Projects

The Cohesion and Integration Network was founded by Shalni Arora and Ted Cantle to promote stronger, more integrated communities. Supported by Manchester City Council, it offers research, consultancy, training, and networking to foster social cohesion across sectors.

Shalni Arora is Vice-Chair of the British Asian Trust and leads its Finance and Risk Committee. The Trust, driven by the South Asian diaspora, focuses on innovative solutions to challenges in education, livelihoods, mental health, anti-trafficking, and conservation.

Savannah Wisdom was the first philanthropic funder of the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum, pledging support in 2017. A partnership with the British Museum, it is the UK’s first permanent gallery celebrating the South Asian diaspora, co-curated with community leaders and artists.

Shalni Arora is a Non-Executive Director at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and formerly a Trustee of its charity. Through the Savannah Wisdom Foundation, she supports efforts to reduce child health inequalities and chairs the hospital’s innovation committee.

Shalni Arora was a Trustee of Transparency International UK for eight years, during which she founded the Global Health Programme to address corruption in healthcare. Through Savannah Wisdom, she supported its growth, helping deliver research on primary care, procurement, and R&D to build more transparent and inclusive global health systems.

Since 2018, Savannah Wisdom has partnered with Skills Builder Partnership to deliver essential skills programmes across the Northwest. Together, they’ve supported over 3,000 students and their teachers, championed parental engagement in education, and empowered girls of Asian heritage in Manchester to explore diverse careers and learning pathways.

Savannah Wisdom played a key role in shaping policy by supporting the drafting of the Modern Slavery Bill and an amendment to the Domestic Violence Bill. The foundation also backed research on ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ to advocate for better support for vulnerable victims of domestic abuse.

Savannah Wisdom supports Feed My City, an emergency food charity delivering hot meals and dry food parcels across Greater Manchester. Its funding helps cover driver costs for the mobile food van, which operates five days a week in Manchester, Salford, Trafford, and Oldham, reaching those most in need.

Through Savannah Wisdom, we set up a £500k cultural hardship fund for freelance artists in Manchester in partnership with Manchester City Council. Our beneficiaries were people who did not qualify for any of the government handouts during the pandemic and some of the letters of thanks have been truly humbling.

Savannah Wisdom supports Elephant Family, a charity working to protect Asia’s wildlife by promoting harmonious co-existence between people and animals. With over 150 projects since 2003, Elephant Family has restored migratory routes, tackled illegal trade, and helped reconnect habitats across Asia’s most densely populated regions.