Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
West London Zone
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Get In Touch Donate
Menu
  • About us
    • Why we exist
    • What we do
    • Who we are
      • Key Supporters
      • Staff
      • Trustees
      • Advisors
      • Delivery Partners
      • Schools
    • Our community
    • Our story
    • Our values
    • Our funding
  • Our support
    • For children and young people
    • For families
    • For schools
    • Delivery partners
    • Safeguarding
  • Our impact
    • Our latest data
    • Stories of success
    • Delivery Partner Spotlight
    • Impact report 2016-20
    • Our awards
  • Get involved
    • Donate
    • Support us
    • Join the team
    • Become a corporate supporter
  • News and events
    • News
    • Blog
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. About us
  2. Who we are
  3. Staff

Staff

Business Development Team

Expand

Amber de Freitas

Communications Officer

Amber joined WLZ after working in business development at youth justice charity SHiFT. She has a keen interest in amplifying the voices of children and young people and is excited about sharing their stories. Amber holds a BA in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Essex.

Rebecca Wallace

Communications Manager

Rebecca's previous roles include Digital Communications Specialist at Saudi Aramco, and Communications Coordinator for Team London, the volunteering arm of the Mayor of London's office. She also has extensive freelance writing and communications consulting experience. Prior to that she was a professional ballet dancer and stunt woman, before gaining a BA in History from Royal Holloway, University of London. 

Vanessa O'Donnell 

Head of Public Affairs and Communications

Vanessa has worked across public affairs, communications and policy in a range of organisations including Young Enterprise, the CBI and The Russell Group of Universities. Vanessa is particularly passionate about education and skills and the role these can both play in transforming life chances. Prior to this she worked in political polling at ComRes. Vanessa has a Public Policy Masters from Queen Mary and a BA in Politics from Warwick University. 

  Charly Pye

Development Manager

'After graduating from the University of Bath with a BA in Politics and Spanish, Charly worked as a Teaching Assistant in Spain and in various roles in education in the UK. She has completed a Development Studies Master’s at the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), bringing experience in academic research on educational inequalities. Charly’s more recent background has been in Trusts and Foundations fundraising, at an international development charity delivering education, healthcare and child protection services. 

Freddie O'Farrell

Freddie joined WLZ in its first year of delivery, supporting the growth and development of the organisation through to the signing of the Life Chances Fund contract in late 2019. He left to take up a more research-focused role at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and later also worked at Crisis, where he helped develop a place-based response to homelessness in the London borough of Brent.

Freddie returned to WLZ in 2022 as Head of Public Sector Commissioning, to lead on development work relating to schools, local authorities, and central government. Freddie holds an MSc in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford, and a BA in History & Politics from the University of Sheffield. 

Ewan Edwards

Development Manager (Commissioning)

Ewan brings experience from working in schools and educational charities in India, Spain,  Sierra Leone and west London. He has a MA in African studies from SOAS and a BA in Literature and History from the University of Leeds

Grace Mosimi

Development Officer

Grace previously worked in the charity sector by supporting the planning of fundraising events. Before joining West London Zone, she completed an MA in Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity at Birkbeck College, where she centred her research on how to mobilise the resolution of institutional inequalities. She also holds a BA degree in Human Geography, where she focused her research on the inequality of achievement between students at the degree level.

 Kate Dolleymore

Head of Philanthropy

Kate previously worked in the fundraising team at the literacy charity, Coram Beanstalk, managing their Major Donor programme and prior to that was managing events and individuals at the Children's International Development charity, Magic Bus. She has a BSC in Psychology from the University of Leeds.

Susan May Robbie 

Development Manager (Corporates)

A sustainability, social impact and communications consultant, Susan previously headed up social investment for Investec Bank. Prior to that, she practised as a corporate lawyer. She has a BA in Law and Psychology from the University of Cape Town, as well as an LLB.

