The Kids Network is passionate about connection and driven by fun, commitment and diversity. Meet the team that makes the magic happen.
Ops & Fundraising Team
To learn about how you can connect with TKN to donate to the work we do, you can reach out to the below team members
Caitlin Ashdown – Head of Income Generation
Jess Parish – Senior Development Manager
Natalie Worms – Systems and Operations Manager
Adam Jack – Development Officer
Programmes Team
If you are a school or interested in becoming a volunteer mentor, please connect to one of the below team members for your borough in London
Amy Campo McEvoy – Programme Director
Gabriela Sanchez-Kerr – Head of Programmes for S&W London
Bernice Williams – Head of Programmes for N&E London
Sadiyah Mir – Programme Manager for Brent
Flick Tennant – Programme Manager for Camden
Joni Warner – Programme Manager for South London
Nousha Kiani-Wilkinson – Programme Manager for Hackney
Lara Harper – Programme Manager for Hammersmith & Fulham
Hawri Ahmed – Programme Officer for S&W London
Jacob Swirsky – Programme Officer for N&E London
Tigan Palmer – Programme Development Manager
TRUSTEES & FOUNDER
Nigel Phan
CHAIR
Nigel is the Founder and Managing Director of the start-up venture Whirli. His prior professional experience was with McKinsey and Company as an Associate Partner where he specialised in Consumer Goods & Retail and commercial topics such as Growth Strategy, and Marketing and Sales. A keen entrepreneur, Nigel enjoys helping early stage organisations grow. Apart from managing his own venture, Nigel is also an avid small-time investor in other business-to-consumer start-up companies.
Sarah Woodcock
FOUNDER
Sarah has significant experience in the strategy and delivery of a number of programmes at a national level. Prior to founding The Kids Network, Sarah has developed capacity building projects for UK Youth and Save the Children. Sarah also currently sits on the board of trustees for the Coop Foundation and is the Equalities Link Governor at Carlton Primary School in Kentish Town. She has been a mentor for the last four years and describes it as the best use of her time.
Andin Fonyonga
Andin is a senior legal professional who leads a legal and compliance team for a global e-commerce company. She has extensive experience in legal, compliance and governance matters, and has previously worked at Hogan Lovells and BlackRock. She is passionate about fighting social inequality and has worked with a wide range of organisations to develop and mentor young people while encouraging further education. She’s also a keen traveller, fitness enthusiast and enjoys baking.
Natasha Friend
Natasha Friend is Director of Camden Giving, a charity that works with businesses and communities to overcome inequality, she has a background in corporate partnerships. ‘When I was growing up my role model was a family friend called Ludmilla, she had come to the UK from the Czech Republic and I was inspired by her spirit for adventure and I loved seeing my home country through her eyes.’
Naa Acquah
Naa got involved with The Kids Network as a mentor in 2018. She works in the education charity sector managing programmes for the Transformation Trust. She was elected as the first Black Woman General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union (UMSU). She was a director of both the University of Manchester Students’ Union and the University; chairing the Board of Trustees. Naa loves spending time with her mentee every Saturday and seeing London through a child’s eyes.
Janet Ayoola
Janet is a qualified social worker with considerable experience working with children and families in the child protection field in several London boroughs. Janet also works with children and young people in her local church and offers the church advice their safeguarding arrangements. In her spare time, Janet enjoys learning new skills and spending time with her family, going for walks in the Kent countryside and practising deadlifts at the gym.
Simon Lucey
Simon is the founder of Hype Collective, a student marketing agency that creates opportunities for young people. Over the last 3 years Hype Collective have directly employed over 600 students and funded 100+ grass roots groups. Hype Collective’s clients include Co-op, Adobe and Warner Brothers.
Charlie Foster
DEPUTY CHAIR
Charlie works in finance and currently leads a team of 12 at RBS focussed on providing funding solutions for large companies operating in the Real Estate sector in the UK. Banking has been an ideal setting in which to hone her skills in managing a breadth of stakeholders and in bringing together teams of individual subject matter experts, and effective people management is of particular interest to her.
Luke Hollander
Luke is a charity accountant who currently works for the City of London Corporation. He provides due diligence, training, and technical guidance relating to the Corporation’s significant grant-making portfolio, including the City Bridge Trust. He previously built experience working with charities and government departments as an auditor at the National Audit Office.
