Our people

Leigh joined the NYA in 2017, having worked with young people for over twenty years. During that time, he’s been both a detached and open access youth worker, as well as working in schools and community settings. 

Leigh is a youth sector commissioning specialist and led the way in developing new models of delivery for youth work in local communities in Surrey. This included exploring social investment models and public sector mutual opportunities.

Leigh is both JNC qualified, holds a PGCE and has nearly finished his Masters in Public Administration. Leigh started working with young people when he was 15 and has a huge passion for experiential learning and development of young people – he particularly champions authentic youth voice and participation and quality assurance of youth work practice.

In 2024 Leigh was awarded an OBE for Services to young people.

As Chief Finance Officer Susan is responsible for overseeing the financial health and integrity of NYA. She also leads a team covering governance, digital & cyber security and growth (inc. income generation).

Susan is a CIMA qualified accountant with significant experience including senior roles with London Sport, Save the Children and Restless Development. She is passionate about empowering others and ensuring that her work adds tangible value to NYA to make a positive difference in young people’s lives.

Away from the office you are likely to find Susan either playing, watching or reading about sport!

As Chief Operating Officer, Esther oversees the day to day running of NYA ensuring that every aspect of our work furthers our mission to support and empower young people. Esther supports a number of our teams, including Programmes and Operations, Policy, Insight and Public Affairs, Youth Voice and HR.

Esther has twenty years of operations experience, both in the commercial and charitable sectors leading large, geographically diverse teams. Following an early career as a criminal defence solicitor, Esther continues to play a part in the justice sector as a Magistrate in her local area. Esther has also held a number of Trustee and Non-Executive Director roles.

Away from work, Esther pursues her interest in the heroic age of polar exploration through reading, seminars and travel.

As Director of Youth Work, Abbee McLatchie leads on the development of professional standards; training and development; the National Youth Work Curriculum; as well as quality and safeguarding frameworks.

Abbee has worked with young people through youth work since the 1990s in a range of environments from social care, to housing and homelessness services. She is particularly passionate about creating more access to identity and issue-based youth work that allows young people to use lived experiences to create social change for themselves and others.  

Harriet works to raise the profile of youth work and its vital impact on young people’s lives, leading the team across policy, influencing, communications and marketing activity. 

She has worked in integrated communications and public affairs in the charity sector for most of her career and is passionate about improving the life chances for disadvantaged young people. Drawing on her own experience as a secondary school teacher, she believes in the untapped potential of youth work to support positive outcomes for young people working alongside allied professionals.

Barry is a member of the leadership directorate and manages a talented team of professionals to deliver NYA’s national programmes and training. Barry oversees operational efficiency and performance, implementing infrastructure capabilities that enable staff to make the greatest impact possible for the youth sector, and ultimately young people.  

The driving force behind Barry’s career for over twenty years has been breaking the cycle of inequality faced by many young people. Since working at NYA Barry has been able to channel this passion by mobilising several of our prominent programmes including the Youth Investment Fund, the Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub and Routes to Community Success. Barry believes that talented people with aligned values can achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Bex heads up our Digital Youth Work team overseeing the development of Digital Youth Work standards, guidance and training to support the sector navigate through the evolving world of digital technologies.

 Bex is a qualified youth worker, and is creative and passionate about the pathways and opportunities digital youth work presents. Bex is particularly interested in focusing on accessibility as a starting point and ensuring programmes and projects work for all, putting young people and their needs front and centre of youth work.

Esther joined the NYA in 2022 as Deputy Director of Youth Work with responsibility for quality and standards. She is passionate, proactive and driven to support the sector by ensuring it has access to relevant, achievable and funded opportunities that promote the quality of good practice across the country.

A youth worker at her core, she remains driven by wanting a fairer, more equitable and progressive society for young people.

Kevin is JNC Qualified and has been a practicing Youth and Community worker for over 25 years.

He has been a leader in both the statutory and voluntary sectors, and has a passion for street work and infrastructure projects. He’s based in Manchester.

Lisa provides administrative support to Leigh Middleton, NYA CEO, and the wider senior leadership team.

Lisa has extensive experience at NYA, having served in a number of different roles all focused on procuring opportunities and high quality support for young people. When not juggling calendars, Lisa loves nothing more than hiking with her dog, swimming in the sea or taking on a challenge.

Jay supports and manages young people to identify gaps that could potentially be filled with digital youth work as well as advocating for the importance of digital youth work and it’s positive impact on young people both internally within the organization and externally in the wider community.

