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Meet the Team
Staff
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Charlotte Clarke BSc (Hons)
charlotte.clarke@theskillmill.org
Charlotte grew up in South Yorkshire before moving to Newcastle for 3 years whilst studying Crime Science at Northumbria University. It was during this time Charlotte became a volunteer at Newcastle Youth Offending Team before helping to establish The Skill Mill on a voluntary basis. Charlotte now lives back in South Yorkshire and oversees all Skill Mill sites around the UK, travelling where she’s needed and heading to The Skill Mill Hub in Gateshead a number of times a week.
Kay Finlay BSc (Hons), MA
Kay grew up in the North East of England where she has studied at Northumbria University. Kay has her BA (Hons) in Criminology and MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She volunteered at The Skill Mill whilst she was studying for her MA and then progressed into a full time role working at The Skill Mill Hub in Gateshead in 2018. Kay is currently overseeing a number of work projects across our sites.
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Ian Langley
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In April 2023 Ian became The Skill Mill Southern representative to support and develop our growing work in the south of the country.
Ian is a qualified Social Worker and is a former head of Youth Offending Teams (YOT) in both Hampshire and Wiltshire. Ian also served as the elected Secretary of the Association of YOT Managers (AYM) for many years and was made an AYM Life Member in 2022.
Ian is a self-confessed sports nut, football, cycling and table-tennis are sports he still participates in or at the very least spectates.
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Peter Cook
Peter has worked with County Durham Youth Justice Service for 18 years. Peter has worked predominantly in Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programmes (ISSP), a community based initiative designed for young people who pose a high level of risk. Peter has been a Skill Mill supervisor since the launch of our Durham site in 2017. Prior to working with the Youth Justice Service, Peter was a leisure accessory store manager.
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Roland O’Neil
Roland has worked for Birmingham Youth Offending Service for over 20 years. He has had different roles and has worked on a variety of projects including life skills and positive activities. Roland has also supported young people with arts and crafts, woodwork, horticulture and cycling proficiency. Prior to working with the Youth Justice Service, Roland worked in the construction industry for several years. Roland is now Skill Mill supervisor of our Birmingham site.
Matthew Jones
Matthew has worked at Rochdale Youth Justice Service for 15 years and has experience in a number of roles. Matthew established a ‘Peer Mentoring Scheme’ at Rochdale Youth Justice Service where young people who have previously been involved with the Youth Justice Service provide support for children and young people who are currently involved with the Youth Justice Service. Prior to this Matthew has worked with young people experiencing homelessness and as a teaching assistant in a school. Matthew is now Skill Mill supervisor of our Rochdale/Bury site.
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David Edgar
david.edgar@theskillmill.org
David has over 20 years experience in a range of roles which involve working with young people. David has experience of detached youth work, and has worked within a local Youth Offending Service. David has held roles within The National Trust and the YMCA, working with disadvantaged young people from inner city areas. He also has experience working for Local Authorities, maintaining their parks, community centre gardens, and urban spaces; David even has experience in all aspects of landscaping! David has a passion for being outdoors, he has volunteered for a range of organisations including The National Trust and The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. David is also a qualified Mountain Biking instructor, and shared this with young people whilst making a course from recycled materials! David is currently working on a European Structural and Investment Funds project in Newcastle. See the project page for more information.
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Paul Kenny
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Paul grew up in the Nottingham area. He has over 25 years of experience working within the construction sector. Paul has also ran his own business which specialised in construction and design. Additionally, Paul has worked in partnership with the Canal and River Trust, supporting their apprenticeship programme. This role involved supporting young people to develop construction based skills, which they could transfer into longer-term employment elsewhere. Paul has also worked on English Heritage structures and environmental awareness projects across the canal systems in Nottinghamshire. He is passionate about architecture and heritage, and enjoys spending time with wildlife. He is now Skill Mill Supervisor at our Nottingham site.
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Ross Carter
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Ross has over 26 years of experience in construction, youth and family work. He has worked for the NHS and local authorities in case management, group work and mediation, supporting vulnerable young people at risk of being criminalised. In 2018 Ross developed his own projects creating awareness and support for young people and parents around knife crime, gangs and exploitation. Ross has worked in both Birmingham and Surrey, and is now Skill Mill Supervisor at our Surrey site.
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Jake Kinsey BA
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Jake grew up in Brighton, where he has spent most of his time playing football, and completed his BA in Sport Coaching and Development in 2016. He has been involved in coaching a variety of sports, as well as teaching on the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Jake has been involved in the construction industry for 18 years. He also has experience in coaching communication and emotional regulation groups, and has experience working in secondary education with young people with complex needs. Jake enjoys working with young people to increase their life chances, and is now Skill Mill Supervisor at our West Sussex site.
