We have assembled a small team of dedicated individuals and experienced education specialists.
Our trustees are fundamental in shaping and defining our focus.
We have assembled a small team of dedicated individuals and experienced education specialists.
Our operational team also incorporates a youth council, which plays a critical role in all of our activities. It is the cornerstone to all the work carried out by the Foundation and serves to guide our strategic development and services as the moral compass to the authenticity of our operations.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does”
Our trustees are fundamental in shaping and defining our focus.
They are committed to seeing out the Foundation’s vision of developing a social and emotional learning centre of excellence in order to expand knowledge, inform policy and help future generations achieve.
Stuart brings a wealth of knowledge to the team having been involved in Lifelong learning since 1995 through the Trade Union movement and the Construction industry. In 2006 through the TUC (Trade Union Congress), Stuart founded the GreenSkills Partnership (GSP) to help tackle Environmental issues with the support of the Trade Unions and Community Organisations.
Since then, through Stuarts drive and enthusiasm the GSP has evolved to help tackle skills shortages and unemployment, working with a wide variety of organisations, the organisation has now grown to over 50+ members who between them have helped the most hardest to reach individuals, giving them the attributes to succeed in life whether its through training, employment or helping to effect behavioural change.
Deborah is the founder of the Passion Project initiative and the Chairman of the Passion Project Foundation and has 20 plus years’ experience in the financial services industry and Corporate marketplace.
Deborah is passionate about making a difference, both in the business community and society in general. She is firm believer in the power of personal development and is the driving force behind the strategic development of the Passion Project, distilling the methodology and social impact objectives over a number of years.
Her vision is one of large-scale cross-sector collaboration designed to support positive human development, amplified by the smart use of media and technology, to help unlock human potential and generate significant socio-economic impact.
Nicholas is a former advisor to the then Mayor of London – Boris Johnson, on economics and the European Union. He co-authored the influential ‘Europe Report: A Win-Win Situation’ which helped encourage the government to commit to the EU Referendum.
He has extensive experience working in The City as an economist where his professional remit covered analysis of sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure investment, and emerging market investment. He sits on the Independent Economist Group, the British Chamber of Commerce Economic & Trade Advisory Group and advises the Education and Employers Task Force on international issues linked to youth unemployment.
He has a broad academic base in geo-political, business and economic analysis. Including qualifications in economics, history, and politics of the European Union.
Dr Heath Grant is an expert in social emotional learning, the correlation between law and society, and juvenile violence prevention and has published a number of books, training manuals and articles on these subjects.
Throughout the last two decades, he has helped to develop and evaluate school-based programmes to promote youth resiliency, making SFK (Success for Kids) one of the most sought after programme partnership opportunities throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. He has received numerous awards and honours, including: the highly recognised Bradley Post-doctoral Fellowship at Georgetown University, the Arthur Niederhoffer Fellowship, and the Prestigious Arts ’50 Scholarship.
John has a vast amount of experience in training, developing and leading individuals globally in the security industry. His extensive knowledge provides intuitive solutions to dynamic and often diverse problems. He is a listener and motivator with a passion for balanced and creative planning with observable outcomes.
In addition to his work in the security industry, John has also developed and lead emotional intelligence training courses both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Irina’s was born and raised in Leningrad USSR (St Petersburg). She graduated from Lesgaft National State
University, earning her degree in teaching.
She began her teaching career in St Petersburg Electro Technical University where she began her journey as an interpreter. Irina moved to the United States in 1991 where she worked as a physical therapist, personal trainer and skilled linguist, taught Russian at the Berlitz Language Schools. In additional to being the mother of two she maintains numerous roles in education, philanthropy and fund raising. She is a Trustee of the Bergen Family Trust in New York, an organisation that has developed into the oldest continuously operating family service agency in the United States.
Wendy is a life coach and former Paralympian. After she was involved in a serious motorbike accident at the age of 17, Wendy developed new ambitions during years spent in rehabilitation.
