Bobby has a breadth of commercial business experience grained from working across a range of sectors private and public, profit and not for profit, building strategic partnerships, working across organisational boundaries, developing customer strategies, running corporate social responsibility activities, implementing quality programmes, and project management.

Neelam Sharma

Neelam lives and works in Hounslow and is passionate about helping local people live better lives. As a Trustee of Inspire Hounslow, she is particularly focused on supporting young people to reach their career ambitions. With over 30 years’ experience in learning and leadership development, working with major UK FTSE 100 organisations, she brings both professional expertise and a genuine commitment to her local community.

Ed Locke, President

Ed has served as a Trustee of IH from 2000 and in 2023 took on the role as President, rejoining the Board in May 2026.  Ed has spent most of his working life in the recreation department of a neighbouring local authority, finally managing a wide portfolio of leisure facilities. He is currently working as a landscape gardener. He is a member of The Institute of Horticulture, and secretary of The Temple Trust. He is particularly interested in how horticultural training and the management of parks and open spaces may contribute to building strong and inclusive communities. He has lived in the borough for almost fifty years and is a governor of Lampton School. He is married with a grown-up daughter.