Jay has been working in the digital youthwork field for the last two years and is incredibly passionate about the opportunities that come from using digital technologies. Jay has had the chance to work with young people over discord to deliver online youth sessions, run filmmaking workshops, and also produce a podcast that provides a platform for young people to use their voice.

Craig brings nearly a decade of experience working in the youth sector, most recently managing the UK’s largest gambling harm prevention programme for young people, delivered nationally across ten regions.

Prior to this Craig led a multi-disciplinary support service in a youth custodial setting, providing trauma-informed, structured support to young people with substance misuse issues, gang-related behaviours, and family relationship difficulties.

Craig is passionate about inclusive practice, strategic transformation, and amplifying youth voice to influence programme delivery. At the NYA, he supports national programme development and works closely with local authorities and partners to strengthen youth work infrastructure and impact.

Becky has two years of experience in a youth voice and influence position, supporting charities, services and organisations to prioritise youth participation within their work. She believes that it is important to view youth voice as an essential element within every space young people engage with, extending beyond traditional environments and methods.

Becky brings her previous experience to the work being done within the Youth Council UK, helping prioritise accessibility at each stage.

Matt joined the NYA in 2020 and leads the Growth Directorate. This includes the Knowledge Team, encompassing our research, analysis and data functions; and the Business Development team, which works to make the charity sustainable and build partnerships.

He has worked in the voluntary sector for nearly twenty years, and has a strong interest in supporting voluntary sector groups to be sustainable. Matt brings this experience and passion for the voluntary sector to his role in the NYA.

I’ve been in youth work for over 15 years, ranging from education support teams, charity work and faith work. Specialising in mental health and wellbeing, I’ve helped build pastoral programmes within further education and led a small youth charity with a focus on loneliness and community. Outside of work, I’ve been involved in my church’s youth group, co-ordinating volunteers and delivering training, alongside planning organised chaos for the young people.

I’m a keen baker and love being in the outdoors, preferably by the sea.

Susann is the Academy Team Leader. She supports a team of tutors to deliver excellent youth work training. Susann is passionate about growing and developing people and ensuring that everyone can access the learning the Academy has to offer. Susann is a JNC qualified youth work manager and leader. She has worked in a range of different contexts; in local council estate youth work, international youth work, as well as Local Authority contexts.

Michael is a JNC qualified qualified Youth and Community Worker with over 10 years working in various roles across the industry locally, nationally and overseas.

He is passionate about issues that relate to young people and incorporating youth voice into his work. He has extensive experience in working across many different topics that are related to the health and wellbeing of young people such as substance misuse and poverty.

Michael’s interest is making youth work training and education attainable for all and developing the future generation of youth workers through supportive and accessible learning.

Leanne is the academy assessment and data administrator and has worked in the education and training sector for over 18 years, along with being employed within the local authority Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team in recent years.

Leanne’s background ranges from supporting and teaching vulnerable young adults with SEND and Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH), through to co-ordinating the training functions to ensure administrative processes are followed to the highest standards.

Leanne loves to be organised, has a keen eye for detail and very much thrives off a to-do list and being methodical in approach.

In her spare time Leanne enjoys the outdoors and running.

This is Alex’s second stint at the NYA – he originally spent about 10 years in a Head of Policy Role at the agency.

Prior to re-joining the NYA, Alex was a Research Manager for a not-for-profit social research agency delivering a range of research and evaluation projects across a varied subject area.  Alex has spent all his career working in the voluntary and community sector – something that he is passionate about, with much of it helping to bring about change for children and young people.

Kate joined NYA as Communications and Engagement Manager in 2022. 

As Head of Communications she is responsible for developing communications strategies to promote the work of the NYA and the value of youth work to key audiences. 

In previous roles Kate oversaw the PR around a national lottery-funded programme to support young people back into education, training or employment. She also led the communications around the campaign to raise £10 million to equip the new Evelina Children’s Hospital at St Thomas’ Hospital. Kate is passionate about enabling young people to fulfill their potential, and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Jen heads up the NYA’s Policy and Public Affairs team, working with policymakers to ensure the value and impact of youth work are reflected in national policy.

She has held policy and public affairs roles across the charity, higher education, and local government sectors, including at Barnardo’s, the University of Birmingham, and the Local Government Association.

Jen is motivated by a commitment to social justice and the role of public policy in creating more equitable opportunities for young people.

Aliya Bakheit joined the National Youth Agency (NYA) as Digital Marketing and Design Manager in April 2025.

