John Crossman (Director)

After twenty years working in comprehensive schools and further education in Lancashire, John joined Education Extra and then ContinYou, charities which develop and promote learning outside the classroom. He is passionate about the value of young people taking on responsibilities outside the classroom and helped develop national policy and practice in the field over ten years.

Susie Wooldridge (Director)

As a newly qualified teacher in a challenging London school, Susie ran a Trust Youth project in her school funded by The UnLtd Millennium Awards Scheme, demonstrating the value of involving students in charitable activities and winning a Teach First School Projects Award. She was also commissioned to write a report investigating the provision for, and barriers to adult learning in Winchester. Currently, Susie is working for a charity called School-Home Support, which builds bridges between the home and school to enable children and young people to make the most of their education.

Penny Sharland (Trustee)

Penny started her career as a Probation Officer specialising in work with young offenders. She has had a varied approach to work since then, moving to NACRO to do policy work on youth justice and then into private business as a management consultant with the radical collective Framework. After 15 years working with public and voluntary sector organisations Penny changed direction again to lead Oldham Youth Offending Service in 2005. This demanding role has lead Penny to develop her approaches to some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, as well as the most challenging young people in the Borough. She enjoys putting the theoretical analyses about organisations and management that she learnt during her masters at Bristol University in 1994 - 6. She also has several years' experience of working voluntarily as a trustee with various organisations.

Roger Cooper (Company Secretary)

Roger qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA) in 1967. He has spent over 30 years in the financial services sector, culminating in being Finance Director of Towry Law plc and being part of the team that brought this company to full listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1993. Since 1996 he has worked on his own account as a Chartered Accountant specialising in the financial and other management of charities. Roger joined Trust Youth in 2007 as Company Secretary.

Jamie Dear (Project Manager)

Jamie joined Trust Youth in early 2007. Previously he led Jacari, a charity in Oxford providing home teaching for children who don't speak English as their first language and is currently chair of the board of trustees. He has a varied experience of the voluntary and community sector having worked for the Charities Advisory Trust and Helen and Douglas House children's hospice. In addition to his responsibilities with Trust Youth Jamie is founder and Director of OxFizz, a small social enterprise.

Hannah Mcauley (Schools' Co-ordinator Intern)

Hannah is a current finalist studying English Literature and German at Oxford. Her past exploits have included everything from college welfare representative and school teacher in Germany, to completing internships with both a public affairs company and political party in her native Belfast. She has come to Trust Youth and the charity sector eager to combine her eclectic mix of experience with an open and friendly nature and a rather strange penchant for organisation.

Jo Shirley (Research & Development Intern)

Jo is currently studying Economics and Management at Oxford and felt Trust Youth provided a fantastic opportunity to both continue working in the charity sector and apply her degree to the real world! She initially got involved in the voluntary sector through working as a Young Leader with the local Brownie pack. She has also been involved with the National Trust, through their Young Heritage Leaders scheme. This combines team leadership training with valuable conservation work, and she has built on this experience through shadow leading conservation projects.

Susanna Herbert (Fundraising Intern)

Susanna is currently in her final year at Oxford University studying History and Spanish. She hopes to go into development work after completing her degree and has taken a keen interest in charity work throughout her school and university life. As President of Oxford University RAG and JCR Charity officer she has focused on fundraising, a role which she is developing through her internship with Trust Youth. She also has practical experience on the ground, having worked alongside charities such as Send a Cow in Uganda, and Juconi in Mexico.

Natalia Rodionova (Fundraising Intern)

Natalia is studying Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University, and specialises in photography. In her spare time she enjoys designing costumes for plays and photography for magazine publications. Natalia is originally from Russia.