Shinu Clare Mathews Chamakala, a Malayali expatriate in the UK, has recently gained attention in Kerala for her thrilling skydive from 15,000 feet to raise funds for the victims of the Wayanad landslide. However, Shinu’s story goes beyond this feat. She has become a prominent figure among the expatriate community, particularly for Malayalis in the UK, due to her dedication to charitable causes and her entrepreneurial success in the care sector.
Originally from the small village of Ilappani, Ayarkunnam in Kerala’s Kottayam district, Shinu moved to the UK in 2002. After completing her nursing studies at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, she began her career in a Manchester care home. Through determination and hard work, Shinu quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a registered nurse within a year and later a care home manager, which ultimately inspired her to establish her own care facility.
In 2018, she launched her first care home, Clare Mount, named in honor of her mother, Claramma, with the support of her sisters, Dr. Shiny Sanu and nurse Shine Siju, as well as a bank loan. Over the next two years, Shinu expanded her business to two more care homes, Angel Mount and Zion Mount, which primarily employ Malayalis and specialize in dementia care. Her philanthropic efforts include multiple charity skydives and a Three-Peak Challenge in 2021 to support education initiatives. Her latest dive in 2023 raised funds for children orphaned by the Wayanad landslide tragedy.
Shinu’s charitable contributions extend to Kerala, where she and her sisters transformed their family home into a trust named ‘Santhwanam,’ initially aiding patients in need of dialysis kits. The trust is currently constructing houses for the underprivileged and plans to become a care home in memory of her late sister. Shinu’s entrepreneurial vision also includes the ‘Tiffin Box’ restaurant chain, which brings authentic Kerala cuisine to Malayali expatriates across the UK and Middle East, managed by her elder son, Sharon.
