Meet the Community is our new series celebrating the people who make Citz what it is.
From 9–13 November, we’re celebrating some of our trustees at Citz, who give their time, skills and experience to help us thrive.
Meet Ajeet Jugnauth, one of our trustees!
With over 20 years of experience across the public, private and charity sectors, Ajeet has spent much of his career bringing people together through creativity and storytelling, working with organisations including the British Council, Etsy and Sofar Sounds.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your professional background?
I’m Ajeet Jugnauth, and my career has spanned around 20 years across the public, private and charity sectors. For the last 15 years, I’ve worked predominantly in the creative industries, helping creative communities grow and building programmes that support people to develop their ideas and reach new audiences. That’s included roles at the British Council, Etsy and Sofar Sounds, with experience across music, design and film. More recently, I’ve made a career change into interior design, appearing on BBC One’s Interior Design Masters and launching my own studio, byAjeetJugnauth. Connecting people, creativity and storytelling has been a thread throughout my working life.
What drew you to Citz, and why did you want to get involved as a trustee?
Citz brought together two things that have long mattered to me: creativity and social impact. I was interested in bringing my experience into theatre and supporting an organisation that creates opportunities for people affected by homelessness to express themselves and share their stories. It also felt like a pivotal moment for Citz, when my experience of helping organisations grow and extend their reach could be useful. Alongside what I could contribute, I saw an opportunity to learn, to broaden my own thinking about leadership, the role of the arts and how organisations create meaningful change.
What does being a trustee involve, and how do you help shape and support the work of Citz?
A phrase I find useful is that trustees should be “the eyes, not the hands” of an organisation. For me, that means keeping sight of the bigger picture, supporting its long-term direction and asking constructive questions, while giving the leadership team space to lead the day-to-day work. We bring different experiences and perspectives to help test ideas and strengthen decisions. A large part of my contribution is being a sounding board for the leadership team, particularly around growth, partnerships and reaching new audiences. Where additional expertise would help, I also look to my network to connect Citz with people who can contribute.
Is there a particular moment from your time as a trustee that has stayed with you?
The More Than One Story anthology event last year really stayed with me. Seeing the writing brought to life through performance demonstrated the breadth and depth of Citz’s work in such a powerful way. The stories revealed very different lives and circumstances, but also how profoundly someone’s future can be affected when choices are restricted or taken away. Bringing those experiences together challenged the idea that there is one story about homelessness. It was also a moment when our creative work and the ambition of our new strategy came together: you could see and feel what we were working towards.
What have you valued most about being part of the Citz community?
I’ve really valued the openness to change and the willingness to explore what else might be possible, even in challenging times. There’s a readiness to think about how we can adapt while keeping the people and purpose behind the work at its heart. Seeing Citz explore film, publishing and different forms of live performance has been particularly exciting for me. Each offers another way for people to share their experiences and for new audiences to encounter the work. That combination of creative curiosity and adaptability gives me real hope for the organisation’s future.