As Digital Marketing and Design Manager, she leads creative campaigns and the promotion of NYA’s work across digital platforms including social media, email newsletters and the website and serves as guardian of the NYA brand.

With 15+ years’ experience in digital and content strategy, branding, design and social media marketing at global creative agencies and charities, Aliya has delivered integrated comms and digital campaigns across charities such as Oxfam, Refuge and SafeLives, alongside consultancy, design and client relationship roles within content and social media marketing agencies.

Sunny is NYA’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, playing a pivotal role in shaping national policy and funding decisions to ensure the youth sector remains at the heart of government priorities.

She brings extensive experience from policy and public affairs roles across the charity, public, and higher education sectors, including positions at Barnardo’s, the University of Birmingham, and UK Parliament. Sunny has successfully led high-profile campaigns on poverty, children’s wellbeing, women’s and girls’ rights, health, and education—delivering tangible policy changes and securing significant investment.

Driven by a deep commitment to creating meaningful impact for young people and disadvantaged communities, Sunny strives to turn ideas into action that goes beyond words on paper.

Adam manages the delivery of the NatWest Thrive programme, which enables youth clubs to support young people to learn essential life skills, develop a positive money mindset and explore how to set goals and identify the steps to achieve them. 

Adam is a staunch advocate for the significance of youth work and its constructive influence on shaping the future of young people. With a diverse background that includes managing summer camps in America and providing open access and detached youth services in Manchester, he has witnessed firsthand the positive influence of youth work and more importantly the remarkable capabilities of young people. His commitment to youth programmes stems from his belief in providing the necessary support, guidance, and knowledge essential for the growth and development of young people.

Alia’s role focuses on the development, delivery and quality assurance of Youth Worker and Youth Support Worker qualifications. 

Alia is a professionally qualified youth worker with over 25 years of youth work experience in the statutory, faith and community sectors and has over 10 years’ experience of delivering youth work qualifications. Alia is interested in training and education for all those who work with young people and believes that through good quality training youth work practice can be enhanced to ensure the best outcomes for young people.

Andy has been involved in youth and community work for over 30 years. Initially volunteering in youth clubs, he later became a youth worker within the voluntary and community sector in Cambridge and South East London. Andy is JNC Qualified and holds a Masters Degree in Community Education.

Outside of work, Andy enjoys live music and keeping active, hill walking, running and is involved with local grassroots football. Andy lives in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire and can be found on a Friday evening running a local youth club in a neighbouring town.

Anne supports the NatWest Thrive programme and the wider NYA team by assisting with administrative tasks. 

Anne believes strongly in the importance of young people’s voices being heard and the power of meeting young people where they are at. Anne is inspired by young people’s ideas and passion to build a better future.

Billie works in the core operations team and looks after the NYA’s financial systems and processes.

Instrumental as part of the behind the scenes central function, Billie has spent the last few years seeing first hand the impact of youth work and youth services on the lives of young people. Billie is passionate about ensuring that young people can access equal provision whenever they need it and raising service standards, alongside ensuring that NYA is properly equipped to help youth workers and organisations achieve that goal.

Carl coordinates and supports the delivery and development of the NatWest Thrive programme, working directly with youth clubs, volunteers and our corporate partner, NatWest Group.

Carl is passionate about supporting young people into opportunities that help develop their skills, confidence and raises their aspirations. He’s previously worked in a variety of settings from youth participation to youth homelessness and in formal education. He believes youth work is vital for a young person’s growth and its biggest strength is versatility, it should be in every sector.

Georgia works within the Youth Investment Fund team to ensure the best possible youth participation and youth work practice. She manages several Youth Project Assessors who are currently working with young people from organisations who have been successful in securing funding.

Georgia’s passion for youth work stems from the huge impact youth workers had on her growing up. She wanted to support others to grow, providing them with opportunities to thrive. She is proud of making a positive difference to the lives of young people across the country.

Graham assumes responsibility for overseeing the delivery and production of all eLearning courses. Leveraging an extensive background encompassing more than two decades as a business owner, art director, and eLearning specialist, Graham ensures that each course is meticulously constructed and adheres to the highest instructional design standards. Graham also provides expert guidance on art direction, instructional design, and conceptual development for all eLearning initiatives.

Graham embraced the challenge at NYA of establishing an online training environment tailored for youth work through a distance learning platform (LMS). This involved the development of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules, accredited delivery programs, and custom-built courses designed for specific clients. The ultimate goal is to elevate the skill set and capabilities of youth workers, empowering them to effectively support young people.

