LMK LEADERS

Vinny

Vinny is a qualified coach, autism and learning disability specialist, and the founder of a consultancy and coaching service for neurodivergent and disabled people. She supports neurodivergent and disabled young people and their families to thrive in education, employment and life, and trains educators and employers on the benefits of having a neurodiverse workforce. With over a decade of experience across schools, charities and local government, Vinny is passionate about helping young people build confidence, independence and strong, healthy relationships. She is also a recognised thought leader in inclusion and transitions to adulthood, using her voice and lived experience to influence change through writing, speaking and policy work.

Simone

With over 16 years experience as a youth worker and qualified life coach, Simone manages youth services in the community and criminal justice system. She has designed, delivered and evaluated numerous programmes for young people both in these and wider educational settings, and has supported many young people through transitions in their lives. She is passionate about providing new and exciting opportunities for young people to grow and develop.

Shirin

Shirin is a dynamic and experienced facilitator of workshops in schools and colleges across London, supporting young people to unlock their true potential, create and sustain healthy and meaningful relationships, and contribute to bettering our world. Shirin qualified as a Social Worker in South Africa and has lived and worked in numerous countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She has worked in the fields of education and gender-based violence, and advocates on behalf of women and girls fleeing domestic abuse and sexual exploitation.

Sarah

Sarah is a passionate science educator and facilitator, with over ten years’ experience in medicine as a healthcare professional, researcher, carer and patient. The many challenges Sarah has faced in her life have given her a wealth of experience that informs her work and drives her dedication to community, peer support and advocacy. Sarah believes strongly in the power of education to empower people to make informed and autonomous decisions about their lives, their health and their relationships.

Ryan

Having overcome significant challenges in his youth, Ryan is dedicated to supporting vulnerable young people. Over the past decade, he has worked across London, Bolton, Leicester, and South Africa, blending his expertise in education, mentorship, and sports. Currently, he serves as a Specialist Practitioner in Westminster City Council's Changing Futures team, supporting young adults facing multiple disadvantages. A qualified teacher with an MA in Education from UCL, Ryan also co-founded the EYC Project, a C.I.C. inspired by his mother, focused on driving positive change through education.

Rhys

Rhys has over 12 years experience working with North London's most vulnerable and challenging young people, both as a sports coach and a lead learning assistant in a pupil referral unit. Rhy thrives on being a positive role model: helping young people to engage in a wide range of workshops to improve their skills, confidence and realise their potential.

Prince

Prince is an experienced youth worker and family practitioner, whose expertise has seen him deliver well-being focused interventions with young people on topics like FGM/C and HIV, both in the UK and abroad. Most recently, Prince has spent a number of years within children's social care and as a trustee of an international development charity. He is passionate about empowering young people to lead change in themselves or their communities.

Penny

With over 12 years experience working predominantly in the charity and education field, Penny supports and advocates for young people with learning disabilities, Autism and complex needs. She has extensive experience of both teaching and facilitating and works to enable young people to access and thrive in their communities, build meaningful relationships and achieve sustainable employment and/or access to education. Penny is passionate about social change and removing barriers to inclusion. She supports young people to learn, gain confidence and advocate for themselves and others.

Nick

Nick is a mental health youth worker and trainer, with over 15 years experience working with young people in charities and NGOs, both in the UK and abroad. He talks openly about his experiences of living with a diagnosis of clinical depression and general anxiety disorder. He is a passionate advocate of young people using their voices to improve their own lives and their peers’. As well as being an advisor to the World Health Organisation, he is a runner, punk and has a podcast ‘ Angry Little Welshman.’

Marcus

Overcoming many challenges in his childhood years, Marcus now uses these experiences to inspire young people to be the best versions of themselves. He wants to be a guiding light in the lives of the young people he engages with. Marcus has over 10 years of experience working with young people in the UK & overseas. He currently delivers workshops and teaches across the UK, promoting young people’s wellbeing.

Louise

Louise is an innovative educator, safeguarding lead and professional facilitator with sixteen years’ experience in education and charity settings. After finishing an MA in Critical Theory, she managed the youth programmes at the interfaith charity CCJ. She went on to train as a teacher and spent 12 years in schools in various leadership positions. Louise is committed to the wellbeing of both adults and young people in her care, passionate about equipping them with the tools to understand the world around them and make positive decisions for their futures. Louise is also an FA qualified football referee and a committed Arsenal fan.

Louise

Louise is a social worker and experienced trainer with considerable experience supporting survivors of gender-based violence for the domestic abuse charity Refuge and within the NHS. She also brings recent experience managing a project providing sexual assault prevention training to university undergraduates and has previously supported the NSPCC's 'Speak Out Stay Safe' programme, delivering safeguarding assemblies and workshops for 5-11 year olds. She is deeply committed to helping provide safe, trusting spaces for young people to have their questions answered and discuss the issues that matter most to their lives

Lois

Lois has 9 years’ experience working with young people as a caseworker, mentor and advocate in a variety of settings including: youth offending and education, as well as political and social activism. Through these roles, she has developed a practical understanding of the challenges faced by young people living in London and firmly believes healthy relationships are the key to their personal and professional success. Lois is determined to help young people fulfil their potential by developing the skills to foster healthy relationships.

