Manesh Patel – Trustee

This story is part of a series on Meet our People

I grew up in Highfields, Leicester, one of the most deprived areas in the country and experienced firsthand the struggles of poverty.

The only way out for me was education, which I pursued relentlessly. I was fortunate to receive a government grant that allowed me to continue my studies, and I supplemented this by working at Leicester City Council during summer vacations, where I took some of the most disadvantaged young people on supervised trips and held several fun-filled events. That experience showed me both the challenges people face and the life-changing impact of support and opportunity.

Over the course of my career, I was privileged to work with a number of inspiring individuals as well as organisations such as Virgin and HSBC (to name a few), and I enjoyed a very successful career in banking and the corporate world. Even then, I was always drawn to giving back, whether through diversity and inclusion initiatives, mentoring graduates and interns, or creating work experience opportunities. 

Now that I’ve retired, I see it as my responsibility and my greatest source of joy to use the skills, knowledge, and networks I’ve built to help others. I never wanted to view myself as a victim of circumstance; instead, I’ve always believed in making things happen and not taking no for an answer. Having lived through hardship and seen how opportunity can transform lives, I feel compelled to provide that same leg up to others who might not yet see a way forward. 

That’s why I joined the Trustees of the Access Foundation. For me, there is no greater reward than giving my time and experience to support those who need it the most and to help open doors that were once closed to me.