Published: 6th February, 2018

Updated: 28th February, 2023

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Finance Team

Expand

Emilia Baran

Finance Manager

Emilia graduated with BSc (Hon) in Mathematics from the City University of London and then decided to pursue a career in Accountancy. Through practical experience, further study and personal development in related fields she became a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians and the Certified Institute of Management Accountants.  She has worked as a Senior Accountant for a small organisations (mostly charities) since 2012 and joined the West London Zone in November 2021

 

 

 

Published: 6th February, 2018

Updated: 9th March, 2023

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Link Work Team

Expand

 

 Amra Chohan

Link Worker

Amra graduated in Business & IT from London South Bank University and has been teaching SEN and vulnerable children in a mainstream setting within the inclusion faculty for the past four years concentrating on raising maths and literacy standards alongside managing a team of TA’s and various interventions to aid the children. As well as this Amra was able to achieve level 3 ELKLAN which specialises in speech-language and communication. In addition, Amra’s role within the school was to provide social and emotional support for pastoral care.  Prior to this Amra was teaching in a primary school setting.

Annabel Thody
Link Work Area Manager
Annabel studied a degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Sheffield, after a childhood spent in California and schooling in South Wales. After this, she started a career in the prison service working as an English teacher with juveniles, young adults and adults. This took her through a PGCE at Cardiff University and later, a Masters degree in Education from King’s College London. Her research focus specifically addressed the sociolinguistic presentation of young adult offenders and its relationship to educational attainment. West London Zone presents a new and exciting challenge.

Angie Bustamante Arias 

Link Worker

Angie completed her degree in Education Studies and Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Following this, she started working at an SEMH secondary school as a teaching assistant and English teacher. In this role she gained experience in working with a targeted group of individuals and learning various interventions. She then moved abroad to China to teach English. After returning Angie wanted to continue to work with young people and discovered WLZ, whose values inspired her to take on the role of a Link Worker.

Bethany Chisholm 

Link Worker 

Whilst studying Criminology with Substance Misuse Intervention Strategy at the University of Brighton, Bethany gained experience in facilitating group in a local service to promote well-being and recovery. After graduating, Bethany began working with young people in a life skills centre. The focus of this work was to nurture young peoples' interests and help to develop their self-confidence.

 

Bethany O Sullivan
Link Worker
Beth completed her degree in History at Newcastle University. Following this she worked as a Learning Support Assistant in a SEN primary school working with a range of children with complex needs. In this role she gained an interest in the benefits of targeted group and individual interventions with children and young people. Prior to studying at university Beth gained experience in various settings working with children and young people.

Beth Smith

Link Work Manager

Beth studied Human, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge. She then worked as a Primary Teaching Assistant in North London. She also has experience volunteering with refugees, women and children.

Bonnie Heaton

Link Worker

Bonnie studied Popular Music Performance at the British Institute of Modern Music (BIMM) in London. Though her passion was for Music and The Arts, upon graduating in 2018, shedecided to try something new. This led her to delve into the world of Education. Bonnie quickly realised her love for working with children and young people through her role as a General / SEN TA in various primary schools. She gained hands-on experience working mainly with children in KS1 who had ASD and ADHD. After discovering the incredible work WLZ does she felt greatly inspired to take on a new exciting challenge and join the team!

 Brandy Mongoy

Link Worker

Brandy studied Law and Criminology at the University of Sheffield. Shortly after, she worked as an oracy mentor and mace judge with a focus on improving oracy skills, specifically public speaking and debating skills with young children. Most recently, she worked as a teaching assistant with autistic children. 

 Bryony Blood Smyth

Link Worker

During her Geography degree at Royal Holloway University of London, Bryony focused on the displacement of urban communities which sparked her interest in youth work and community projects. Bryony spent time in Nicosia, Cyprus working with a writer and activist and was involved in several projects working with marginalised communities in the divided city; upon her return to the UK she pursued opportunities in youth work and worked as pastoral support in a school in Westminster.

Caroline Wilkinson

Link Worker

Caroline graduated in Communications from Brunel University before studying for her PGCE, also at Brunel. She then taught in a primary school for seven years, spending some of this time working with children with special educational needs. She also has experience tutoring through the National Tutoring Programme and volunteering with young people in her local area. She has lived in west London all her life. 

Catherine Bradon

Link Worker 

Catherine graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Nottingham and went on to complete a PGCE at the University of Roehampton. She has worked as a primary school teacher in London across both Key Stage 1 and 2 for many years and is passionate about supporting children to achieve their potential.

 Charlotte Norris

Link Worker/Literacy Delivery officer

Charlotte completed her degree in Psychology at the University of Lincoln and then went on to complete her Masters in Developmental Psychology. Charlotte has a background in both Teaching Assistant and teaching roles across the Primary School phase. She is looking forward to taking on training in Play Therapy and how she can incorporate this into her role as a Link Worker.

