Our People

Prior to stepping up to this role, Jodie was the Director of Programmes and Partnerships at Khulisa for 2.5 years, where she built the delivery team and quadrupled our partnerships with schools. Before joining Khulisa, she held senior leadership positions in organisations offering a variety of therapeutic services to young people in care. Most notably, pioneering the development of a therapeutic unit for young women. The unit, the first of its kind in the UK, advocated for choice-based approaches in managing psychiatric and complex risks. (Yvonne House).

Importantly for Khulisa, Jodie also has lived experience of exclusion from school, has worked in Alternative Provision and has delivered therapeutic services as a frontline practitioner for over 10 years.

Jodie has trained as a Youth Worker and Criminologist and has a Masters from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in Psychodynamic and Systemic Leadership and Consultancy. She is passionate about taking a relational approach to both individual and systemic change and creating platforms and spaces that are inclusive and where those with lived experiences can have their voice heard (and feel comfortable whilst sharing it).

Jodie chairs Khulisa’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee. She
is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ inclusion and sits on the Management Committee at Haringey Learning Partnership ( a multi-site alternative provision for young people with complex needs).

Jodie spends her free time weightlifting, playing AFL (badly) and walking her dog.

Annie joined Khulisa in 2018 with a focus on building our evidence base and maintaining quality. She has specialised in evidence and impact since 2009, initially working internationally before making the decision to focus on the UK-based charity sector. Annie has a Masters in International Development and has spent much of her life living and working overseas in Japan, Cambodia and South Africa. She then worked with international youth-focused charities, delivering training in how to build Theories of Change and monitoring and evaluation systems, and managed large-scale evaluations in countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil.

Prior to joining Khulisa, she also worked as Head of Evidence and Learning at a global NGO, and as an independent evaluator in the non-profit sector. She previously managed a flagship UK Government-funded randomised control trial exploring prevention of sexual abuse among adolescent girls in refugee camps.

When she's not at work, Annie loves taking photos, travelling, climbing, swimming, cooking and walking the dog with her partner in the Peak District, where they now live. She's also an active women's health advocate.

Tony joined Khulisa in August 2022 as an experienced charity accountant, having spent 14 years working in two large charities. These were Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity or GOSHCC (where he qualified with ACCA) and Wateraid where he led the UK finance operations team.

Tony enjoys working in teams to deliver high quality management information and his career objectives are to develop himself, colleagues and the organisations he works for. A significant career highlight was acting as finance lead for the implementation of Salesforce at GOSHCC. On this he worked with agile project teams from Deloitte and Qbase to update and digitalise finance processes, build strong system integrations and develop new reporting tools for staff.

Away from work he is a keen (fantasy) footballer and enjoys reading and long country walks. He also loves spending time with his wife and three children.

Nora is passionate about connecting people with the causes they care about and driving funds towards programmes that create real change in the world. Having worked in fundraising for over 15 years, for a variety of causes, including Charities Aid Foundation, ICYE UK, Plan UK, Women for Women International and Scope she has developed a wide range of skills and approaches to engaging supporters. Nora specialises in high net worth relationship building, major donor, corporate, trusts and foundation and joint ventures between private and public funding.

Her communications experience includes, brand identity, cause related marketing, and audience insight.

She has a MSc in Development Studies from SOAS, a BA in History and enjoys regular personal development opportunities through networks such as the Lucidity Network. She sits on the fundraising committee and is an active PTA member for her children’s primary school.

Nora joined Khulisa in September 2020 after a year abroad travelling with her family in Central and South America. She enjoys time with her family, reading, swimming and travelling.

Derellanne is from Dublin, Ireland and has lived in the UK since January 2011. Her therapeutic background is in Humanistic counselling and over the past decade she has worked with Young People in Schools, PRU’s, residentials, and psychiatric inpatient units. Derellanne’s previous role was managing a team working with care leavers in semi-independent residential and community placements. She is passionate about working with Young People and being creative to ignite change.

Outside of work Derellanne plays for an AFL team (Australian Football), loves to cook new cuisines and listen to music.

