Chairperson

Lin Fat came to the UK from Hong Kong in the 1960s to join his family.

He is an active contributor to the London-based community newsletter Friends of Chinese Workers (FCW) in the 1970s.   The FCW founded the first Cantonese speaking advice service supporting Chinese migrants to settle in the UK. 

Lin Fat ran a fish and chip shop in the 1980s in Essex, during which he experienced a lot of the systemic, racial harassment that he ended up raising awareness for and fight against. As Chairperson of the Hackney Chinese Community Services, and now the East and Southeast Asian Community Centre (2018 - 2021, 2026 - ongoing), Lin Fat has been at the forefront in leading the HCCS/ESEACC to become the first community centre for East & Southeast Asian diaspora.

Vice Chair
Born and raised in Hong Kong to an English father—a British Army serviceman posted to Hong Kong who married my Hong Kong mother and settled there—I'm bilingual and bicultural in English and Cantonese. After 5 years of teaching English at the University of Hong Kong, I retrained as a solicitor and later became a Notary Public for England and Wales. My Hong Kong roots and mixed heritage drive my passion for serving Chinese-speaking clients in both practices.

I am committed to supporting the ESEA community through legal expertise, charity governance, and regulatory compliance.

Secretary

Richard was a London-based teacher who helped campaign in the 80’s for the needs of the Chinese community. He was founding chair of the GLC-funded Chinese Information & Advice Centre. In the 90’s he was a Lambeth Education Department adviser, before returning to his birth city Hong Kong, where he became principal of two IB schools.

Now retired in London, he volunteers in Hackney and Kingston, delivering workshops on spoken English and Life in the UK test to ESEA migrants.

Treasurer

Shuang is a trustee and treasurer, historian, and recovering academic with a research interest in migration history and the lived histories of migrant mothers.

As a Canadian Chinese living in London, ESEACC is especially close to her heart as a space of community, connection, identity and belonging. When she’s not buried in the past, she’s usually off hiking, camping, chasing a bit of adrenaline, and plotting how to turn her two-cat household into an alpaca-friendly one.

Kris is a trustee of the Hackney Chinese Community Service and a London-based trainee solicitor. Originally from Hong Kong, he speaks English and Cantonese and is passionate about supporting and empowering the ESEA community. With a legal background, he brings careful governance, strategic thinking, and a strong commitment to service to his role as trustee.

I came to London forty years ago for further education. Then I got married and engaged in catering business with my husband. After that, I was a bus driver for 14 years until I retired. As a pensioner, I  joined the Hackney Community Centre to play table tennis on Tuesday and Thursday.

I met Jabez and was inspired by his enthusiasm to serve the vulnerable people who have financials and English language difficulties “ To serve , not to be served “ is what I learned from him. That is the purpose for me to join the Trustees of the Community Centre to see what I can contribute to achieve the goal.

I have lived in the UK for over 40 years, and have always been involved in the catering industry, gaining extensive experience and connections. 

Although I have been retired for several years, I have continued to participate in the activities and operations of our center. My greatest hope for the ESEACC is to serve the elderly and disadvantaged, recruit young members, and let them be immersed in our culture, so that our services can be spread and expanded, and shine more harmoniously for the diversity of our society.

Xiao Da is a volunteer and co-optee at ESEACC, contributing weekly IT support and helping community members with technical issues. He also serves as a caretaker for venue hire and supports events, ensuring smooth operations and well-organized activities.

Angie is Australian-Chinese (with Shanghainese roots), a mother, an engineer, a manager and an occasional artist, mahjong teacher (@fourwindsmahjong) and supper club chef (@stirfryontheside). She brings experience from across corporate and tech as she currently works as an Engineering Manager for Finance & Compliance at an international social-impact oriented for-profit tech company (Wave Mobile Money). ESEACC is like a second home for her - having provided a connection to her heritage through food and volunteering.