Our people

About

Robyn is an experienced communications professional who drives change and innovation in social-purpose organisations. Before joining Youth Futures, Robyn was Head of Communications & Digital at What Works Wellbeing where she spearheaded the organisational strategy refresh, evolved the organisation’s brand identity, and delivered the Centre’s 10-year Legacy Report. She has previously worked across PR, social media and copywriting in the higher education and performing arts sectors. Outside work, Robyn is a keen foodie, occasional runner, and sings in semi-professional consort group Epiphoni.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Robyn leads large-scale digital projects and content strategy.

About

Ellen has previously worked in the education sector, most recently at a university where she organised co- and extra-curricular experiential learning opportunities for students. Prior to that, she served as an academic mentor with the charity Teach First, supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in their learning during the pandemic. She holds a BA in French and Hispanic Studies and enjoys Pilates and trips to the cinema in her free time.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

As Youth Inclusion Officer at Youth Futures Foundation, Ellen supports our young people’s programmes including the Future Voices Group and Connected Futures Ambassadors, helping to embed youth voice throughout the organisation and ensure that young people are at the heart of what we do.

About

Prior to joining YFF, Talia worked for a youth democratic engagement organisation and completed a Masters in Race, Media and Social Justice

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Talia is part of the Youth Inclusion team that focuses on creating meaningful spaces for young people to share their voices across the organisation and on the issue of youth unemployment. Since joininig in 2022, her work has focused on the Future Voice programme and ensuring that the voices and interests of young people affected by inequality and discrimination in employment were well represented in our research and policy work. .

Max has been passionate about improving outcomes for disadvantaged young people ever since attending a secondary school stuck in Ofsted special measures and seeing his peers have their life chances severely affected. He has worked for charities supporting marignalised young people to make positive transitions his whole career, gaining experience in direct delivery of youth work as well as fundraising. Prior to joining Youth Futures Foundation, Max led on UCAS’s transformation in improving its offer around apprenticeships and vocational pathways. In his spare time Max is a long-suffering Arsenal fan and music enthusiast.

Max is our Policy Manager, working across the range of Youth Futures Foundation’s policy areas to influence government thinking and develop evidence-based policy solutions. 

About

Emily is an experienced non-profit communications professional. She has a masters degree in sociolinguistics from the University of York, and she carries an enduring interest in identity, language, and power into her work at Youth Futures.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Emily is responsible for strategic thinking on how we can best engage our key audiences: from our internal staff team, to employers who can use our evidence to make meaningful change for young people. Emily also works to develop and deliver high-quality content, amplifying the voices and stories of marginalised young people.

About

After graduating from the University of Leeds (Politics & Spanish) in 2020, Lewis has amassed a diverse range of experience at marketing and PR agencies, delivering communications campaigns for client across the sustainability, retail and construction sectors. He joined Youth Futures after volunteering at London-based charity Football Beyond Borders.

Outside of work Lewis loves being active, whether that’s playing football, tennis, or running, and travelling. He spent his year abroad studying in Argentina and travelling across South America.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Lewis works across the public affairs and communication teams, communicating Youth Futures’s work to policymakers and its wider audiences.

About

Eve has a background working in various policy and campaigning roles focused on improving outcomes for young people in the children’s social care and domestic abuse sectors. This includes successfully campaigning for higher foster carer allowances to support children and young people in care. She also has a Masters in Human Rights.
In her spare time Eve likes to swim in the sea as much as she can and make pottery.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Eve manages engagement and influencing activities across government, parliamentary and political stakeholders, as well as being the secretariat for the Youth Employment Group.

About

Ryan has worked in policy and related roles across the third sector and local government. In addition to his work on youth employment in multiple roles at Youth Futures Foundation, his work has included leading on skills and place policy at the National Centre for Universities and Business and working on the delivery of the City Deal in Greater Cambridge. He holds a wealth of multi-disciplinary professional experience in policy, public affairs and relationship and project management.

What they do at Youth Futures

Ryan sits at the intersection of our policy, government relations and evidence generation work, playing a key role in helping us to work with local and national government to set up trials to build new evidence about what works. He has a specific focus on our engagement with regional government, acting as a point of contact for interest stakeholders and shaping our offer based on their needs. This currently includes a strong focus on the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer programme.

About

Justin’s career has spanned the public, private and third sector, with a focus on education and skills. He most recently worked as a consultant with clients in and around the UK public sector on stakeholder engagement and project management, having previously held external affairs and policy roles at The Careers and Enterprise Company.

Outside of work, he likes to travel, keep up with politics and sport, and drag himself out for a run.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Justin is a specialist in external affairs. He works across policy, public affairs, and communications to support policymakers to make informed decisions.