Tasha joined Khulisa in April 2021 and has over 10 years experience working with young people across the country from all different walks of life, from Prisons to schools, to the community and residentials. Most recently Tasha has worked closely supporting Children in care and young care leavers to improve their well-being, helping them to achieve their full potential, through 1:1 young person-centered coaching and support, group workshops or training of professionals.

Tasha has a degree in Psychology and a masters in youth and community work and is passionate about helping to solicit change in our most vulnerable young people, always using trauma informed, person centered, strength-based models.

When she's not working, you will find Tasha eating something, in her studio creating resin pieces, on an airplane somewhere or researching where next to go!

Briony joined Khulisa in late 2021 as an Associate Facilitator and became a Programme Manager in July 2022. Briony has an Undergraduate degree in Drama and Theatre Studies and is also a qualified Dramatherapist, having graduated from Derby University in 2021. During her MA studies, Briony spent time researching the impact of trauma on an individual’s sense of self during adolescence, and how the use of story and metaphor can support the possibility of rediscovery and healing where biological disruption has been present.

Prior to her studies, Briony worked within residential settings with children, young people and adults. Briony has also worked within schools and refuges as part of her University placements and most recently has provided 1-1 and group interventions for children and young people who have been affected by cancer, bereavement and life limiting conditions.

Outside of work, Briony loves going to the theatre, musicals being a firm favourite. She also enjoys meeting with friends, weekends away and any excuse to go to the beach!

Sheila has worked with young people for over 15 years, designing and delivering drama based Personal Health and Social Education (PHSE) workshops from mainstream schools to referral units throughout London, tackling subject matters such as, sex education, anti-bullying, knife crime, drugs and alcohol abuse and much more.

As a therapist, Sheila has worked within the NHS; forensic mental health and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, providing one-to-one and group therapy to patients with a variety of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar and dissociative order, self-harm, suicidal ideations, and psychosis.

Since the beginning of the year, she has been a therapist and continues to work with ‘Just For Kids Law’, a UK charity that work with children and young people to ensure their legal rights are respected and promoted.

Sheila runs a befriending group four times a year for families who have lost their babies through stillbirth and neonatal death. This group has been running for 10 years, for families to come together to share their experiences, and support one another through loss and
grief.

Trained at the University of Roehampton as a dramatherapist, Sheila works creatively with story-making, music, movement, and art, which enables her clients to explore and work through their issues if words are too difficult.

Sheila is a member of The British Association of Dramatherapists, (BADth) and is registered and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

When Sheila is not working, you will find her either reading a book or watching a film and relaxing with her family.

Karl is a fully qualified youth worker (level 3) with 6 years experience working with young people, with 4 of those five years working with young people who are on youth offending orders.

He is skilled in the areas of conflict resolution, restorative justice and has recently trained in A.R.T (Aggression Replacement Training®) He has also developed numerous arts-based interventions of his own which have been used in a variety of youth offending services. with his latest group of young people having won a Koestler award for their identity project. With a background in the arts, Karl is also a noted published photographer.

As Khulisa's Evidence and Impact Manager, Iman is responsible for exploring what our service users want and need, and how far our work makes positive changes to young people’s lives. She uses this evidence to create high quality theories of change and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks to underpin our programmes, support meaningful user research and collate evidence that informs our programme design. To further Khulisa's aim to improve the lives of as many young people as possible, she also uses the evidence we generate to influence policy and practice across the UK.

Prior to Khulisa, Iman worked at GT Stewart Solicitors as a Criminal Defence Paralegal specialising in criminal appeals.

She graduated from SOAS, University of London in July 2016 with a Masters in Law specialising in Human Rights and began her career working as a Project Management Intern with Team Up - a social enterprise engaged in furthering social mobility through education.

When not at work, you can find Iman reading fiction, trying out new podcasts (discussing said fiction books) or practicing her (self-taught) Turkish.

Andrea-May has a degree in Drama and a MA in Dramatherapy and is currently undertaking a PhD researching the attitudes and access to creative therapies for post Windrush populations. Her research investigates themes of racism, post traumatic slave syndrome and transgenerational trauma.

Before joining Khulisa, Andrea-May was a self-employed dramatherapist delivering therapy within schools to vulnerable young people running individual and group sessions. She has over 10 years’ experience working with young people and their families across the northwest of England.

