My story
When I was at school, a career aptitude test revealed that except for a couple of kids, my classmates’ best life chances were to be achieved by aiming for clerical administrative careers. Being educated at an London inner city school – as the daughter of first generation immigrant parents studying alongside many children from different Asian backgrounds – a job involving a desk top computer was the height of ambition. But my working life went on to span market trading, cleaning, and selling double glazing under the pseudonym ‘Gail’. I also briefly worked as an accounts assistant for BBC news anchors and almost auditioned as a weather reporter. My route to marine and fisheries social sciences was far from linear.
One day, a poster of a scuba diver stopped me in my tracks on the way to the science block, and after that my career path as a marine and fisheries scientist started to take shape. After an initial pull towards studying the impacts of oil and gas extraction on marine animals, at the University of New South Wales, Australia, I became fascinated by human–ocean interdependence. As well as following this as an area of research, I had fun with it too – enjoying fishing, scuba diving, paddleboarding, and kayaking.
I started to realise that those who engaged with research in the government and environmental ngos were mainly educated at selective schools and were affluent, with a very different background to my own. Perhaps for this reason, I encountered challenges to finding opportunities in the sector – in recruitment processes, academia, and as a practitioner. I watched from the sidelines with the odds stacked against me as a working-class woman of colour trying to carve a path for myself. The words of an influential fisheries scientist struck a chord “you are a woman of your own destiny. If YOU don’t seize opportunities, someone else will”. As I progress in my career and reflect on my those words, I have come to realise that discriminatory behaviour was preventing me from progressing in already seized opportunities.
Because of my love of oceans, I have been committed to working in this field for many years. As well as gaining my PhD at the University of East Anglia, I have worked at a world leading marine and fisheries laboratory, central government and at government agencies, and consultancy as a marine and fisheries policy and evidence expert.
My hope is that BLOC provides space for people of all backgrounds to work together for the sake of our oceans.
Founder
Gurpreet Padda
Research interests
Gurpreet’s previous research has included areas such as South Indian women in the fisheries industry and the impact of oil based drilling muds on sea urchins. Gurpreet’s PhD was on environmental justice in North West Norfolk cockle fisheries.
Her research interests span Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity, and Justice and Access (DEIJA) approach to fisheries and marine opportunities. Other interests expand gender, decolonisation of ocean sciences, small scale fisheries and inclusive marine sustainable development.
Who we are
Gurpreet
Hi I’m Gurpreet - a Sikh Punjabi woman.
My early years were spent in Wolverhampton and Southall, West London. Now living in Norwich, I am Norwich City Council Cabinet Member for Equalities and Social Justice, the first ethnically minoritised person to be appointed to cabinet. I am board member on The Broads Authority National Park, the first woman of colour.
I completed my PhD in Environmental Sciences at UEA. During the day I lead evidence on marine development and fisheries management at the Marine Management Organisation, a regulatory body of Defra.
As founder of Black Ocean Citizens I aim to tackle systemic racism and marginalisation of minoritised communities in marine sciences and management.
Lynda
Hi I’m Lynda
I have extensive experience as a Community & Social Media Campaign Manager. I run multiple front-facing forums across UK and various international countries for Global Health Company, including supporting countries in the Global South such as India and Brazil.
My commitment to activism includes organising and running campaigns for grassroots social enterprises to drive positive behaviour change. Fighting against inequality and supporting those in need drives my campaigning. As such, I've been involved in campaigns to support refugees, teenage girls in care, women seeking refuge from domestic violence as well as running food bank collections in East Anglia.
Ariadne
Hi I’m Ariadne
I am a creative individual with a first class honours BA photography degree. I have experimented with a range of media formats and worked with various platforms. From advertisement and curating artists’ work to videography and social media clips. My hobbies are travel photography and art.
As an ally of Black Ocean Citizens, I stand up for community-led activism and movements concerning equality, diversity and inclusion and injustice.