Salma Yaqoob is a community engagement manager at the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust.
She is a psychotherapist with a degree in Human and Applied Psychology and a postgraduate diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling.
She was awarded an honorary doctorate this year by Birmingham City University in recognition of her contribution to public life.
Salma has been a community activist for several years and has been elected twice as a Birmingham city councillor with large majorities.
She has campaigned on local issues, such as keeping libraries and swimming baths open, as well as national issues such as an alternative economic policy to austerity, and internationally has called consistently for peace, playing an active part in the anti-war movement.
Salma has spoken at public events and rallies around the world and made a number of appearances on television programmes like BBC Question Time, Newsnight, and Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live.