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Mark Cooper
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Mark is a Youth Justice Worker from Leeds. He first joined the service in 1999 when it evolved as part of Probation and Social Services. He has fulfilled many roles within the service including running a national campaign against Knife Crime. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with young people and helping them achieve goals. Mark has also worked in the Construction Industry. He enjoys helping young people learn and develop life skills, moving them on to fulfil their potential and leave their offending behaviour behind them. Mark is currently Skill Mill Supervisor at our second Leeds site.
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David Lebourn
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David grew up on the borders of Essex and East London. He has had a range of roles over the past 33 years from working with children in an amateur dramatics group which toured shows across the UK, as well as Australia. David has a strong construction background, specialising in timber framed buildings and groundworks. He has a total of 15 years experience in the security sector, where he developed excellent interpersonal skills, dealing with anti-social and sometimes life threatening situations. At the beginning of the Pandemic David stepped into the role of PPE officer for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Since the pandemic, David has looked to adapt his skillset and has undertaken qualifications in Covid testing and containment, Safeguarding, Mental Health and Wellbeing in both Adults and Children, and is continuing his education in these fields. David is currently Skill Mill supervisor at our Norfolk site.
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Deandra Smith
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Deandra grew up in Hertfordshire, where she studied and majored in Sports Science and became a Sport Science Lecturer delivering courses across North and Central London. With a flare for programmes, Deandra volunteered with VSO to become Team Leader and managed a group of British and Khmer volunteers in Cambodia for 3 months. From this she went to work with vulnerable homeless young people, creating programmes and projects to increase their independent living skills. After a life altering injury, Deandra transitioned into the construction industry working as a Site Administrator with hope of progressing into Quality/Environmental industries. Deandra has joined The Skill Mill and is supervisor at our Croydon site.
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Simon Knight
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Simon has dedicated over two decades to working with Surrey County Council, predominantly working on the Youth Offer programme where he provided targeted assistance to vulnerable young people. His expertise lies in leading community reparation work in the carpentry workshop, where he educates and motivates young people to fulfil their community orders. Beyond his professional commitments, Simon is interested in sports. He has committed many years to coaching football and cricket, imparting skills and techniques to young players in both schools and local clubs. As part of his expanding role, Simon will be collaborating closely with Ross to manage a secondary group within The Skill Mill.
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Duncan Marwick
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Duncan is an experienced workshop facilitator, mentor, coach, professional actor and communicator. He is a certified AQai Practitioner, offering organisational adaptability coaching using the AQai model. This is focused around transforming the way people and organisations adapt to change. He is a seasoned formal educator at all levels (especially Higher Education) and informal educator (corporate training). Duncan specialises in Applied Improvisation Philosophy for Training, Pedagogy and Guidance. He is a founding member of ThreadBear Theatre (Playback Theatre) and MonkeyHeads, both improvisation collectives in West Yorkshire. Duncan runs weekly: refugee, 55+ and recovery improvisation sessions for free. He also runs open sessions for anyone to join as improvisation is the best way to boost your soft skills. Duncan is now supervisor at our Leeds site.
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Scott Eegleton
scott.eagleton@theskillmill.org
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Scott has been in the horticultural industry for several years, born into a gardening family it was a natural direction to follow. He chose to study horticulture at Newcastle university and then pursue the passion, working for Newcastle Council as a horticultural supervisor. This role included improving the green spaces throughout Newcastle and the raise awareness of environmental sustainability throughout the city.
Scott’s passion for horticulture comes from the reward of starting a project and seeing it through. For example, growing his own crops; it takes time, effort, and commitment, the more you apply the better the reward of your efforts. Scott is now supervisor at our Durham site.
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Craig Edwards
craig.edwards@theskillmill.org
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Craig is passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people. Having himself engaged with youth mentoring services as a teenager Craig has a real understanding and can relate with the young people. Having then chosen to work in the youth service since the age of 18, Craig has supported young people through mentoring, offering support and knowledge. Craig also volunteers as a grassroots football coach and really enjoys making a difference in the community. Craig feels that working with young people can really be beneficial in assisting them to go down the right path in life. Aside from youth work Craig is a qualified plumber and also works as a security supervisor. Craig is currently supervisor at The Skill Mill Birmingham.
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Safir Rafiq
Saf grew up in Oldham, Greater Manchester. He began working with Oldham Youth Justice Service in 2005. During this time, Saf has worked on a large number of programmes and projects. He has acquired Level 3 Youth and Community Studies, and Youth Justice Effective Practice Certification. Saf is passionate about his local community, and really enjoys making a difference to the lives of young people.
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Keti Matchavariani
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Keti serves as our Communications Manager with a background rooted in journalism and marketing. She completed her undergraduate studies in journalism, and further pursued a Master's in Communication and Social Entrepreneurship.
Keti spent over four years working as a reporter before transitioning to roles in social media and public relations. Her interest lies in connecting mission-driven organizations and SMEs with effective communication strategies. In her current role, Keti applies her varied experience to manage our communications and media relations.
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