Rizwan was born in Kampala, Uganda, and came to the United Kingdom as a refugee at the age of four, alongside his family. He spent his formative years in Inverness, Scotland, before settling in the vibrant city of Peterborough in 1984 – a place he has proudly called home ever since.
With a career rooted in the public sector, Rizwan has dedicated much of his professional life to Learning & Development. Alongside his formal roles, he has consistently championed equality, diversity, and human rights, serving in advisory capacities on a voluntary basis.
Rizwan currently holds several voluntary leadership roles, including Chair of UNISON’s Self-Organised Black Members Group (Police & Justice Branch), and Executive Member of the Peterborough Inter-Faith Council, the Muslim Council of Peterborough and the Joint Mosques Council. He has also served as a visiting Diversity Professional at the European College of Policing.
His commitment to community empowerment extends to his work with the Dahlia Project (Peterborough Women’s Aid), where he delivers training and supports organisations assisting South Asian women affected by abuse. He also sits on the Steering Groups of Hadithi CIC (Hidden Heritages, Cambridge) and Aspire CGL, which supports individuals facing substance misuse challenges.
Rizwan is a firm believer in the power of dialogue, empathy, and shared understanding. He advocates that through meaningful communication and deeper knowledge of one another, we can foster greater harmony, trust, and cohesion across our diverse communities.
His contributions have been recognised with two Chief Constable’s Awards, Police Authority commendation, the Cambridgeshire Constabulary ‘Putting People First’ Award, and the National Association of Muslim Police/Superintendent Association’s Equality and Diversity Award. As President of the Husaini Islamic Centre, he played a pivotal role in the Centre receiving the Mayor’s Civic Award for outstanding community engagement.
A lifelong learner, Rizwan is passionate about personal and professional growth. He is a qualified Adult Teacher, Trainer, Neuro-Linguistic Programmer, Executive Coach, Hypnotherapist, and Holistic Therapist.