Meet the Team
The Young Lives Foundation is a leading charity with a team of passionate and experienced individuals with knowledge and skills to support the success of the charity.
Our Team
The charity is led by our Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Gray, who has responsibility for managing the charity and its activities.
Stephen Gray
CEO
Stephen has spent all his professional life in the education and social care sector. Following his graduation from Kingston University in 2001 gaining a BSc Hons in Psychology and Sociology, he worked as a Youth Worker and Advocate for looked after children. Gaining a post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies with the University of Kent, he took on more senior management responsibilities and co-founded YLF in 2007.
Stephen enabled the charity to achieve successful external accreditation’s, such as Investing in Volunteers, and stepped up as CEO with overall responsibility for the charity in November 2012. Since then, Stephen has led the charity through a period of continuous development and improvement, managed the successful re commissioning of local authority contracts, launched new services and introduced a Fundraising Strategy to ensure the charity is sustainable and can continue making a difference to children and young people across the South East.
Stephen is an acting Trustee of the National Appropriate Adult Network and an FA registered Football Coach, volunteering in children’s football.
Stephen has led the charity in achieving the Kent Children’s Charity of the Year Award and The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest accolade a voluntary organisation can receive.
Senior Management Team
Stephen
CEO
Kristy
Advocacy & Safeguarding Manager
Neil
Operations Manager
Central Support Team
Karen
Fundraising Manager
Janine
Communications Manager
Emilie
Communications Officer
Katie
Finance Manager
Michelle
Finance Manager (Interim)
Fran
Grants and Bid Writer
The Advocacy & Rights Team
Sarah
Advocacy Coordinator
Coral
Advocate
Andrew
Advocate
Dianne
Advocate
Carole
Advocate
David
Advocate
Christine
Advocate
Kate
Advocate
Lucy
Advocate, Befriending and Care Leaving Coordinator
Chloe
Appropriate and Accompanying Adult Coordinator
Robbie
Participation and Engagement Coordinator
Sophie
Participation Apprentice
Jesca
Student Social Worker (work placement)
Mentoring & Befriending Team
Richard
HeadStart Mentoring Coordinator Thanet
Amber
HeadStart Mentoring Coordinator Maidstone
Sandra
HeadStart Mentoring Coordinator Dover
Frank
Befriending Coordinator
Sonia
Sessional Mentor
Positive Activities Team
Lucy
Positive Activities Coordinator
Matthew
Gravesham Hub Coordinator
Denise
Swale Hub Lead
Lisa
Thanet Hub Activities Lead
Rebecca
Activities Support Worker
Kay
Activities Support Worker
Simon
Activities Support Worker
Siobhan
Activities Support Worker
Equality & Diversity
The Young Lives Foundation (YLF) is fully committed to promoting equality of opportunity and valuing diversity, both as an employer and as a provider of services for others. YLF recognises and accepts the moral and legal obligations to treat everyone equally and fairly and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the charity does not unlawfully discriminate against anyone on the grounds of a Protected Characteristic – gender, pregnancy, age, disability, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, caste, political or religious beliefs.
What Next?
Trustees & Ambassadors
Let us introduce you to our Patrons, Trustees, President and Ambassadors
Join the Team
Check our recruitment page for current vacancies to join the team
Our Supporters
Meet our Partners and Supporters who help to provide our services