She maintains a small private practice and is passionate that all children and young people have access to appropriate therapies for maintaining good mental health.

In her free time Andrea-May loves spending quality time with her daughters, partner, family
and friends, playing the sims, going to the gym and traveling. Her latest hobby is paddle boarding, so you may now find her on the water when the sun is out.

Tiah has an Undergraduate degree from in Psychology and Education Studies and has an MSc in Psychology of Education. Between her studies, Tiah moved to Sevilla for 9 months where she worked as a Language Assistant and developed her interest in working with a young people with various needs and using creative ways to bring language learning to life!

Before joining Khulisa, Tiah worked at a various language summer schools as an activities manager and worked as a tutor. Most recently, Tiah worked with a widening participation charity based in South East London. Programmes with the young people aimed to introduce young people to the different routes into and opportunities related to further education and careers, in the hope of helping them to develop the
skills and confidence to achieve their different aspirations. In addition to enjoying supporting young people with their academic attainment, Tiah became drawn to exploring the ways in which, social, behavioural and emotional factors rooted outside of the classroom impacted students’ performance and presence in their classrooms.

Outside of work, Tiah enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking as much as she can for anyone who is willing to taste her creations and exploring different hobbies to tap into her creativity.

Before Khulisa, I specialised in fundraising and recruitment for a charity focusing on young people
who are deaf and partially deaf. I also worked for a pharmaceutical company where I coordinated
projects and campaigns to help improve the prognosis of people with rare forms of cardiovascular
disease.

I developed an initial understanding of young people’s experiences through my aunt and uncle, who
were engaged in a charity that focuses on the abilities of young people and improving their life skills.
As a tutor for secondary school pupils and a peer mentor at University, I spent a lot of my time
working with young people, listening to their experiences, and giving relevant advice.

I graduated from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in September 2022 with a
Masters in Public Health, where I enjoyed learning about evaluation methods and conducting
research in participatory approaches.

When I am not working, I enjoy keeping active by running and going to the gym, listening to a variety
of podcasts, finding new places to explore, and planning travelling trips.

As Khulisa's Trusts Fundraising Manager, Isabel works across our grants and corporate partnerships. Before joining Khulisa, Isabel worked in development in social care and education charities with a particular focus on access, engagement and participation. Isabel has also worked as a prison and mental health law paralegal, working directly with young and vulnerable people often excluded from accessing education and struggling to re-integrate.

She specialises in grant-based fundraising, and is particularly passionate about building partnerships with funders and public sector institutions to ensure brilliant, comprehensive services for young and vulnerable people.

Isabel holds a GDL in Law from the University of Law, prior to which she studied Ancient and Modern History (BA) at the University of Oxford and Russian Studies (MA) at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies.

When not working, Isabel enjoys open air swimming and attempting to make passable piroshki dumplings - usually unsuccessfully.

Sean has worked in frontline practice, training, and service management roles since 2014, supporting young people, caregivers, and professionals around the impact of serious youth violence, exploitation, and extremism. Sean is passionate about creating space for physical and psychological safety so that young people can thrive, and those caring for them can also feel empowered to do so.

For the last three years, Sean has set up and delivered three hospital-based violence interruption services across Birmingham, supporting young people experiencing trauma and in times of utmost need. This provision is based in emergency departments, working alongside clinicians, to provide biopsychosocial care in unison with medical intervention. These care packages aim to support young people to lead happier, healthier and safer lives whilst understanding how to manage contextual risks. This work was conducted through a systemic approach of complex safeguarding, safety planning, nurturing and relationship-based practice.

When not at work, Sean enjoys exercising so he can eat more, and eating more so that he can exercise! He also loves caring for his two cats (when they’re not trying to join in on video meetings!)

Lucy is a HCPC registered Dramatherapist and joined Khulisa in 2017. Lucy works with children and adolescents in both state and independent schools and has a private practice. Her clinical experience includes adult mental health NHS, community work with both victim and perpetrator of domestic abuse and work with special needs clients.

Lucy trained and worked as an actress. She continues to use her skills therapeutically and has co facilitated workshops for vulnerable young people at The Greenwich and Lewisham Young Peoples Theatre.