Eleanor Brown

Link Work Manager and Link Worker 

Eleanor graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Childhood Studies. Her experience volunteering for a local domestic abuse charity in Bristol lead her to work for Refuge as a Children’s Support Worker before joining West London Zone.

 Fardowsa Mohamed

Link Worker 

Fardowsa has worked with children, young people and families for the past 19 years within social services, various charities, schools and the community. Fardowsa is very passionate about working with children and young people to support them rise to their full potential and help them access opportunities within the community.
Fardowsa loves traveling and learning about different cultures to gain new experiences to improve her practice.

Fatima Hussein

Link Work Manager

Fatima studied English Literature, Language and Linguistics at the University of Roehampton. She then worked as a Secondary Teaching Assistant and Cover Supervisor in south west London. She also has experience tutoring and volunteering with  young people in her local area.  

Frankie Wakefield 

Link Worker 

Frankie graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in Social Work. She worked with The Prince's Trust and with the Hastings Duty team, where she became passionate about the benefits of long term support work with children and young people. For the past few years, Frankie has worked in a graphic design studio.

Haleema Malik

Link Worker

Haleema completed her undergraduate in Psychology with Criminology from Middlesex University. She further went on to complete a Postgraduate degree in MSc Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology from King’s College London. Following this, she started working at a secondary school as an SEN teaching assistant and literacy teacher. By doing this role she gained experience in working with a targeted group of individuals and learning various interventions. This developed her interest in wanting to work with young people and discovered WLZ, whose values inspired her to take on the role of a Link Worker. 

Hannah Nicholson

Link Worker

Whilst studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath, Hannah had the opportunity, through City Year UK, to mentor and run early interventions with young people in Camden. During her degree, she also worked within the Widening Participation team, to
help under-represented communities access university study. Additionally, through working with Future Foundations, she helped coach young people into becoming leaders within their local communities.

 Harrison Wright
Link Worker
Whilst studying Philosophy and Spanish at the University of Bristol, Harrison gained experience working with early years children teaching English as a foreign language in Madrid. After graduation, he gained experience as a teaching assistant at a secondary school in West London working alongside students with special needs. In his spare time Harrison is a keen musician and aims to bring elements from this to his practice.
 

 Idil Hussen

Link Worker 

Idil studied Psychology at the University of Essex, in her final year she focused on developmental disorders, cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. Idil then worked with children with learning difficulties in SEN secondary and sixth form to promote independence. In recent years before joining WLZ, Idil worked as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism, using principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis to teach academic, social, self-help and language & communication skills.

Jess Nash

Link Worker 

Jess has a degree in Fine Art & Related Arts and completed a 2-year post-grad Foundation in Integrative Arts/Child Therapy. She went on to become a volunteer counsellor for leading children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, and supported children in small groups and 1:1 in her role of therapeutic play-worker at The Family School. Additionally, Jess managed 1:1 yoga therapy provision, school outreach and teacher training programmes for The Special Yoga Centre; supporting children and families living with special and/or additional needs. She has lived in west London for most of her professional life.

Joe Lodge

Brent Area Manager

Joe has worked in education for 15 years in a number of different roles. He has coordinated the transition between primary and secondary phases for a Secondary School in Havering and most recently led a team in an SEN school that provided pastoral support to its pupils. He had the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead in school and enjoys forging strong working relationships with professionals and external agencies.

John Howells

Link Worker

John is a qualified Personal Trainer who has also completed a Bachelors degree in Business Tourism and a PGCE in Primary Education. Before joining WLZ he created and managed his fitness brand - Impact body and mind, and more recently gained qualified teacher status while working in a London primary school. In addition, he has taught English as an additional language in Italy and online. John is a big fan of movement breaks and outdoor learning.

Joyce Papparlardo

Link Worker 

Joyce graduated from the University of Roehampton with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Counselling and then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Attachment Studies. She really wanted to work with children so, after graduating, she worked in a primary school as a TA where she specialised in 1-1 and small group work for children with a wide range of needs. Alongside that role, Joyce was also the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead of the school.

