Dharmendra Kanani is England director for the Big Lottery Fund, a position he moved into in 2010 after a spell as the Fund’s director for Scotland.

Before joining BIG Dharmendra was head of the Commission for Racial Equality Scotland and later the director of Countries, Regions and Communities GB-wide during which he restructured its regional matrix; introduced Country Committees; developed the Commission's approach and policy to faith; youth, gypsy traveller, asylum and immigration issues; concieved and delivered Getting Results - outcome funding for racial equality bodies and established the Safe Communnities initiative.

Until 1999 he was a director of racial equality bodies in Scotland and London.

He has chaired a number of voluntary community organisations in Scotland and London, and set up various community organisations dealing with employment training, youth mentoring, community advocacy and social housing.

Dharmendra has been an adviser to several statutory and voluntary organisations, the Scottish Executive and Whitehall ministerial groups. He is the chair of the Scotland Funders’ Forum, and a board member of several arts bodies in Scotland.