Kianu

Kianu has been working as a facilitator, producer and programme manager for over five years. She has worked on youth and community projects promoting social mobility, and supporting vulnerable individuals from diverse backgrounds and with multiple needs, through mentoring, coaching and workshop facilitation. In 2018, Kianu set up a social enterprise in Hackney empowering underrepresented young people through mentoring, career pathways, and providing access to industry opportunities.

Katherine

Kath is a youth and criminal justice specialist and has been working for the last 13 years across youth settings, prison, probation and with young people at risk. In her work, she has used applied theatre and experiential learning tools to engage young people in important conversations around identity, conflict, wellbeing, employability, restorative justice and social-emotional learning. Kath also trains professionals in safeguarding, strength-based coaching, trauma informed working and youth engagement. She believes that everyone has the right to reach their full potential no matter what their circumstances are.

Joseph

Joseph has been working in youth and community engagement roles since 2015, primarily as a drama facilitator in primary and secondary schools, informal education settings, and with community groups. He has led a wide range of participatory arts projects, including community audio walks, LGBTQ+ climate justice workshops, and lots of performance events. He is particularly passionate about teaching skills which give everybody the confidence to use their voices, and in using the creative arts to develop communication, teamwork and imagination skills.

Jeremy

Jeremy co-founded a student-led initiative named BreatheUnion; a programme focused on peer support groups and personal development programmes for students. He is a community facilitator, coach-mentor, independent HR consultant and trainer. Having worked with a diverse range of people from different communities, Jeremy has gained the adaptability and flexibility needed to engage young people from a range of social and cultural backgrounds.

Emily

Emily is a facilitator, trainer and qualified teacher who’s spent 14 years working with young people, predominantly in education and mental health. She’s worked in schools, universities and charities to deliver national initiatives that reduce inequality and promote young people’s wellbeing. Driven by social justice, Emily is also a political activist who is passionate about involving young people in processes and decision making that affects them.

Ella

Ella is a passionate facilitator who has worked across mental health inpatient settings, hospital A&E departments, schools, residential children’s homes, and in the community. She currently works supporting young people in crisis to build confidence and work towards positive goals. She is motivated by her belief that every young person should know their worth, and have the tools to make healthy choices and thrive.

Dan

Dan has spent over a decade working in the university sector, equipping students with skills to build their future careers and supporting them in their development into young leaders. He currently oversees the membership support and engagement of a students’ union and is passionate about strengthening academic and social communities through inclusion.

Beatrix

Bea is a youth worker and facilitator with over four years' experience supporting and delivering to various groups, especially teenagers. She first progressed from club member to young leader in her hometown's youth centre in Romania.

Since becoming a youth worker, she has been involved in numerous training and research projects across Europe and the UK. Bea has experience working in various youth settings inducing groups for young people with SEND, and mental health difficulties. She co-runs a young girls' group in Islington and co-founded her own youth non-profit called DEIS UK in South-East London.

Anthony

Anthony is a highly accomplished young people and families practitioner, specialising in implementing targeted community programmes and prevention strategies across charities and local government. He has worked within Youth Justice, Early Help and Adolescent Services. With over 17 years experience of advocating for marginalised communities, he enjoys working with inner city young people with complex needs, as well as those impacted by gang violence, poverty and exploitation. He is passionate about helping others and his favourite quote is ”the road to success is always under construction”.

Anshu

Anshu is a senior rapid response practitioner, working with young people and families in crisis. She has worked within Children and Family Services for the last 12 years, gaining an in-depth knowledge of child protection and safeguarding. Through her role as a sexual exploitation worker, Anshu has extensive experience of creating and delivering sexual health, consent and healthy relationship workshops for young people and is passionate about supporting all young people to make informed choices.

Angie

Angie is an experienced facilitator and youth project coordinator. She is passionate about community and social justice and is driven by her experiences of being a first-generation Latin American migrant and growing up in and around Brixton. She uses her own lived experiences to inform her work with young people and she is motivated by the need to address dysfunctional patterns of behaviour through healthy relationship education. Angie loves finding opportunities to bring positivity to the lives of those she works with.

Ameliah

Ameliah is a qualified youth worker and probation officer, with an in-depth knowledge of child protection and safeguarding. She is adept at using coaching and mentoring techniques to deliver early support to troubled families and has developed and facilitated parenting programmes and workshops with young people to raise their self esteem and confidence. She is passionate about giving children a voice and protecting vulnerable young adults.

Alexandra

Alex is an experienced facilitator, who has been designing and delivering workshops in conflict navigationship principles and trauma-informed practice for over 20 years. Alex’s facilitation style is experiential and flexible. She creates safe emotional spaces where participants can explore, reflect and thrive. She has led projects that integrate learning into practice and encourage social and emotional growth in young people. Alex is a keen traveller and loves going on long walks with a podcast to accompany her along the way.

Alex

Alex is an experienced educator and youth worker. She is passionate about the power of education as the key to tackling many social issues. Alex recently worked as a Youth Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), where she supported young people with safety planning and relationship education. She is currently training as a psychotherapist and values work that empowers young people to become leaders of their own lives.

Abdi

Abdi is an experienced youth worker and a facilitator with a passion for supporting young people to navigate challenging times, and helping them overcome trauma. He currently manages a hospital-based youth work service that supports young people who’ve been impacted by violence or exploitation. He previously worked as a Disrupting Exploitation Project Worker, supporting victims of child exploitation and training police, social workers, teachers, youth workers and members of the public in how to respond to child exploitation and how to be trauma informed. He strongly believes in the power of education and early intervention to prevent harm.