Raj Chhetri has lived and worked in Surrey for over 53 years. Raj arrived to commence his first position at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey in January 1969 and was the first Nepalese male registered general nurse in the UK. He advocated for Mental Health and Dementia Awareness. For the second three-year term he is re-elected into the Council of Governors at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and his remit is for North West and South West Surrey. Raj is a familiar face around Surrey: in his quiet, humble way he works tirelessly to bring people together, champions cohesion in community, and equity in diversity. He also promotes and supports interfaith dialogues. Raj is one of the founder members of SMEF being involved with the project since its inception; he believes that encouraging integration should be a key role for SMEF.  

Raj’s vision for SMEF is to be a beacon of hope and action for minority ethnic people in Surrey. His Mantra — 3 Es = Engagement, Education and Empowerment enhances INTEGRATION.