Meet the Youth Services and Poverty Proofing Leadership Team
The new year is often thought of as a time of change: a time for new habits, new projects, new goals.
For 2022, our Youth Services and Poverty Proofing Team is embracing change, with a newly structured management team in place that pairs familiar faces with exciting additions.
Under the leadership of Head of Service Luke Bramhall and Deputy Head of Service Rachel Leslie, the five-strong management team will develop and grow our existing provision for young people across the North East in new and innovative ways, pursue the continued impact of Poverty Proofing the School Day and expand the Poverty Proofing offer into other sectors with need.
In this article, we meet the team and learn about their plans for the year ahead…
Lorna Nicoll, Poverty Proofing© the School Day Team Manager
Leading the Poverty Proofing the School Day Team, Lorna has spent four years on the frontline of Children North East’s work challenging the barriers and stigma students from low-income backgrounds experience within their education. She brings diverse experience of working in schools as a Primary Teacher, School Governor and Senior Leader.
What will you and your team be up to in 2022?
With child poverty deepening our work has never been more relevant, nor more in demand. We continue to work with schools and organisations throughout the North East and the rest of the UK in order to identify and eradicate barriers to learning, participation and engagement. In addition to individual schools, we are working closely with delivery partners and connecting to broader issues such as public health outcomes. We are also heavily involved in Child Poverty Action Group’s Cost of the School Day project and informing national debate on issues such as Free School Meals, uniforms and access to learning.
What are you most excited about in the next year?
We have a great opportunity to extend our work further to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. Our team, one of whom is based in the West Midlands, is dynamic, knowledgeable, and passionate about social justice, and this will only push the work forward with increasing momentum. We have created a new ‘mini-audit’ for schools that have already been Poverty Proofed and workshops to raise awareness in children. We will also be focusing on highlighting the impact of our work via our new and improved website – watch this space!
Naomi Hope, Youth Team Manager
Working on youth-focused projects within Children North East for nearly nine years, Naomi oversees our range of projects supporting young people from 11 to 25 years old. In the past, her successes include delivering and developing our mentoring projects and establishing groups, such as the FAB Group for young people with SEND.
What will you and your team be up to in 2022?
The Youth Team will continue to provide excellent work and intervention for young people aged 11 to 25 years. We are looking to develop some new and exciting projects, regenerate the allotment to make this a more usable space for Young People’s Services as a whole. In addition, I want to develop upon our existing offer to continue to have a positive impact for young people accessing the service.
What are you most excited about in the next year?
I am really excited to implement some innovative ways of working with young people, to ensure our offer is diverse, accessible and provides a good variation to young people. It is really exciting to go into the New Year with some great ideas and opportunities which will enable us to continue supporting young people in the best way possible.
What motivates you?
For me, being able to make an impact and a positive difference within young people’s lives is what motivates me, that is ultimately why we do what we do. Having seen this first-hand in my previous role at Children North East and now within my role as Youth Team Manager supporting a great staff team to deliver vital work provides reward and continued motivation.
Sarah Robson, Participation Team Manager
Sarah first worked with Children North East in 2015, coordinating our Youth Link peer mentoring project. In her new role as Participation Team Manager, she oversees the delivery of our participation focused interventions and consultations, which currently include the North of Tyne Poverty Truth Commission, SEND consultation and the Child Health and Wellbeing Network Youth Advisory Board.
What will you and your team be up to in 2022?
2022 is going to be a year of growth and development. We can’t wait to work collaboratively with the four other teams contributing to the wider Children North East strategy.
What are you most excited about in the next year?
The diversity of the work we are delivering and further opportunities to lift the voices of children and young people.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by people. Listening to the lived experiences of children, young people and adults living in the North East, and utilising their knowledge and insight to inform positive change. Equally, I am always in awe of the professionals we meet and work with on a daily basis, both within Children North East and through external agencies.
We are in a privileged position where we have an abundance of opportunities to communicate and network with the most passionate, dedicated, creative and diverse people here in our region and beyond. I believe through participation, consultation and collaborative working we can continue the fabulous work that has been happening up to now and beyond. I can’t wait to see further exciting opportunities develop and grow over the next year.
Saffia Solomon, Development Team Manager
Leaving her role as Head of Personal Development Coaching at Newcastle Sixth Form to join us in June, Saffia is responsible for supporting the growth and development of Youth Services and Poverty Proofing and Neurodiversity work, including developing our Poverty Proofing offer for Health and Cultural settings and spearheading new projects.
What will you and your team be up to in 2022?
Our wonderful Development Team will be continuing to coordinate and run our neurodiversity groups and 1:1 support, and we’ll be Poverty Proofing a number of health, culture, leisure and services from the North East to the West Midlands.
What are you most excited about in the next year?
I’m most excited to see how our team will work together to share knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the wider organisation and absorbing the worldview of Warwickshire!
What motivates you?
My amazing team, and the passion and dedication they demonstrate in raising awareness of poverty, inequality, and making a difference to young people who experience neurodiversity.
Adele Wimhurst, Youth Counselling Manager
Adele recently joined Children’s North East with a background in policy writing and project management within government. She works alongside an experienced team of counsellors to provide support for children and young people across the region. In her new role, Adele oversees the delivery of counselling services for young people aged 9 to 25 under a number of programmes such as Support for Victims of Crime and NHS Mental Health Provision.
What will you and your team be up to in 2022?
As demand for our service continues to increase, the team will be working to provide a consistent high level of support and counselling to the children and young people across the region. We will be looking to grow and develop our service. This year will see the launch of an innovative counselling project utilising Minecraft that I will be helping to develop.
What are you most excited about in the next year?
I’m most excited about working with our dedicated team of experienced counsellors to strengthen our offer and widen our reach across the region. Together we will be looking to make stronger links with schools and community venues, making our service even more accessible.
What motivates you?
Knowing that as a team we are all striving to offer a high-quality service that gives true value to the young people across the region. On a personal level seeing first-hand the impact that our services can have on young people’s mental health and wellbeing has been really rewarding. I’m motivated knowing that our team can in some way make a positive difference to young people’s lives.
Picture left to right: Luke Bramhall, Naomi Hope, Saffia Solomon, Rachel Leslie, Sarah Robson, Adele Wimshurst