 

Juanita Benkirane

Link Worker 

After completing her BA in Criminology, she has built up several years of experience mentoring young offenders and providing behavioural support in a primary school. In addition to being a WLZ Link worker, as a qualified therapist, Juanita spends a day a week working with the leading national children’s mental health charity, Place2Be.

 Juanita Moore 

Link Worker

Juanita has a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies and is passionate about working with children, empowering and supporting them to reach their full potential. She has worked with the NSPCC and Home-Start. Juanita enjoys traveling and prior to joining West London Zone worked as Airline Cabin Crew.

 Kamal Elghailani

Link Worker

Kamal studied at the University of Sussex, his studies focused on the development and effect media had on young people. During his time at university, he became a skateboarding coach, aiding primary school children on their motor and confidence skills. This led him into becoming a 1-1 in secondary school in south west London for three years. Kamal has led and run key development sessions such as Lego therapy, homework club, and reading intervention.

 Kamaldeep Kaur
Link Worker
Kam has recently completed a degree in Primary Education at the University of Greenwich. She has worked with children for a number of years, in a range of settings including education, childcare, and youth work. Kam is passionate about working with children and young people to support them to reach their full potential.  

 Katie Devane

Link Worker

Katie studied Childhood and Youth at The University of Northampton. During this time she worked in a residential children's home, with young people aged 8-18 years old. She also volunteered at various services for children and young people such as a local counselling service and a youth club. After Katie completed her studies, she continued her work in a nursery and also as a part time Female Youth Development worker where she worked with vulnerable females aged 12-17 within a mainstream school and a pupil referral unit.

  Katie Donovan

Link Worker

Katie studied English Literature at Swansea University, before going on to gain her Masters in Applied Theatre from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Here she was involved in various youth theatre projects and supported young people in expressing themselves and building confidence through drama and performing. Before joining West London Zone, Katie completed the Teach First Leadership Development Programme and taught as a class teacher in a primary school for two years. 

Layla Kido

Link Worker 

Layla's interest in working with children and young people began with her role as a senior mentor for young people with the National Citizen Service (NCS). She really enjoyed connecting and engaging the young people through fun and exciting workshops, residential trips and supporting their social development. Whilst studying for her undergraduate degree, she worked part-time as a Koru Kids nanny. For her undergraduate degree, she studied BSc Psychology at Brunel University and upon completing that, worked as a learning support assistant (LSA) at the London Oratory School. She then went on to study for her masters at UCL in MSc Global Health and Development. Prior to joining WLZ as a Link Worker, Layla worked as a teaching assistant (TA) at a special educational needs school which she also thoroughly enjoyed.

Lucy Bilson

Link Worker

Whilst studying for her undergraduate degree in Ancient History, Lucy helped to run an educational organisation aimed at supporting children who were missing out on opportunities due to the Covid-19 Lockdowns. This led to an interest in inequalities in the education sector and subsequent work as an Interventions Tutor at a primary school. This involved working with small groups of children across the school to get them to a similar level to their peers in the core subjects.

 

Mark Evans

Head of Link Work

Before joining WLZ Mark worked as a teacher in a local secondary school. Prior to this he worked for a cluster of schools in south west London developing provision for children and families and before this developing a mentoring programme for vulnerable young people in collaboration with a Youth Offending team. Mark brings a wealth of knowledge developing services for children, young people and their families across the public, statutory and the third sector. In his spare time he is a keen sportsman. 

 Megan Templeman

Link Worker

Megan studied English with Study Abroad at the University of Exeter. Her experience volunteering for a youth mentoring charity whilst at university led her to pursue a career in the charity sector and she completed the Charityworks Graduate Scheme in 2019. Most recently, she has worked at a children’s hospice, working closely with children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Megan also has experience tutoring and has volunteered in schools and with NGOs.

Mia O'Connell

Link Work Manager 

Mia studied German and Mandarin at the University of Birmingham. She then qualified as a secondary school teacher in Essex, before joining West London Zone as a Link Worker in Westminster in 2019. Mia then worked overseas in a mental health role and as a Y3 class teacher at an international school in Bangkok, whilst freelancing as a social skills interventionist for a special education centre. 

