Community Regeneration, Sport and Healthy Living
Appointed: April, 2010
Melba Pálházy is committed to community regeneration and has over 12 years of extensive experience in social and economic regeneration, youth participation and community development initiatives, working with diverse communities in deprived areas.
Melba believes in championing social inclusion, equality of opportunity and grass-roots leadership, seeing a clear link between community participation and health & wellbeing.
Melba currently works as a Foyer Programmes Manager at East Potential, part of the East Thames Group, managing the education & training service for homeless & vulnerable young people in London and Essex. She led the consultation with young people on the London 2012 Athletes’ Village Plans.
She has previously managed a borough-wide sports development programme in Newham for Community Links; giving young people the opportunity to get involved and excel in far more than just sports, also other fields from research to grant-making and becoming leaders in their own community. A highlight of this programme was the launch of the (first) “Sport Relief Mile” in 2004 with Tony Blair and Lord Sebastian Coe.
Working across the London 2012 Host Boroughs in the past six years Melba feels passionately not only about the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also about a lasting legacy for local communities.
Melba is a keen sportswoman and also a black belt in Shotokan Karate.
Melba has a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia and a Master’s Degree in Social Anthropology of Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London
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