In her free time Lucy enjoys socialising, theatre , reading and travel- like other Khulisa facilitators she loves walking her dog!

Ling was awarded Embassy Postgraduate Scholarship and start-up & enterprise awards. She has experience assisting SEN children with transitional needs and young people with mental health issues. Ling furthermore works with adults with multiple challenges, such as addiction and low mood. Coming from Taiwan and majoring in drama, Ling is interested in different cultures, creativity and their impact on the therapeutic process. As a drama and movement therapist, Ling utilises storytelling, writing, improvisation, object projection and Laban movement. Her method offers a space to explore the inner energy and archetypes and help clients on their life journeys, and the sessions are client-led. She also offers sessions in Mandarin.

Rob Dickinson heads the Philanthropy and Partnerships team within The Children’s Society. Rob leads the organisation's strategic relationships with high value funders, individuals and corporate partners. He has a broad experience of the Charity sector, having previously led Business Development teams across the North of England, and managed service delivery across family support, young carers, and therapeutic teems in Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Rob spent 4 years as a trustee of Child Action Northwest, a regional foster care and early intervention service provider.

Rob is an associate consultant for Warren Larkin Associates and advises on system change within trauma focused service design, delivery and training.

Rob is a keen Blackburn Rovers supporter and father of 3.

Philippa is the director of programmes and learning at SSE Central. She has worked in learning and skills development organisations for 15 years, with a particular focus on enterprise training and employability programming for young people. She has held training delivery and programme management roles in the UK with the Prince’s Trust and internationally with World Challenge Expeditions. Prior to joining SSE she spent seven years launching and leading the UK office of Canadian charity Street Kids International, training local NGOs in the developing world to deliver participatory enterprise skills training for street youth.

Sharon joined Khulisa as a Trustee in March 2019 and will bring with her a wealth of experience in Clinical Governance, organisational and people development. Having worked in the field of psychology for 25 years, she is committed to supporting people and organisations to develop their full potential in their pursuit of excellence and social justice.

Prior to joining Khulisa, Sharon worked a clinician in the NHS, in the prison service and in low, medium and maximum security forensic hospitals, focussing her interests on the management of trauma caused by profound neurological difficulties, severe and enduring mental health conditions, sexual abuse, combat/war/civil unrest and chronic illness. Passionate about employment and civil rights, and social justice, Sharon worked for many years as a Union Representative and went on to become Vice Chair of a national committee at UNITE the Union which aimed to uphold employment rights and standards of professional practice for the psychological professions.

After many years of being a clinician, Sharon went on to work in executive management, leading two national charities through complex transformational change and also worked as a business consultant in multinational industries within the corporate sector, working with executive teams to respond effectively to regulatory and customer requirements, and supporting the agencies many of which worked in safety critical environments, to recover in the aftermath of industrial action or critical incidents. A licensed and registered Clinical Psychologist, Sharon now runs her own company, providing business consultancy, executive coaching and mentoring and training, trauma-focussed psychological therapy and medico-legal assessments to the statutory, charity and corporate sectors. She also works with professional regulators to ensure standards of practice are maintained, and mentors and advises a number of charity boards.

When Sharon is not working she loves to cook and entertain family and friends, paint portraits and sculpt. A keen traveller, she is determined to get New Orleans, Cuba and India under her belt in 2019 as well some exploring around the UK!

Jean-Marc is a Managing Director in Risk for the Wealth Management & Investments business in Barclays Bank UK plc, which provides wealth management, investments and banking services to UK high net worth clients.

He joined Barclays in November 2011 in Singapore, relocating to the UK in 2013. Jean-Marc was previously with Goldman Sachs, in Hong Kong and London. He has also worked for JPMorgan and Bank of America in London and South Africa.

Jean-Marc holds an Honours degree in Economics from University of Johannesburg. He is married with two children, and is a passionate rugby and cricket fan.

Daniel is senior leader in the voluntary sector with over 15 years experience of delivering services for young people across both the voluntary and the public sectors. His experience ranges from frontline youth work roles to designing and managing services.

This includes the development and implementation of Homicide, Domestic Abuse, mentoring, Education services in addition to a Harmful Sexual behaviour programme, which provided intervention for young men who held inappropriate attitudes towards sex and relationships.