After competing for Team GB as a Paralympian, Wendy turned her focus to using her unique experiences to develop methods for coaching based on her own core values.
As a trainer and mentor, Wendy works with young people to help them identify and pursue opportunities they care about using techniques focussed around human potential and personal development.
Lars joined the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, University of London in 1995 as a full-time academic lawyer. before becoming a lawyer, Lars worked in the computer industry.
While at the CCLS Lars specialised in Information Technology Law, Internet Law, and Telecommunications Law, where he concentrated on issues that included electronic financial services, security, authentication, and regulatory compliance. One of his first areas of research was into digital and electronic cash (he co-authored the report ‘Digital Cash – the legal implications’ with Professor Chris Reed). A frequent and well-known speaker on these topics, Lars is widely published, including contributions to the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents
Yvette is a British film Producer in the independent film market. Her film credits include human-interest films that highlight social issues that effect the vulnerable and disadvantaged globally.
Yvette has also worked as a volunteer fundraising and a development adviser creating new international relations for leading charities in the UK, such as NSPCC One Voice For Freedom, a charity working to abolish Slavery and Syria Relief, a fundraising campaign in support of Syrian Refugee’s. Her career in media and film extends over 20 years and now sees her running her own production company “Golden Apple Films”. She is also a trustee for the Ciro’s Orsini & Armand Assante Children’s Charity and sits on the Advisory board of Free Genealogy UK.
Trevor has over 16 years’ experience in government, security and risk leadership. He currently heads Risk, Compliance and Security at a global AI supercomputing firm, where he oversees organisational assurance, cyber risk and major-programme readiness.
His earlier career includes serving as the UK Government’s Risk & Assurance Executive for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he represented the Games in the UK Cabinet Office’s Strategic Risk Assessment Committee. He later joined the Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Interior’s Security Directorate as a senior Government Security Advisor, supporting the readiness and assurance programme for the FIFA World Cup.
A Law Graduate with a Master’s in Leadership and Management, Trevor brings deep expertise in major-event security, cyber risk, and the governance of complex government programmes.
Pembe has worked alongside the government’s Peer Outreach Team and has spoken at City Hall, Parliament, TVP and The MET addressing issues about adverse childhood experiences. She runs a charity called Generation Uncovered which started up in 2012. They offer free studio and rehearsal space and a place for young people to showcase their talents – offering courses in event management and city and guilds qualifications.
Passionate about making change, Pembe decided to use her experience and skills to run the youth music charity and has recently launched an all-female production company, Petok Productions which recognises women working backstage in the creative industries, giving them a platform on which to share their talent with the world. The company specialises in sound and lighting engineers/designers, producers, hosts, videographers, photographers, graphic designers, web developers, tour managers, stage managers, booking agents, A&R’s and DJ’s.
She has raised over £30,000 in the last four years through events and GoFundMe pages in order to help fund the funeral costs of young people that have lost their lives through youth violence.
Frank brings to the Foundation his practice in and passion for community arts and lifelong learning as pathways to positive social change. He has been producing live events for over 25 years, including programming over 500 shows at the Hackney Empire Theatre, producing the Rio-London Carnival Exchange for Create London at the London 2012 Festival, producing the Great British Carnival at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2014 and currently Co-Director of Margate Carnival.
He is a Youth Worker and Trustee of Hackney’s The Crib youth charity, where he runs Desire Paths, a programme that supports artists and directors to realise their creative vision and opens pathways for young, emerging practitioners to work in the Creative & Cultural Industries. He’s Trustee of community theatre company, Black Heroes Foundation, Director of Outdoor Arts producer, GB Carnival (Waltham Forest Borough of Culture and Margate Carnival) and he produces the annual New Acts of The Year comedy showcase at the Hackney Empire for New Variety Lives. He is a Sector Expert and Peer Mentor for CLOCK Your Skills, the revolutionary non-formal alternative pathway to high-level work based qualifications.