Meet The Team
Listen to Curtis and Jomo’s journey from CYF participants to CYF Trustees
Curtis Scott
Trustee
Curtis began his involvement with CYF as a young person who engaged in development activities from the day we opened and is one of the core members of the organisation. As a talented creative and entrepreneur Curtis journeyed with CYF through his teens and early adulthood taking part in a wide range of activities including residentials, music programmes and film projects. He was identified as a young person with significant academic potential and accessed private maths, science and English tuition through CYF during his time at secondary school and was one of two young people who spoke on behalf of CYF at The Houses of Parliament. Today Curtis runs his own business and we are delighted to have him as a CYF leader on our board of Trustees. As one of CYF’s key young people Curtis brings with him invaluable experience and a lifetimes knowledge of living in Nottingham’s inner-city communities.
Ashley Shand
Trustee
Ashley’s journey with CYF is a testament to resilience and personal growth. Starting at the age of 10, Ashley became a core member of the organisation, actively participating in various programs throughout his teens and early adulthood. These activities included residentials, and creative projects, including playing a lead role in CYF’s movie ‘The Chase’. Facing homelessness at the age of 16, Ashley navigated through Social Housing schemes and housing associations.Despite these obstacles, he continued to build a diverse skill set and gained valuable life experiences. Ashley’s professional journey reflects his determination and adaptability. This includes being a soldier in the Army Reserves, starring in a Channel 4 documentary, Youth and Sports Work and over 8 years of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, HR, Recruitment and project experience working for Nottingham City Council. A lifetimes experience of living and working in the inner-city of Nottingham adds a unique perspective to Ashley’s story. Ashley has a deep understanding of community needs and challenges, enhancing his ability to contribute meaningfully to CYF’s initiatives and projects.
Jomo Jospeh
Trustee
Jomo first engaged with CYF at the age of 15 through one of our sports programmes and quickly became a core member of CYF. Jomo went on to complete a Health and Social Care qualification with CYF, working as a youth work apprentice across the organisation. He then worked with CYF to gain place at Manchester Metropolitan University where he graduated with a degree in Youth and Community Work. Today Jomo work with young people in care and brings 10 years of youth work experience to our board of Trustees as well as a lifetime lived experience of growing up in Nottingham’s inner-city communities.
Andre Nichols
Trustee
Dre’s involvement with CYF began with his incredible film making skills which enabled a series of music videos and CYF feature film. Dre quickly became a permanent member of CYF staff supporting our school and community work. Years later, Dre has experience in a range of youth arts based settings including YMCA Digital and The Princes Trust. We are delighted and privileged to welcome Dre back to CYF as a trustee.
Colleen Francis
Trustee
Coleen has 15+ years experience of delivering community development work in Nottingham’s inner-city communities. This has included working with the Renewal Trust. She currently leads The Colour of Love which celebrates Nottinghamshire’s Mixed-race identity and has documented Nottingham’s 1940s-1970s interracial relationships in Film, Photo Exhibition, Book & Transcripts. Coleen was key to the success of CYF’s film project ‘The Chase’ – leading the films successful launch which was attended by local MP’s, education leaders, Notts Police and Crime Commissioner, the BBC and policy and decision makers from across Nottingham City Council.
Lisa Bamford
Trustee
One of CYF’s founding trustees, Lisa is a qualified social worker with 20+ years experience working with children and young people across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire including Children and Adolescent Mental Health, Nottingham City Council, and film work for children who have experienced domestic abuse.
Kath Andrew
Trustee
Kath is one of the founding trustees of CYF and has played an integral role in its evolution. She has a wealth of experience of delivering frontline services to children and young people across Nottingham’s inner-city communities with a particular focus on asylum seekers, refugees and economic migrants; including for Nottingham City Play Services and 15+ years as co-founder and director of Wild Things.
More info about Kath here – https://wildthings.org.uk and here https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/09/i-feel-ive-come-home-can-forest-schools-help-heal-refugee-children
Susie Gray
Project manager
Susie Gray was CYF’s original founding Project Manager and was responsible for the funding, development and delivery of all its work from 2007 – 2013. She has a wealth of experience in the voluntary sector including being a founding trustee of award winning youth charity Trelya and experience as Children’s Centre Manager, Learning Mentor, Youth Work, managing Women’s Aid services, 7 years experience as a freelance grant writer and project development consultant. Susie holds a DIPHE in Youth and Community Work. Susie returned to CYF in 2018 and has been key to driving forward its evolution into its current form. With support from Arts Council England, Susie is currently being mentored in Social Justice writing by Dr Maggie Sokolik, Director of the College Writing Programs at UC Berkeley.
