The Team
The Kids Network is passionate about connection and driven by fun, commitment and diversity. Meet the team that makes the magic happen.
Sarah Woodcock
CEO & 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 on topics such as employability, social action, digital skills, literacy and safeguarding. Sarah also currently sits on the board of trustees for the Coop Foundation. She has been a mentor for the last four years and describes it as the best use of her time.
Carole Muriithi
PROJECT MANAGER
Carole has experience working for innovative, socially impactful start-ups that share her commitment to equality and education. She previously worked for a charity supporting teenage girls by connecting them with female role models and a network of professional people and organisations. Before that, Carole was part of a young education-technology start up that aims to improve student results and confidence by identifying key misconceptions in any given subject and providing detailed insights in student understanding.
Tresa Gillam
FUNDRAISING MANAGER
Tresa has experience in some of the largest UK charities working on high value challenge and special events. She has been lucky enough to manage and participate in events all over the world including cycling the length of Ireland and trekking the Himalayas. She has also used innovation skills to create effective fundraising campaigns for several charities. She is passionate about fundraising and loves to see the positive effects participating in a fundraising challenge can have on people.
Freya Brocchini
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Freya has extensive experience working with and supporting volunteers in different settings. Prior to joining The Kids Network, she spent time in an alternative provision school based in East London, carried out ethnographic research for a London NHS trust, and assisted with a community cohesion project in Stockport. Before that she worked in the volunteering team at a national charity, recruiting, supporting and celebrating the thousands of amazing volunteers and their dedicated managers.
TRUSTEES
Clare Laxton
CHAIR
Clare is a policy and influencing professional with over a decade of experience in the charity sector. She is currently Assistant Director of Policy and Influencing at CLIC Sargent. Previous to this role she led policy and campaigns work at Women’s Aid, the national domestic abuse charity and Parliamentary Affairs for sexual health charities FPA and Brook. Clare is also currently a trustee of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).
Doug Huges
TREASURER
Douglas is an accounting and finance professional with 20 years of experience in the real estate investment industry. His role model growing up was his mother, who raised two boys as a single parent while also maintaining a successful career in public relations. Douglas has been involved with a number of charitable originations supporting vulnerable youth and the homeless, including coaching youth baseball.
Subul Ashan
Subul is easily distracted and is therefore a trained solicitor, chartered accountant and tax advisor. She has worked with a number of humanitarian and animal charities both in the UK and in Pakistan where she grew up. In her spare time she loves cooking up a storm and being active whilst attempting to convince her partner that they should adopt a plethora of animals and/or open an animal shelter.
Charlie Foster
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.
Nigel Phan
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.
Amy Henderson
Amy works in the Child Safeguarding team at a large NGO; and oversees a psychological support programme that aims to educate, monitor and support staff who are exposed to trauma as part of their role. She has been involved with numerous charities for children and young people over the years and has developed a wonderful talent for making a mess, playing games, creating silly stories and tidying up messes.
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.’