Nadia Carrier Solomon

Link Worker 

Nadia studied Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University. Since then, Nadia has worked as a Learning Support Assistant in a primary school setting, primarily supporting children with additional behavioural needs. Alongside this, Nadia worked as a Project Leader for a mentoring charity and as a Play Worker for an organisation within the local council. 

 Olayinka Goldfeather

Link Work Manager

With a degree in Illustration and a qualification in children's counselling from Place2Be, Ola has a passion for working creatively with children and young people to support their emotional well-being. As well as working at West London Zone, Ola is a coach and workshop facilitator, mentoring and supporting teenage girls to build their confidence, self-esteem and skills. She also has experience in inner London primary schools as a learning mentor and teaching assistant.

Phoebe Young

Link Work Manager

Phoebe has experience working in a variety of youth charity and education settings, including at the National Citizen Service and teaching English in French and Ghanian secondary schools. Prior to West London Zone, she was a Programme Coordinator for Action Tutoring in primary schools across North London, working to close the attainment gap and deliver academic support during Covid-19. She is passionate about WLZ’s early intervention, multi-agency and community-focused approach.

Priya Patel 

Link Worker 

Priya is a graduate in Psychology from Coventry University. She has been mentoring for the last few years and has found her calling. Alongside this she has also volunteered for the National Hindu Students Forum UK which is the largest hindu student organization in the UK and has helped organize national events. Priya's passions are anything creative or arts and crafts related and in her spare time specialising in Mehndi (Henna) but is happy to give anything creative a go!

Rebecca Farrell

Link Work Manager

Rebecca studied English and American Literature at the University of Kent. She has experience working in the Education and Charity sector. Rebecca is a qualified Primary School Teacher, specialising in Early Years. Before WLZ, she taught in the Nursery at her local infant school for 7 years. Rebecca was part of the Middle Leadership team, responsible for the Learning Environment and leading on the subject of Writing across the school. She also has experience volunteering with Crisis, supporting people experiencing homelessness, and with her local hospital as a Dementia Buddy.

Sarah Walsh

Link Worker 

Sarah completed a degree in Primary Education in Canterbury and went on to teach in primary schools, specifically within the Early Years Foundation Stage. After several years, she decided to take her teaching abroad and worked as a TEFL teacher and as a volunteer in an orphanage.

Seema Ahmed

Link Worker 

Seema has been working with children and young people for over 10 years and has also studied International Relations at Queen Mary University. From volunteering in her local community centre, to becoming a play worker, she was able to gain an excellent understanding of child development. This included recognising the disadvantages that many children face in accessing activities and positive enriching experiences. Therefore, Seema focused on introducing new activities for children to discover such as: regular badminton sessions, hair braiding lessons and exploring henna art. From this, she was able to strengthen her relationship with the children as they enjoyed embracing their creative side and learning new skills. She is passionate to continue this path to encourage children and young people realise that there are no limitations to the greatness they can achieve

Sinead Earl

Link Worker

Sinead studied Theology and R.S. with Classics at St Mary's College, Twickenham before completing a PGCE in Primary education at Greenwich University. She worked as a Teacher in London for 12 years and also spent time teaching overseas, in Beijing China before joining WLZ. She was born in West London and is passionate about helping all children to thrive and reach their full potential. 

  Sofia Gaetani Morris

Link Worker

Prior to joining West London Zone, Sofia worked as an advocate providing holistic support to women in contact with, or at risk of being in contact with the criminal justice system. She has also worked as a Youth Group Worker with young migrants, asylum seekers and trafficked young people. Sofia spent time in Sicily, Italy where she worked as a supply teacher and volunteered in a refugee community centre. Sofia studied Social Anthropology and History at SOAS, University of London, and is passionate about working with people, creating positive societal change and empowering others.

Sophie Carty

Link Worker

Sophie completed her MA in Education and International Development at UCL in 2021, and is continuing to study Arabic at SOAS. Prior to that Sophie studied English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London. She has also volunteered with education charities in Greece and Phnom Penh.

 Thomas Hacker

Link Worker 

Thomas graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Psychology and then went on to complete a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Brunel. During his degree Thomas worked as a children’s football coach, which led him to his next role providing sports development and pastoral support at a primary school. For the past few years Thomas has worked as a researcher for
a leadership development organisation.