Robyn Hughes-Jones
Creative youth worker and project leader
A talented musician in her own right, Robyn brings over 10 years of music industry and youth work experience to CYF. Robyn is one of CYF’s key frontline staff, delivering one to one mentoring and group work with young people across the organisation. Robyn’s creative talents, integrity and commitment to equity translate into high quality asset based youth work experiences that enable meaningful and lasting differences in the lives of the young people she supports.
Dr Elaine Aldred
Education Consultant
With a background in bioscience, a Bsc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Chemistry and a Masters in Science, Elaine went on to develop her professional practice to encompass the arts and humanities with a BA in Creative and Professional Writing and a Doctorate in Education. She has extensive experience of developing and teaching on vocational courses and has a particular interest in participant-centred learning. We are excited to have Elaine’s support in developing young people’s personal learning plans and our monitoring and evaluation systems.
Nick Stezz
Youth worker and Creative Lead
Nick is one of Nottingham’s best known urban music producers and a long time St.Ann’s resident. He has over 20 years experience in delivering frontline arts-based interventions across the city.
He is a professional music producer, creative technician, musician and community music engagement practitioner, who was born and raised in Nottingham’s multi-cultural, working class community.
Jonni Scott
Sessional Youth Worker
As a dedicated father of two boys who share a passion for football, Jonni is deeply committed to supporting the growth and development of young people. With a strong belief in the power of sports and mentorship, Jonni has been working with CYF’s under 14’s activity programme. Jonni says “ It has been a pleasure to witness the positive impact of providing mentorship and opportunities for young individuals to excel. As an advocate for youth development I understand the need to support them on their journey. I believe that every young person deserves the chance to thrive, and I love being a part of an organisation that shares this vision. Together, we are working towards creating a brighter future for the next generation”.
Malik Neil (MK)
sessional youth worker
MK is motivated by a strong desire to be a positive role model for young people and advocate for mental health awareness and brings a wealth of experience and passion to his role. With a background in working across children’s residential settings, MK has gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by young individuals. His commitment to fostering a supportive environment for youth is evident in his work. Beyond his role as a youth worker, MK is a well-known Nottingham musician who uses the power of music to raise awareness of important issues and spread positivity. His creative endeavors align seamlessly with his dedication to making a positive impact in the community. MK’s multifaceted approach, combining his experience in youth work with his musical talents, reflects his commitment to holistic well-being and community engagement. We are thrilled to have MK as an integral part of our team, contributing to the positive development of the children, young people and families we serve.
Catherine Brinton
family support worker
Catherine is a qualified primary school teacher specialising in the early years and language development. She has thirty years experience working with children and families in Cornwall, East London, Greenwich and Nottingham in both public and voluntary sector settings. Passionate about creating nurturing and innovative provision, Catherine has played a key role in developing supportive environments for children and families in a variety of settings.
Jamal Sterrett Phoenix
film and creative sessional engagement worker
Jamal was born and raised in inner-city Nottingham and has lived experience of many of the issues faced by young people growing up in the community. Jamal blends his progressive and unique photography and film skills with the Caribbean dance style of Bruk Up and freeform. Jamal uses his unique creative skills to provide children and young people at CYF with inclusive and relevant opportunities to engage in high quality arts programmes. An example of his work with CYF is ‘Bruk Up Stigma’which can be viewed on the Projects page. Jamal has won national acclaim – being featured in several documentaries (including One Dance UK’s film ‘Flow State’); featuring in IKEA’s 2019 National Art Event Ad; and winning 2015 Young Creative of The Year. Jamal is also the artist that created CYF’s showreel that can be seen on our landing page.
Maja Likar
Art therapist
“Maja is working with CYF as an art therapist, offering art psychotherapy to some of the young people and family members that CYF is working with. Maja has years of experience of working as a play and youth worker in inner-city communities in Nottingham and currently works with Wild Things, offering experiences in the woods to children and young people from inner-city Nottingham who don’t have access to the natural world. Maja’s own life experience of growing up in an under-resourced working class family in rural Slovenia fuels her dedication to enabling good quality care for children, young people and families affected by hardship. This translates into Maja’s psychotherapy work, seeing how systemic injustices and inequalities filter into individuals’ lives and affect their mental health. Maja is working to support individuals to understand themselves and build confidence, self-compassion and a sense of agency in an incredibly complicated world. “