Harry supports the NatWest Thrive team by leading on the apprenticeship programmes at the NYA. 

Harry is passionate about providing development opportunities to youth work staff through apprenticeships. Harry believes that by enabling youth workers onto apprenticeships it will support the development of a qualified workforce and therefore a better quality of service for our young people.

Helen manages the Routes to Community Success programme, which aims to inform a model approach for boosting the capacity of the youth sector, through the co-design of services with young people and building the skills, capacity and resilience of grassroots providers.

Helen has held multiple voluntary roles in her local area that aim to support young people to improve their health, social and personal development.

Imran is a National Programme Manager who leads on the NatWest Thrive programme. Imran has worked within the youth sector for the last 10 years designing and managing education, employment and enterprise programmes for young people. 

He is passionate about creating meaningful, exciting and relevant opportunities for young people to help them grow and actualise their potential.

Jess supports the NatWest Thrive programme team by developing and maintaining relationships with youth workers and supporting youth sector organisations to embed effective youth work practice across the country. 

Jess is passionate about the way that youth work provides real and long-lasting change for young people. In today’s world, the NatWest Thrive programme is needed more than ever, to empower young people and give them the confidence to make educated financial decisions. Jess believes more youth work needs to happen, so that every young person has access to the support and tools for a positive future.

Karen joined the NYA in late 2020 as a Youth Work Specialist. She is a JNC professionally qualified youth and community worker and qualified trainer. Karen has worked in the youth and community field for over 25 years, including managing and leading activity across a range of sectors and environments.

Karen leads on the development of projects, products, and materials for the youth sector workforce. This includes the development of high-quality skills, knowledge, and contemporary learning opportunities for work with young people, both accredited and non accredited, with a focus on the development of digital CPD, distance learning and face to face learning opportunities.

Katie joined the NYA in 2022 as National Programme Manager, leading our national government funded programmes such as the Youth Investment Fund and workforce development projects. She’s worked with and for children and young people for over fifteen years, having spent ten years in child protection services and more recently working on youth-focused government policy.

Katie loves working collaboratively with young people, NYA colleagues and stakeholders to make the world a safer and fairer place for young people to thrive and achieve their aspirations.

Kirsty supports the Youth Investment Fund team as a Youth Work Specialist. Her role is to support grantees receiving the YIF fund to achieve NYA Quality Standards. Through detailed development plans, she supports organisations to deliver high quality youth work across England.

Kirsty is passionate about youth work and the impact it has on young people’s lives. She is a firm believer that the more youth work being delivered, the better the chance young people will have to make a positive difference in their lives and to the lives of those around them.

Kirsty works closely with our HR Manager to support all areas of people practice across the organisation. With a focus on delivering a positive employee experience, Kirsty plays a key role in recruitment and onboarding, staff development, and coordinating key HR processes.

Kirsty is passionate about upholding the organisation’s values and contributing to its mission of empowering young people through high‑quality youth work. She champions a culture of kindness, professionalism, and continuous improvement, helping to create an environment where staff feel valued, included, and able to thrive.

Outside of work, Kirsty can usually be found spending time with her two alpacas — including attempting (and often failing!) to teach them agility. Their antics never fail to keep her amused.

Lasharne is a JNC Qualified Youth and Community Development worker with extensive experience within the youth work field, formal education and for non-profitable charity organisations.

Lasharne drives the NYA’s internal youth leadership and voice strategy, and leads on the Hear By Right assessment which advocates and supports organisations to embed youth voice and influence, to produce meaningful outcomes. 

She has experience developing online CPD’s, project management, co-developing strategies and mentoring. Lasharne is passionate about racial justice, cultural competence and diversity and inclusion. Lasharne believes all lived experience is imperative within youth work as it reminds us to acknowledge our differences and reflect on our unique journeys.

Laura is a JNC Youth and Community qualified practitioner with over 20 years of youth work experience. She has worked in a variety of settings including centre-based, detached and mobile provision, managing and delivering universal services, specialist programmes and targeted work to young people.

Lydia aims to ensure there are links between national, regional and local policy for all voices of the sector to be heard, whilst building stakeholder partnerships in the youth sector and in allied sectors at local level.

Having worked at NYA for over 7 years, Lydia has built up experience across different teams including youth participation, the NYA Youth Work Academy and the policy directorate. 

Lydia hopes to bring the voices of young people and the sector on the journey with her in creating policy change on a larger scale for the benefit of young people, youth workers and the youth sector as a whole.