Tilly Tappenden

Link Worker 

Tilly studied a joint honours degree in War Studies and History at King's College London University. Whilst at university Tilly volunteered with the breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!, encouraging her fellow students to check themselves regularly for early signs of breast cancer. After graduating, Tilly worked as a teaching assistant at a primary school in West Sussex before joining a Trainee Detective programme at Surrey Police. After a year of working in the police, Tilly left to become an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate at a women's aid charity where she supported young people aged 11-25. Tilly has always enjoyed working with children and young people, and is passionate about supporting them to thrive.

Victoria Proctor

Link Worker

Victoria graduated from King's College London with a BA in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics and an MA in Philosophy. Alongside her studies she provided pastoral support to young people as a Mentor and Youth Engagement Intern with a local charity focusing on equal access to higher education, as well as being involved in homeless outreach. More recently, Victoria has volunteered as a Crisis Counsellor for mental health charity Shout, offering support to those in crisis via a text line. She has also worked with young people as a Tutor and then later as a Literacy Delivery Officer here at WLZ.

Zoe Ball

Link Worker

With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a PGCE in Primary Education, Zoe has always been fascinated with how children learn. She has worked in a number of different schools having been a teacher, Maths Lead and previously an LSA. More recently, she has worked in educational technology, including creating resources and training teachers. She is incredibly passionate about supporting children to fulfil their potential.

Published: 6th February, 2018

Updated: 30th March, 2023

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Partnerships Team

Expand

Eugenia Lai

Academic Delivery Officer

Eugenia joined WLZ soon after her graduation in MSc Environment, Politics and Society at UCL. Having previous experience in teaching SEN students in a school setting, she started her career as an Academic Delivery Officer at WLZ and is dedicated to helping children and young people who struggle in learning mathematics. 

Francisca Carnelos

Partnerships Officer (Insights)

Francisca was born in Australia, grew up in New York and Rome where she attended international schools. She was trained as a Peer Mentor during high school, where she was responsible for the well-being of students both academically, socially, and emotionally. She always had a strong interest in different cultures, traditions, and languages that have led her to deepen realities and countries other than the Western cultural environment, developing her sense of empathy and inclusion. She graduated in BA Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and MSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE). 

Georgia Fox

Community Engagement Manager

Fascinated by people, cultures and communities, Georgia studied Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, which led her to study and teach abroad in Brazil and Argentina. Once back in the UK, Georgia worked for numerous refugee charities, working with families and young people to build communities and improve people's mental health. Using this experience, she now joins us to develop our community engagement initiatives with our schools, alumni and wider community.

James Dunbar

Partnerships Manager

Before joining WLZ, James worked for 8 years as Creative Producer for Chickenshed Theatre. In this role, he developed a programme of inclusive theatre projects for children and young people in West London, working in partnership with a range of organisations, schools and local community groups. James trained as a dancer at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and has worked across the community arts sector as a performer, teacher, theatre maker and producer.   

 

Kayleigh Benoit

Academic Delivery Officer

Kayleigh is a former Head of English and Head of Assessment in a secondary SEN school in West London. Her qualifications include a BA Hons English and Drama degree, PGCE in secondary English, MA in English Education and NPQLT in Middle Leadership. During lockdown Kayleigh freelanced as a consultant to aid young people and families who were struggling over the pandemic. Kayleigh began her time at WLZ as a Literacy Consultant for a year before becoming a Literacy Delivery Officer. Kayleigh works part time in education and spends the remaining time in business.

  Kate Fabian

Academic Delivery Officer

Kate is an Australian with a background in community planning and social research; having worked in government, private sector and NGO roles. Kate has BAs in Human Geography and Teaching, and a CELTA qualification, and has taught English and Geography in a range of settings, from adults to Nursery children. Kate is a safeguarding governor at her local primary school and is passionate about children having the opportunity to experience a safe and happy childhood, as well as to develop skills for later life.

Kate Walters 

Academic Delivery Officer

Kate has completed a BA in Philosophy and Literature at the University of Warwick and an MSc in the Philosophy of Science at the LSE. She has previously worked in communications for organisations including the National Trust, and has also enjoyed spending time with young children as a trustee of a charity pre-school.

  Kate Welsh

Head of Partnerships

Kate joins West London Zone from an Arts and Education background, having worked for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Into Film and various schools and PRUs. She has extensive leadership experience in mobilising cross-sectors partnerships to support young people and in designing outreach programmes. She is an advocate for early intervention and creating sustainable opportunities for young people.  

