I am a passionate and committed Youth Work leader who enjoys embracing new challenges to advance the condition of young people. I am employed as the Director of Youth Work at the Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) in Brighton & Hove where I lead strategic partnerships and programmes of award-winning delivery across various settings, including health, education, criminal justice and communities. In particular, our work delivers in some of the most deprived areas of Brighton & Hove and with many of the young people facing the greatest challenges to safety and belonging.I hold an MA in youth participation and lectured in the School of Education at the University of Brighton for 9 years. I have published articles on community development and the history of youth work, and I am the Chair of the Editorial Group for the Youth & Policy Journal. I was the former Chair of the Institute for Youth Work (IYW) for six years, leading the professional association for youth workers in England. My work extended across the globe as a Director on the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Workers Associations (CAYWA). I am Chair of Trustees at Youth Focus South East, the Regional Youth Work Unit for the South East of England. I Chair the UK-wide Youth Work REIMAGINED group at the Hope Collective. I also have a seat on the National Youth Sector Advisory Board, the mechanism for the Youth Sector to communicate directly with Government. I have successfully fundraised over £4million for youth projects, and I have been recognised as a Brighton & Hove Happiness Champion for my positive influence in the city. I am passionate about supporting underdogs and redistributing power more equitably, and I like to say yes to new and challenging opportunities, especially if I don’t know how to do them yet.