Who We Are
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 Whigham (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.
Kirin Jeffery (Trustee)
Kirin works as the Service Development Manager for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and oversees a range of services designed to meet business needs. Kirin previously worked as an Extended Services Manager in Kingston working with schools across the Local Authority and supporting a wide range of projects. Prior to working for the Council Kirin worked, and volunteered, for a number of charities both in the UK and abroad, such as the British Red Cross, Rainforest Relief, Save the Children and Oxfam. Kirin is very passionate about volunteering and empowering young people to make decisions and contribute to their community and joined Trust Youth as a Trustee in February 2010.
Lindsay East (Trustee)
Lindsay joined Trust Youth in 2009 after running a highly successful Trust Youth project with a group of business studies students at risk of disengaging from education at Crown Woods School in Greenwich. After completing her degree in Economics and Management at Jesus College Oxford she went on to train as a teacher at a challenging south London school on the Teach First Programme, and is now Head of Post-16 Learning at Crown Woods School. Lindsay believes Trust Youth works because it gives students a chance to take responsibility and show that they can succeed, something she feels is especially important for students who have barriers to their progress in the classroom
Louise Bull (Manager)
Louise joined Trust Youth in March 2010 from The Wings of Hope, having previously managed their student social enterprise scheme in schools across the UK. She has worked across a number of educational and charity settings, and is passionate about seeing young people given the opportunity to build confidence and succeed outside the classroom.
Mary Laverty (Northern Ireland Co-ordinator)
Mary Laverty teaches four days per week in six schools across Antrim and Derry in Northern Ireland as a member of the Literacy Teaching Support Service, but still finds time to promote Trust Youth in Northern Ireland. She has always embraced extra-curricular activities as a valuable tool, providing pupils with added support and a vehicle to strengthen self-worth.
During the eighties, as headteacher in North London, Mora Primary and Nursery boasted a wide range of clubs for both pupils and parents, supported strongly by the teaching staff. Saturdays were used for Afghanistan Community Activities.
Later as Principal of Cedar Integrated Primary in Crossgar, Co. Down she established a breakfast and many after school clubs to enhance the life chances of her pupils.
Lipena Begum (London Co-ordinator)
Lipena joined Trust Youth in December 2010 and has worked in schools, in the voluntary sector and with charities abroad. At Business in the Community she was regional manager for the Mosaic project which included working with schools delivering Enterprise Challenge and World of Work visits, and is also currently working with Unicef.