 Macalla Duffy

Academic Support Manager

Macalla joins West London Zone from SEO Scholars, where she worked on closing the opportunity gap for New York City high school students. At SEO she coordinated academic programming and led student and family engagement efforts. Prior to that, she taught English to primary school students in France.

Maria Benitez

Partnerships Manager

Maria studied French and Psychology at the University of Surrey and spent a year of her studies teaching extra-curricular English to children in Rennes, France. After graduating, she spent nearly 2 years working in a pupil referral unit supporting children and young people with behavioural and special educational needs. This is where her drive to support children and families began.

Mythiraye Kothandaraman

Contract and Compliance Manager

Mythiraye has recently completed her Masters in Law specialising in Corporate governance from University of Law, London and has a Bachelor's degree in law from India. To this role, she brings relevant experience in the areas of law, data protection and compliance. She is a big advocate for creating positive change and knowledge sharing. Outside of work, you can find her enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee.

Published: 6th February, 2018

Updated: 28th February, 2023

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

People and Culture Team

Expand

Ajan Abdullahi

Team Administrator


Originally from Somalia and Ethiopia by way of Germany, Ajan now considers herself a west London native. After completing her BA Hons in History in 2013, Ajan had a brief stint working at a planning department in North London before transition to working in administration. She has experience working in the international education sector, as well as in a corporate setting for a large assistance company supporting CEOs and Group Directors.

Claire Bennett

People and Culture Business Partner

Claire has previously worked within the healthcare sector for over 17 years.  She is a CIPD qualified Human Resources professional with a depth of experience of working in both specialist and generalist roles. Claire holds a BA in Theology and Religious Studies and History from the University of Surrey, Roehampton and is currently working towards her CIPD level 7 advanced diploma.

Lily Assefa

HR Officer

After completing her MBA in Marketing, Lily worked as a Business Analyst and later on as a Product Manager for First Rate Travel Services (a joint venture between Bank of Ireland and The Post Office). After taking few years to look after her son, she worked for the National Institute for African Studies as Programme Manager/Administrator.

 Mariana Camarotte

Office Manager & Inclusion Lead

Mariana is an experienced executive assistant and management professional. She has worked in management roles in the private and not-for-profit sectors in Brazil, Portugal and UK. Most recently, she worked as the Executive Assistant for the CEO and Board of Directors of a community foundation that tackles poverty in the East End of London. Mariana has a Management degree from Surrey University and is a qualified PRINCE II project manager.

Published: 7th April, 2022

Updated: 25th November, 2022

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Senior Management Team

Expand

Louisa Mitchell

Chief Executive Officer

Louisa joined WLZ to design the plan and implement the pilot project in White City in 2015-16. She became Chief Executive in September 2016 and has since led its growth across four west London boroughs. Previously Louisa worked in social policy and the charitable sector in London and Hong Kong. Prior to that, she wrote for the Financial Times and worked in development finance and investment banking in Hong Kong and New York. 

 

  Andrew Berwick

Strategy and Impact Director

Andrew has 15 years' experience of supporting young people from marginalised communities. He started his career as a teacher in West London, before leading a charity that helps young people from under-privileged backgrounds to reach selective universities. Most recently he worked as a consultant to a range of third sector and public sector organisations, focusing on impact and strategy.

  Esiri Lawrence

People and Culture Director


Esiri's passion for working with children stemmed from Teaching English Literature to secondary school students for a year after graduating from university. She has since worked in schools and university as well as in the private sector where she has over 10 years experience of strategically leading and refining the People function. She is a chartered member of the CIPD with a masters degree in Human Resources Management and currently undertaking a masters degree in Employment Law (LLM).

Jenny Hoyle

Delivery Director

Before joining WLZ Jenny worked for 10 years in Children and Young People’s services with a specific focus on delivering and commissioning early intervention and prevention services. She has a depth of experience of working in and with voluntary sectors partners and working across the voluntary, private and public sectors to improve outcomes for local communities. Jenny is passionate about creating positive change for children and young people in West London.

Joe Prendiville

Business Development Director

Joe has extensive experience of managing and delivering education programmes to disadvantaged and marginalised people. He worked in senior leadership at a youth charity in East London for five years through a period of significant organisational growth, leading their education and training programmes. Most recently he worked as Principal of their Alternative Provision Free School.