Mark is a JNC qualified Youth Work and Community Development practitioner. He has more than 20 years of youth and community work experience within health-based youth work, working within a special educational setting to create outdoor learning opportunities and more recently as Youth Work and Community Development university lecturer.

He also holds a PGCE, is a qualified Forest School Leader and DofE Award Expedition Assessor.

Mark is an active member and volunteer within the community, from running community events, to fundraising campaigns. He’s also a Group Scout Leader and Charity Trustee at a local Scout provision.

Nicola Kelly is a Learning and Development Officer with over 25 years of experience in youth and community work. She is passionate about creating high‑quality, inclusive learning that supports practitioners to grow in confidence and capability.

Nicola designs and delivers practical, engaging development opportunities and works collaboratively to support reflective practice and continuous improvement. Outside of work, Nicola brings her creative side to life through painting and her work as a qualified and experienced sound therapist.

Priya provides strategic and operational support to NYA activity and is responsible for overseeing programme governance. 

Priya has been involved in numerous projects from initial concept phase all the way through to evaluation stage and has seen the positive impact it can have on young people’s lives. She believes by creating these opportunities young people can thrive to reach their full potential.

Steven leads on the digital landscape development for NYA, overseeing the creation of content and management of digital platforms.

Steven believes in youth work’s transformative power and supports initiatives amplifying young voices, drawing inspiration from the impactful projects undertaken within the youth sector.

Steven is dedicated to fostering opportunities that empower youth workers, firmly asserting that expanding opportunities in the sector is crucial for a brighter future.

As NYA’s Safeguarding Hub Manager Xyna is evolving the hub into an exceptional safeguarding platform for youth workers. She is a qualified and registered social worker who has worked across three local authorities in various settings.

Her experience includes engaging with a wide range of activities such as responding to high-risk child protection situations, court work, safeguarding children and young people with additional needs and working with young people in care.

Zoe aims to ensure that the staff team are supported and empowered to contribute their unique talents towards NYA’s mission to transform the lives of young people. In her role she is also responsible for the development and implementation of HR strategies and procedures that reinforce and embed NYA’s commitment to a ‘people first’ culture.  

Her passion for empowering individuals evolved in her early career as a sessional youth worker for a local government youth service. This provided Zoe with firsthand experience of the transformative effect of youth work in empowering young people to reach their full potential. 

Such experiences have deeply influenced her approach to HR and dedication to nurturing talent and creating an environment at NYA where each team member can thrive.

Oriana provides administrative support across the whole organisation with a focus on the finance team and Natwest Thrive project. Oriana has a varied administrative background and is passionate about hidden disability and mental health.

Oriana believes that youth work gives young people a better chance of having the skills and confidence to do well in life.

Paul has been involved with youth and community work for nearly 30 years. Beginning with detached youth work, he has enjoyed variety of roles with Local Authorities and CVS organisations, along with consultancy work and coaching for new leaders in the youth work sector. He holds a PGC in Youth & Community Work along with a Masters in Coaching & Mentoring.

Outside of work, Paul enjoys playing music, Tai-Chi, and walks in the countryside. He is based in Hampshire, where he is an active member of his local community.

Rachael supports the business development team by building meaningful partnerships that create positive impact and align with the NYA’s mission and vision.

Rachael is a passionate advocate of how youth work can positively influence young people’s lives and future outcomes and she is particularly interested in helping disadvantaged young people access youth work.

Toby supports the NYA by developing relationships and opportunities with those inside and external to  the youth sector to grow the reach of the NYA and the support it provides.

Toby has been a youth worker in a variety of areas, including alternate provision and the NHS. 

Originally introduced to youth work via sports as a young boy before progressing to work in the sector, he’s seen the variety of ways youth work can be delivered and the impact it has on those who access it. Toby believes that making youth work accessible in all environments is key to achieving positive outcomes for young people.

Carl supports the Business Development team by leading on grants and contracts to help grow the reach and sustainability of the NYA.

He works to build partnerships and secure opportunities that enable more young people to access high-quality youth work, with a particular passion for supporting those from underserved communities.

With experience across the youth, education, public, and voluntary sectors, Carl takes a collaborative approach to developing relationships that align with the NYA’s mission and vision. He is committed to ensuring youth participation is recognised and reflected in the opportunities created.

Amma heads up the youth services at an Ofsted Outstanding apprenticeship provider, and also sits as a trustee for two charitable foundations.

