Meet the team

Phil

Philip Barron is our CEO of the YWF, the first employee who started in May 2017 to drive forward the foundation. Phil has diverse experience developing and delivering community projects in the public and private sector. Including working as an English Language Teacher in Leeds, commissioning employability programmes for the London Development Agency, managing community programmes for LandSec and volunteering for a human rights NGO in Cambodia. He is also Chair of RefugeeYouth, a small charity based in South London.

“I love working for the YWF as I enjoy bringing together people and organisations from all different backgrounds to create collaborations which make positive change for young people. Westminster has some of the greatest opportunities in the country and I want to make sure these are shared equally.”

Helen

Helen Mann is our Development Manager at the YWF working with members to ensure they can continue to deliver their projects to create better lives for children and young people in Westminster. This may be through bringing them together to working more closely on projects across the borough, offering training and support around fundraising or introducing them to partner who can support them and share their vision. Helen has worked within the charity sector for the last 15 years supporting local charities and community projects find sustainability in the disability and health sector. Most recently she worked at Healthwatch CWL championing the voice of residents using health and social care services in Westminster.

“I am excited to be part of a new organisation and to help shape new ways of working, bringing the sector together to work towards ensuring all children and young people in Westminster have the same opportunities.”

Matira

Matira Wheeler is our Communications & Marketing Manager, working to grow Young Westminster’s reach and share information with our community through events, social media, press and regular e-newsletters. Matira joined us from the John Lewis Partnership Graduate Scheme, with experience managing a variety of teams and projects across retail and online.

“The YPF network has a vital role to play in co-ordinating cross-sector collaboration to deliver the best opportunities for young Londoners. I hope we can celebrate the historic youth sector in Westminster and urge our wider community to get involved, whilst advocating for the needs of young people and youth organisations.”

Aaron

Aaron McDonald is our Project Manager, leading on our youth and community support work. He is a professionally-qualified youth practitioner having graduated in 2017 , and a graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) since 2019. Aaron is a passionate, highly experienced, practitioner who ensures that young people are central and beneficiaries of supportive, safe, and bespoke youth-led programs and projects. Aaron combines both lived experience with a strong theoretical grounding in both Youth work and psychology disciplines he has held positions in both local authority and voluntary sectors. Most recently, Aaron worked for Redthread, advocating and safeguarding young people who had been admitted into major trauma centres as victims of serious youth violence, and employing thorough safeguarding measures to ensure their safety once discharged into the community.

“I’m happy to be part of the Young Westminster Foundation, so we can continue to ensure that young people throughout Westminster are the beneficiaries of safe, fun, resourced, impactful youth led programs and helping them to have access to more opportunities as they progress into adulthood.”

Sam

Sam Wightman is our Marketing & Engagement Officer, working with Matira on YWF’s communication channels, whilst also supporting our member organisations with their marketing strategy and campaigns. Sam joined YWF in October 2020. His previous work includes managing marketing within the theatre industry and freelancing with specialisms in digital, creative and social media work.

“I’m delighted to be joining YWF. I hope I can continue to build on the positive work that the foundation has been doing and am especially looking forward to working with the youth club teams. It’s a great opportunity to find new ways of getting young people excited about the fantastic services they provide. “

Nora

Nora is our Grants and Evaluation Manager.

Hazel

Hazel Pedlar is our Office Coordinator at the YWF. She joined the Foundation in February 2020. She has a background in primary school teaching and has worked in operations roles for the public sector and small charities. Hazel coordinates the finances and operations work for the YWF. You can contact her on hazel@ywfoundation.com.

‘It’s great to be part of a team that works to sustain the children and young people’s sector and positively shape services for the children and young people in Westminster who most need it.’

Our Trustees

We have 9 trustees who are all experts in different fields and come from a range of backgrounds.

Neil Daly, our Chair

Neil became Chair of YWF in August 2019 having first joined the Board in August 2017. Neil is the Global Head of Employer Brand at Baker Hughes, one of the world’s largest energy technology companies. His focus is on sourcing, attracting, recruiting and retaining the very best people to the organisation and communicating the employer brand both internally and externally. He has won a number of awards for his use of innovation in talent acquisition and retention, implementing pioneering digital and social media strategies.

Neil’s career has seen him develop the training he received as a Broadcast Journalist with the BBC into an external communications expert, working for some of the UK’s biggest utility companies. He moved into the energy sector recruitment industry as a brand communicator and digital expert, helping companies, from multi-nationals to start-ups, source and engage with candidates through brand marketing strategies and digital & social communications.

Jackie Rosenberg, our Vice Chair

Jackie is a Founding Trustee of the YWF. Jackie has an extensive knowledge of the voluntary, community and charitable sector in Westminster, having worked for or served as a trustee for over 20 years.

Jackie Rosenberg has been the CEO of One Westminster since September 2015. Alongside this role she is also employed by another local charity Paddington Development Trust (PDT) where she has worked as Deputy CEO since 2002.

Jackie has managed youth provision at the Stowe Youth Club and the Avenues Youth Project and has contributed to a wide range of policies and procedures within Children and Young People’s services. She has consistently and passionately fought for the rights of young people to receive quality youth services.