 

Published: 5th February, 2018

Updated: 8th November, 2022

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Strategy & Impact Team

Expand

Ansh Kapasi

Impact Officer

Originally from Atlanta, USA, Ansh worked in the education and humanitarian sectors in Brazil, Kenya, and Greece before coming to London to pursue a Master's at UCL's Social Research Institute, where he gained the necessary skills to effectively evaluate impact at WLZ.  

Asim Saleemi

Impact Officer

Before joining WLZ, Asim worked at the Financial Times as a Membership and Data Management Assistant where he analysed Data related to Engagement, Operations and Corporate Membership. Asim studied BSc Business Economics at the University of Westminster.

Chris Wignall
Head of Knowledge and Insights
Before joining West London Zone, Chris worked with a range of charities to enhance their data, impact and insight, both in the UK and internationally. He's excited to be able to support WLZ's strong commitment to evidence-led practice and knowledge sharing.

May Shakespeare

Impact Manager

May joined WLZ after completing a BSc in Psychology at the University of Bath. Her degree involved a year-long placement with the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, where she was involved in evaluating the impact of a teacher-led intervention in Early Years settings. May also has experience working with children and young people in the charity sector with the National Citizen Service. 

Zoe Mathys

Impact Manager

Zoe joined WLZ after working in the Australian disability sector conducting evaluation and research. She has also interned in Government focussing on strengthening community health service provision for children and young people. Zoe holds a Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne, Australia. 

Victoria Niemiec 

Impact Officer

Vicky joined WLZ after completing a BSc in Geography at the University of Bristol. Her interest in Human Geography directed her research to focus on understanding second-generation migrant identity in the UK. As part of her degree, Vicky also studied at the University of Valencia, Spain, for a year, where she further developed her data analysis skills.

 

Published: 6th February, 2018

Updated: 8th March, 2023

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 7

Latest

  • Our evaluation methods – exploring how one size doesn’t always fit all

    Our evaluation methods – exploring how one size doesn’t always fit all

    As we explore the different approaches we take for our evaluation methods, why we do it, and some of the challenges of evaluating our service effectively. This post highlights some of the 'big questions' for West London Zone around evaluation.

  • The Clement James Centre help children achieve their full potential

    The Clement James Centre help children achieve their full potential

    The Clement James centre work to empower communities to release their potential and live fulfilled lives. They achieve this through education, employment and wellbeing support in a safe and compassionate space.

  • Finding his future – Ziko develops the confidence and skills to succeed

    Finding his future – Ziko develops the confidence and skills to succeed

    From low self-confidence and low academic grades to a new sense of purpose and an enthusiastic career plan, Ziko’s journey was supported by his Link Worker, Fembe, and lots of West London Zone delivery partners

  • Old Oak primary school win campaign for new facilities at Wormwood Scrubs park

    Old Oak primary school win campaign for new facilities at Wormwood Scrubs park

    Having supported the campaign for renovated facilities at a local Hammersmith and Fulham park, West London Zone is delighted that the Wormwood scrubs playpark has opened its gate with a new zipline and trampettes

Most read

  • Link Work Team

  • What we do

    We help children and young people build the relationships and skills they need to get on track socially, emotionally and academically to thrive in adulthood.

  • Why we exist

    Why we exist

    Our vision is a West London community working together so that every child can thrive.

  • Senior Management Team

  • Strategy & Impact Team

  • Business Development Team

  • Partnerships Team

  • Join the team

    Join the team

  • Schools

    Schools

    We are currently working with children and young people across nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools and sixth form colleges in Hammersmith, North Kensington, Westminster and Brent.

  • Finance Team

Tag cloud

Charity children's charity fundraising west london charity
Donate

Sign up for our newsletter

Click the button to sign up

Connect with us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Complaints
  • Admin login
  • My details
  • Log out

   

West London Zone is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff, volunteers and partners to share this commitment.


Copyright © 2021 West London Zone. West London Zone, 140-144 Freston Road, London W10 6TR.

Registered Charity No.1160947 (England and Wales). 
Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No.08991196.

All images are from West London Zone’s stock image library and are for representation only. Names in case studies have been changed to protect identities. All rights reserved.