Throughout her career within the field of youth work and as a school and college governor, Amma has been massively passionate about mentoring and wellbeing, education and training, international engagement, and SEND support.

Carol is Chair of our NYA Board of Trustees. She started out as a Youth Worker in Sheffield and has since worked in youth and community work, and community/adult education in a number of local authorities, gaining many years’ experience in partnership working and management, as well as being a contributor to the national agenda in terms of young people’s issues

Carol has always demonstrated huge passion for early intervention work in the youth sector, and for young people’s voice and participation.

Daniel is the Children’s Services Manager at Barnardo’s and has over 28 years of experience in youth work and management.  

Daniel has worked in almost every facet of youth work but is particularly passionate about supporting young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities, and those with emerging mental health needs.

Gabriel (Gabby) sits both on the NYA board of Trustees, and on the NYA Finance and resources Committee. In his day-to-day life he is a qualified banker with more than 35 years international banking experience. 

Gabby is passionate about ensuring that youth organisations are sustainable and able to continue delivering their vital work with young people for as long as possible.

Ken is a representative on our NYA Board of Trustees from the Local Government Association. He is currently the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and also Chairs its multi-agency Health and Wellbeing Board. Ken is also the chair of the NYA Audit Committee. 

Ken has a special interest in emotional wellbeing and mental health issues for children and young people.  

Mark is a qualified solicitor and a partner in the law firm Sullivan & Worcester. Along with his role on our Board, Mark also supports us as Chair of our NYA People Development Committee

Mark is passionate about providing young people with equal opportunities and supports the Widening Participation Programme to encourage access to students from non-traditional backgrounds to his alma mater the London School of Economics.

Mervyn has over 20 years’ experience in the children and young people’s sector and is currently Youth First CIO’s founding CEO

Mervyn believes in ensuring young people get equality of outcomes regardless of their backgrounds and that youth work and play, especially the relationships with youth and play workers can support young people and communities to increase the chance of this being the case.

Sally  Carr  MBE has worked in Manchester’s LGBT+ Communities for over 30 years. Sally was awarded a MBE in 2012 for services supporting vulnerable and isolated LGBT+ young people across the U.K. She is currently a trustee on our NYA Board and an advisor to the LGBT Consortium.   

Sally has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of young people, particularly marginalised LGBT+ people and women in the City. 

Please note, Tony is not an NYA Trustee, but is Chair of the National Advisory Board for Youth Services

Tony is a former Her Majesty’s Inspector and currently carries out occasional inspection work for Ofsted and HM Probation.

In 2024 Tony received an OBE in recognition of his lifelong service to young people.

Nick Caplin, former Director of Communications at Amazon, is an experienced PR and communications professional, with a specialism in the gaming, sports, retail and entertainment sectors. 

Nick has over 20 year’s experience working in communications for global brands, including Sony PlayStation. He also worked in the not-for-profit sector, as Chief Development Officer for Swim England. Growing up, youth groups played a very important role in Nick’s life, both as a member of a youth club and then later, as a youth leader. Nick is passionate about providing young people with opportunities to be part of communities that support and encourage them to be themselves. 

Laura Bates, Client Director at award-winning communications consultancy Kallaway, brings over 15 years’ experience in shaping impactful communications for prominent organisations across the charity, culture, and nonprofit sectors, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Museum of London. Laura has also served as a Governor at a London secondary school, where she led the Safeguarding and Inclusion Committee and supported the school’s senior team throughout the pandemic. 

A consistent advocate for young people, Laura is especially dedicated to supporting those from marginalised backgrounds and championing initiatives that promote wellbeing and mental health.  

Nick Frost, Senior Partner, Head of Audit, Consumer Goods & Retail Sector at KPMG, is a chartered accountant with 30 years financial services experience operating at the ‘coalface’ with large teams and supporting global PLCs at Board level. Nick specialises in audit and related services, primarily to the fast-moving consumer goods sector, with experience supporting large multi-listed global groups. Nick pioneered KPMG’s collaboration with Auticon (an organisation which works with individuals with Autism to place them within the technology sector and optimise their supreme data analysis skills). He is also a Trustee of a Regional Scout Association. 

Owen Purcell, former Managing Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) LLP is a recognised leader in governance risk and business strategy working with FTSE 100 and Fortune 1000 clients and internally at Ernst & Young working at government, regulator and board level, globally. Owen has extensive experience managing change programmes and advising governments, international organisations and major companies on governance issues. Currently, he is Chair of the Board at Uniac, Chair of the Audit Committee and Non-executive Director at Innovate UK Loans Ltd and Independent Member of the Finance Committee at Audit Wales.