About

Vicki started her career as a parliamentary researcher in the House of Commons before moving to The Fostering Network. Vicki’s campaigning work led to the introduction of legislation to extend foster care to young people to the age of 21. She co-chaired the Alliance for children in care and care leavers, working in partnership with 50 organisations to co-ordinate influencing activity as well as regularly representing The Fostering Network in the media. In her spare time, Vicki loves to cycle in the Surrey Hills and plays netball for Kingston Tigers.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Vicki leads our Public Affairs team, along with Jessica Shrenk.

About

Éilis is a registered social worker, and trained systemic practitioner, with experience in children’s social care, mental health and voluntary settings. She has specialised in supporting care-experienced and neurodivergent young people in therapetuic settings, undertaking practioner-led research in this area. Éilis has also managed grants across the children’s sector.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Éilis manages youth inclusion and participation activities across programmes and grants – centring the voices, experiences and identities of young people within systems change work. She leads the Connected Futures Ambassadors and the Building Futures Youth Advisory Group, supporting each young person to influence change, whilst also gaining personal development outcomes.

About

Alison holds a BA in Geography and History from the University of Glasgow and MA in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response from the University of Manchester. Having spent 2 years in our Impact and Evidence directorate, Alison has worked on many of our evidence-generation projects and gained experience with various research methods in a range of projects to better understand the youth unemployment challenge.

Before that Alison did her Masters in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response at The University of Manchester. Her dissertation explored the efficacy of cash-based humanitarian interventions targeting young people.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

In her role as Senior Policy Officer, Alison works in the Policy and Public Affairs Team to grow and develop our policy expertise and develop evidence-led solutions based on what works.

About

Laura has worked as the Youth Development Manager and Youth Voice Manager at LEEDS 2023, Year of Culture, where she designed and oversaw the delivery of a large-scale skills and youth voice programme reaching over 200 young people across the West Yorkshire region.

Laura’s interest and specialism lies in working with young people through co-production and youth governance which was first ignited through her work as Lead Producer of an NLHF project that centred young people of colour in co-creating solutions with heritage organisations to address diversity and inclusivity in the sector.”

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Laura leads our Youth Inclusion team to ensure youth inclusion and voice is embedded across our work.

About

Lauren loves being organised and helpful and has previously worked in admin & secretarial jobs, most recently at a property investment company. In her personal time, she enjoys doing charity work. She has raised £20k by organising various fundraising events, and visited North Africa to carry out charity work at children’s hospitals, schools and women’s refuges. She also enjoys big walks, pilates and spending time with family and friends.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Lauren is a Team Coordinator for the Engagement Team.>

About

Jessica has over seventeen years of experience working in public affairs and stakeholder engagement in Brussels and the UK. Outside of work, Jessica loves spending time with her family, dancing, live music, and yoga.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Jessica leads our Public Affairs team, along with Vicki Jones.

About

Kat’s career has been guided by a desire to maximise social impact and this ambition has led her to roles spanning Parliament, Whitehall and City Hall. She is a former adviser to a shadow cabinet minister and previously served as Deputy Head of Public Affairs for NHS England. During the pandemic, Kat led stakeholder engagement strategy for the Covid Vaccination Programme.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Kat is an external affairs specialist and works across communications, public affairs and policy. Her areas of focus include the Building Futures programme and mental health.

About

Before joining Youth Futures, Jodie worked at a Birmingham-based PR agency, where she led on both strategy and delivery for clients across industries including retail, arts and culture, hospitality and the third sector.

Jodie enjoys spending her free time walking her Dachshund, Frankie, and mentoring students and graduates at Birmingham City University.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

As the Senior Media and Communications Manager, Jodie is responsible for amplifying the youth employment challenge and increasing Youth Futures’ brand awareness, through strategic communications and media relations.

About

Sarah is a strategic public affairs and communications professional with experience of driving influencing strategies and reputational positioning. Previous roles include Head of External Affairs at The Careers and Enterprise Company.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Sarah leads our Policy and External Affairs directoriate, providing expert counsel to senior executives and policy makers and representing us in the public arena.

About

Natassja spent a formative part of her career at Girlguiding, co-creating campaigns, content and channels with members, which sparked a passion for empowering young people and amplifying youth voice through comms. Natassja is kept busy outside of work by her small, scruffy dog and less small, equally scruffy toddler.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Natassja leads our Marketing and Communications team, bringing over 12 years’ experience of building audience-focused strategies, delivering impactful campaigns and improving communications planning in trade associations and charities including Mayhew and the British Red Cross.