Fahmim Chowdhury, our Treasurer

Fahmim is the Treasurer of the YWF having joined the board in August 2019. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and currently works as a Management Accountant at McKinsey and Co Plc where he is responsible for Planning, Scenario Modelling and business partnering. Prior to this he has spent the bulk of his career within the Retail sector; where he worked on automation of financial process, implementation of lending platforms and VAT optimisation.

As a young man having grown up in Central London, Fahmim often goes into local schools to give inspirational talks about his experiences.

Cllr Hamza Taouzzale

Hamza has been involved with YWF since its inception following serving as the Youth MP for Westminster in 2016 and then undertaking an internship with YWF in 2017 supporting the consultation and research as part of our needs analysis. Hamza is now the youngest councillor in Westminster City Council representing Queen’s Park ward. Hamza recently completed a in Politics at Goldsmiths where he was also a trustee for the student’s union. Hamza is now studying for a Masters at King’s College London. Hamza is also a trustee for YWF member Paddington Arts, Paddington Farm Trust and sits on the grants committee for John Lyon’s Charity.

“I really enjoy being able to make a real change to my community by helping improve the lives of so many young people!”

Shane Ryan

Shane is a Founding Trustee of YWF and served as Chair for the initial 3 year period, stepping down as Chair in August 2019.

Shane joined the National Lottery Community Foundation in 2018 as their Senior Head of Partnerships, prior to which he worked for 10 years as the CEO of Futuremen (formerly Working with Men). Under his stewardship WWM built a national reputation as a solution focused organisation offering evidence based approaches to community needs and issues particularly around conflict and transition, father’s development, masculinity and youth unemployment. Having worked in variety of inner city areas tackling drug use and managing the UK’s first mobile health care facilities for the NHS until 1995, Shane moved to the voluntary sector and into various managerial appointments in charities as well as a Home Office secondment and projects taking him to the USA and Japan. Shane has over 25 years-experience working with young people and through WWM is a frequent advisor and speaker on non-profit matters covering the entire range of his charities work nationally.

Rachel Akehurst

Rachel has been involved with the development of the YWF since its inception and as a trustee leads on safeguarding and governance. Rachel is also the CEO of Caxton Youth Organisation, a YWF member charity delivering specialist youth work provision for young people with disabilities who live in the City of Westminster. For seven years prior to this Rachel worked with children and young people in early years education, formal and informal educational settings, as well as in alternative curriculum, supporting and empowering unaccompanied asylum seekers, young people involved in gangs, homeless young adults and the traveller community, as well as those with special educational needs. A professional Youth Worker and a graduate from the University of Greenwich, Rachel has worked in both London and Philadelphia, creating educational opportunities for vulnerable young people to achieve their potential.

As well as being a Trustee of the Young Westminster Foundation, Rachel also chairs One Westminster’s CYP Network, for voluntary organisation’s working with children and young people in the borough.

Cllr Karen Scarborough

Cllr Karen Scarborough is the Lead Member for Air Quality at Westminster City Council, having previously served as the Deputy Cabinet Member for Children Families & Young People. Karen has a legal and business background and has helped to fund raise for various charities including Crisis, the Homeless Charity, St John Ambulance, Acorns Hospice for children and young people with life limiting health issues. Karen is also a Governor for two Westminster primary schools. Since becoming a Trustee, she now focusses on fund raising for the YWF by raising awareness with landowners/businesses in Westminster together with liaising with the Council to promote the values and the work of the foundation.

“The Young Westminster Foundation has come a long way in a short time to help support children and young people in Westminster to fulfil their hopes and dreams for a great future. I am very excited to continue to make my contribution to this aim”

Brian Bickell

Brian joined the board of YWF in August 2019. Brian qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1976. He joined Shaftesbury when it was formed in 1986, and was Finance Director from its float on the London Stock Exchange in 1987 until he became Chief Executive in 2011.

Starting with £10 million of private capital in 1986, Shaftesbury now has a market capitalisation of c. £2.6 billion. It has assembled a portfolio of 15 acres of freeholds in the West End, comprising c.600 buildings, valued at £3.9 billion. Its ownership includes 600 shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs across 1.1 million sq. ft. in Carnaby and West Soho, Chinatown, Seven Dials and Fitzrovia.

Brian is a member of the board of Freehold, the London-based LGBT real estate professionals group. He is also a board member of The Westminster Property Association and chairs its Transport and Infrastructure sub-committee. Brian will be supporting YWF with our fundraising and strategic development.

Wasim Butt

Wasim is a qualified science teacher by trade with over 10 years experience in mainstream education. He is now Principal at Beachcroft AP Academy, part of the TBAP Multi-Academy Trust. Beachcroft Academy is an alternative provision for young people aged between 5 and 16. All have been permanently excluded or are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education in the borough of Westminster. Wasim joined TBAP in 2015 as Director of Learning before leading teaching and learning across the 11 schools in the Multi-Academy Trust. He became Principal in 2018. Wasim specialises in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs or disabilities. He is passionate about raising aspirations and improving outcomes for these young people.

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