As County Lead Volunteer he leads a team of volunteers providing scouting experiences to young people across five boroughs in London. Owen is also board trustee and chair of the audit and risk committee at AbilityNet, a charity that supports people with disabilities to use technology.

Aaron delivers training and support to youth workers within a wide range of settings as part of the NYA Academy team. 

He has worked in a range of settings in his 20 years of youth work practice including detached youth work and has extensive experience in church-based youth work. He also helps lead a summer youth festival. He also has experience of leading large teams of volunteers. His passion is to enable youth workers to deliver quality youth work. 

Ellie supports a team of Youth Work Specialists to deliver a high quality training offer.

Ellie is passionate about young people having the ability to truly participate and that youth workers come from all walks of life, starting her youth work journey volunteering in a youth café and has since worked in a variety of settings such as within a young persons drug and alcohol service and managing projects for young people whose parents are serving in the military. Ellie believes that those working with young people should have access to up to date, quality training.

A youth work specialist, Fran tutors and assesses in the NYA Academy and designs engaging courses for youth workers.

Her contributions to the NYA include projects for the Commonwealth, NatWest Thrive programme, CPD courses and service reviews.

Fran has extensive experience working in local authority youth provision, and in the voluntary sector with young people facing homelessness. Fran has been an advocate for youth work within Unite the Union and the national JNC.

Heather is an experienced administrator and joined the NYA in March 2021. She provides administration internally within the NYA and externally to support learners in the NYA Academy.

Heather’s background is in Early Years support for children with special educational needs. She is passionate about ensuring the academy is inclusive for all learners and supports the NYA to internally review our SEND standards and development. Heather is committed to the learners’ experience within the NYA, ensuring that their journey is personable, inclusive and meaningful.

Misia leads the NYA Academy team to deliver a range of training and support to develop those in the sector.

Misia has spent the last 22 years working within the education sector, leading schools in areas of high deprivation. She is driven by a desire to improve outcomes for all our young people and remove social and economic disadvantage. 

Misia loves working alongside other professionals, helping them to improve their own practice and develop their skills and talents so they can lead and inspire others.  

Rob is a JNC qualified youth worker with a Master’s Degree in Youth & Community Development and over 25 years’ experience in the field.

He’s been employed by local authorities and VCFS organisations across the North of England, from on the ground youth work delivery to strategic roles, he advocates for ‘face to face’ working.

Rob has a particular interest in supporting young people with learning difficulties and those who have been excluded from formal education. He has the skill, enthusiasm and qualifications to teach others to do the same. In his spare time he likes playing guitar, fell running and ‘reading, thinking and doing’.

Kayleigh supports the facilitation of learners across all training paths within the Academy. 

Kayleigh has experience in diverse youth work settings, including formal and informal education, social outreach, and looked-after young people. Kayleigh has developed and taught a Youth Work degree, supporting several new cohorts in their own journeys to becoming qualified. Kayleigh has a passion for developing youth workers’ knowledge base in supporting the holistic wellbeing of young people.

I have over 20 years’ experience in youth work, with an early career spanning detached work, centre-based provision, and mentoring. I later specialised in sexual health, advising and training a wide range of professionals who work with young people.

In recent years, I have delivered and assessed a variety of qualifications within the further education sector, including vocational youth work courses at multiple levels, as well as health-related programmes such as the T Level in Health.

I am passionate about staff development and believe that high-quality youth work begins with accessible, effective high-quality training.

Rose has worked in Business Development in not-for-profit organisations for over ten years; identifying opportunities, collaborating with colleagues and external partners to develop proposals, writing and securing successful bids for contracts and income generation.

Rose also works for a local domestic abuse charity, delivering health relationships and domestic abuse workshops to children and young people in primary and secondary schools in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Rose has returned to the NYA after a year travelling abroad in her campervan and enjoys hiking and dancing lindy hop in her spare time.

Ella works in the Policy and Public Affairs team to make sure that the importance of youth work is reflected across national policy.

Ella brings experience from working in policy in the charity sector, and as a learning support assistant in a primary school. She also has an academic background in languages and International Relations.

Ella is motivated by a desire to make a difference for young people, ensuring that their views and experiences form the building blocks of ambitious policy changes that will have a positive impact on their lives.