Daniel holds a Youth & Community Degree and an MSc in Gender, Sexuality & Society.

He is extremely passionate about race equality, which is evident in all aspects of his practice and research.

In his spare time Daniel enjoys running, Yoga and playing football.

Adrienne Sanders MSc, MSc, MBPsS is an experienced leader, facilitator, and learning and development professional with 8+ years experience working across the not-for-profit, public, and private sector. Adrienne works as a Learning & Development Consultant, having previously held leadership positions in organisations such as Mind, the mental health charity and Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC).

Adrienne is member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and holds a Level 3 in Charity Leadership & Management from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). Adrienne holds two Masters degrees: an MSc in Psychology with a research specialism in organisational psychology, wellbeing and mental health at work; and an MSc in Environmental Politics & International Development. Areas of specialism include leadership development, workplace wellbeing & mental health, organisational psychology, learning design, mentoring, and team development. Adrienne is passionate about working with people, developing leaders, and supporting organisations to develop effective mental health strategies.

Adrienne is originally from west coast Canada and is an avid rock climber and outdoor adventurist who can often be found scaling mountains and camping outside in her free time.

Dami is the Business Director at charity Finding Rhythms, an organisation delivering music based engagement supporting prisoners and young people at risk of offending.

He oversees fundraising, programme development and partnerships. Dami has vital role in the the growth of youth focused charities and hopes to bring this expertise to Khulisa. He is passionate about increasing social mobility opportunities through education to create a level playing field for the marginalised and disadvantaged.

Dami holds and MSc in Finance and Development from SOAS.

Joely joined Khulisa part time in December 2018 as Khulisa's Youth Engagement Advisor. As part of her role Joely ensures young people's voices are being heard and to encourage participants to engage and get the most out of Khulisa's programmes. She believes that many young people are being failed and not taken seriously by the education system and that all young people should be able to express themselves.

Joely first got involved with Khulisa as a student at Wac Arts College in 2017 when she attended a Khulisa taster day. Seeing how Khulisa breaks down people's resistance to life made Joely want to be more involved. Following this she helped design and develop the #lookbeyondthelabel campaign and has been an advocate for Khulisa's work ever since.

Joely is passionate about photography, sports, travelling and socialising and hopes to use her experience and skills to work with children who have been in similar situations to her (both education-wise and life-wise) to help them achieve their goals.

Nicola initially joined Khulisa in September 2018 as our Commercial Manager, focused on developing a commercial strategy for Khulisa to earn its own income. In December 2019, a promotion to Head of Commercial and Operations expanded this remit to ensure Khulisa’s operational processes effectively supported and implemented its commercial strategy, in addition to effective safeguarding of Khulisa’s assets e.g. ensuring compliance with GDPR.

Nicola sadly departed Khulisa in April 2020 to return to the Civil Service, but is staying in touch and offering her skills and expertise to us as a volunteer.

Nicola is a graduate of the Civil Service Commercial Fast Stream Programme and an accredited member of the Government Commercial Organisation and Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. She has experience in demanding commercial roles across Government, having led procurement and commercial projects at both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

She graduated from Cardiff University with a Law degree in 2014, beginning her career as an Industrial Disease paralegal with Slater & Gordon.

When not at work, Nicola loves eating out with friends and exploring the West Yorkshire countryside on bike or on foot.

Rohati has been part of the Khulisa family since December 2018, where she was Interim CEO and then became a Strategic Advisor to the Senior Management Team. Since April 2020, Rohati has been providing her skills and expertise as a Volunteer to support Khulisa to navigate and thrive in a very changed landscape.

Rohati brings 20 years strategic and operational experience of partnerships and programmes from a UK and international development context. Rohati is energised by mission-driven organisations that enable children and young people to fulfil their potential and believes that every actor in the system must play their part. Rohati has worked across a range of sectors and organisational cultures that share her values including: The Living Wage Foundation, The Prince's Trust, Local Government Association and PwC (Government & Public Sector Consulting).

For the time being, Rohati works on an Independent basis and when she is not working she can be found hanging out with her teenage sons, dreaming of cheese and meat platters and wondering if the world will ever be the same again.