Our Community Advisory Board guides the Black Health Legacy project, bringing together diverse voices with lived experience and expertise to shape meaningful, community-driven impact.
Chaired by Ruth Ajayi, our Community Advisory Board (CAB) is a collective of individuals committed to guiding the Black Health Legacy project.
Meetings take place four times a year and bring together people with lived experience and expertise from various sectors of health and community life. Our CAB aims to reflect the diversity within these communities, establishing a foundation for future growth and representation.
“If we do not act now, the future of medicine risks being built without Black voices, Black data and Black needs.”
Ruth Ajayi, Community Advisory Board Chair
Ruth is committed to improving equity and inclusion in healthcare, drawing on over a decade of experience across programme management, advocacy and governance. She previously worked at NHS England and now brings her lived experience to national roles with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and as a co-application on NIHR-funded research, where she leads on patient and public involvement. Ruth also supports senior clinical recruitment by chairing Advisory Appointment Committees at Barts Health NHS Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals, and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
Ruth bridges communities and the health system with authenticity, insight and empathy. She has worked closely with community leaders across all walks of life – including women, men, LGBTQ+ individuals and faith groups- bringing rich perspective and deep-rooted connections to the board’s work.
Through board meetings, feedback sessions, document reviews and community events, Ruth will ensure the work of Black Health Legacy remains grounded in the realities of the people it represents.
Our CAB understands that representation is not a checkbox – it’s a legacy. It is our commitment to reshape how health research honours the stories, needs, and contributions of Black communities.