I have worked in administration my entire career and still love it just as much as I did when I started. I enjoy creating some order from chaos and supporting others in their roles.

Outside of work, I like to cook and bake and watch or listen to true crime documentaries. Time spent with my family is really important to me, as is some time on my own pootling around on my Vespa.

‘In my role as administrator at the NYA, I provide support across the organisation with a focus on the NatWest Thrive programme. I have over four years of experience in office and administrative roles, and enjoy helping others through efficient, organised, and friendly support.

Much of my previous work has been within universities and higher education, where I supported young people navigating the challenges of student life—many living away from home for the first time. I’m excited to continue making a positive impact on young people’s lives through my work with the NYA.

Lisa has worked in the higher education sector for over 20 years with experience in quality, assessment policy, curriculum development, online education, and academic registry. Lisa is currently Head of Strategic Planning at the Open University, which includes risk management, unit planning, institutional performance, and strategy implementation.

Lisa is passionate about open education and the transformative power of accessible learning opportunities for all. Lisa champions equality, diversity, and inclusion, and the positive impact of diverse environments and understanding the lived experiences of others.

Alex supports the Communications and Marketing team by maintaining the organisation’s websites, social media and other digital platforms and processes. 

Alex is passionate about the way that youth work can empower young people to have a say on the decisions that affect them, having celebrated young people’s involvement in a range of NYA activities, such as tackling climate change through The Environment Now project and role of young assessors as part of the Youth Investment Fund. Alex believes that more youth work can only be a positive thing.  

Chris works to demonstrate the impact that youth work has on young people. He applies qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation principles to the work of the NYA and wider youth services and programmes.

Outside the NYA, Chris has a particular interest in physical and mental wellbeing. He is a research champion for a local youth mental health charity and studied informal therapy during his Masters.

Rachel leads the development and delivery of marketing and communications for the NatWest Thrive programme, promoting and elevating awareness of the programme’s goals and benefits to stakeholders by supporting the NatWest Thrive programme manager and operations team to drive successful recruitment and participation.

Rachel also works within the wider NYA marketing and communications team to drive engagement, raise the profile of the NYA and the importance of youth work across various channels.

Originally from a corporate background, in 2015 she transitioned into marketing roles for voluntary and community sector charities where the aims behind not-for-profit causes aligned more closely to her personal values.

James works as part of the Knowledge Team to help develop evidence-based practices and decision-making. He has experience of developing quantitative and qualitative research methods with a particular interest in user-led and participatory approaches. His research interests include youth mental health, justice and accessible education

James is passionate about creating a fairer and more equal world for young people. He believes in the transformative power of Youth Work, providing young people with the tools and support they need to realize their full potential and thrive in all aspects of life’

As a communications officer at the NYA, Alex is driven by a deep belief in the power of youth work to transform lives and shape futures. He works on storytelling and impact communications, identifying and sharing case studies that highlight youth work’s value and promote career pathways. He also supports media coverage and enquiries, and develops content for web, social and email campaigns. Alex also collaborates closely with internal teams and external partners to tailor messages, optimise digital user journeys, and track campaign performance, all to ensure the NYA’s message resonates with young people, practitioners and stakeholders across the country.  

Artie brings experience from working in communications for a youth charity, supported by a Politics degree and master’s in PR and Digital Communications.

At the NYA, he now works on programmes like the UK Youth Parliament and UK Youth Ambassadors in Europe. His focus is on creating strategic communications that amplify young people’s voices. Passionate about youth advocacy and political engagement, Artie uses digital storytelling to drive change. He’s committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in everything he does.

Caroline works as part of the Knowledge Team, providing data and intelligence through primary and secondary research, predominantly for the Local Youth Transformation Pilot. She is passionate about using research and evidence to influence wider youth policy and make a difference to the lives of young people.

Caroline has worked in the education, employment and skills sectors, primarily on projects supporting young people who are NEET and also worked as a teacher for 10 years. Through her role at the NYA she hopes to continue working to bring about positive change for young people.

Rose is research associate in the knowledge team. She has experience in qualitative and quantitative research with a particular interest in developing creative and inclusive methods. Her research interests include the social experience of artificial intelligence, digital inclusion and inclusive practices for marginalised youth.

Rose is passionate about creating equitable opportunities for young people and using the power of storytelling to amplify youth voice.

Leigh represents Bridgwater North and Central in Somerset as a Councillor and brings more than 14 years of experience in local government. He currently serves as Chair of Somerset Council’s Children and Families Scrutiny Committee and is a member of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee.