The Team

My journey to acet UK has not taken a direct course! I started my career working in healthcare PR in the ‘city’, which I did for around five years, before making the decision to retrain as a youth worker. I had been considering a career change for a while when the opportunity to take a role as a children’s and youth leader in my church came up. I love working with young people and decided to complete more training, undertaking an MA in youth and community work in 2023. Every young person I have worked with has had questions about relationships and sex (even when the session is on a completely different topic!). I am really excited to join acet UK and to be involved in equipping, educating and empowering young people to engage in healthy relationships and take charge of their sexual health. I feel particularly strongly about working with young people with SEND who can be more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

A bit more about me! I grew up in North Yorkshire and moved to London 7 years ago. I love the vibrancy and diversity of East London, the community of friends I have found here and the number of great coffee shops within five minutes’ walk of my flat! I sometimes miss the hills of the Yorkshire Dales and I take every opportunity to get outdoors, whether it’s a long walk in the countryside, a run around Victoria Park, or a swim in the sea (or lido!)

Before joining acet UK, I worked for a local pregnancy centre, delivering relationships and sex education to students in primary and secondary schools. I also work part-time as the children’s and youth leader in a West London church, so am very involved in pastoral care in the local community. Prior to this, I was a primary school teacher for a number of years and have always loved to work with young people to see them grow and flourish. 

For the past six years, I have also been a foster carer, and looking after a teenager has taught me a lot about the many challenges young people face today around relationships and sex in our ever-increasingly digital world. I am really excited about the prospect of working at acet UK and making a difference in the lives of these young people. Having been an Esteem member for the past few years I have learned so much from the acet UK team about what good RSE should look like. I am extremely passionate to continue the vision of reaching all young people to help them grow in their self-esteem and ability to make healthy relationship choices.

I joined acet UK’s team in August 2022 at the end of a master’s in International Political Economy at the University of Sheffield. A module called ‘Global Health and Global Politics’ introduced me to the topic of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) which I became so passionate about that I subsequently focussed on SRH in each essay after this.

I’m passionate about helping everyone, nationally and internationally, engage more with SRH and to develop positive attitudes to themselves and others. Internationally, I have visited Uganda twice to work for a charity in Kampala. Most recently, I travelled to Lisbon for a short trip to work amongst migrants and refugees as part of a discipleship year at a church in Sheffield. I love advocating and empowering people, especially girls, to have healthier attitudes towards sex or to recover from past trauma as victims.

I’m incredibly excited to be working for such an amazing organisation that is at the forefront of fighting SRH injustices and issues in the UK and abroad.

I joined acet UK in early 2022, bringing with me my previous experience of working in administration in the charity sector. I enjoy the variety of my role, supporting the Esteem delivery team, as well as the fundraising, communications, and finance functions of the charity.

Before joining acet UK, I trained in Chester for a degree in Christian youth work with applied theology. Since graduating I have worked in lots of different roles, including church youth work, pastoral care and welfare support, shifting more into admin and support work when my husband and I welcomed our first child.

I’ve recently joined acet UK as Events and Memberships Officer and am excited to help support an organisation that makes a difference in so many ways, especially in building the self-esteem of young people, which as a mum to three young girls is a topic close to my heart!

I joined the Acet team as a fundraiser officer in May 2024. I have an academic background in Linguistics and I spent my last year of university searching for a place where I could invest my time and effort towards a worthy cause and I have found the perfect spot for that in acet UK.

I was born in Venezuela and spent the first decade of my life in Spain so being able to see the Acet team carry out life changing projects inside and outside the UK fills me with great joy.

I am very excited to see the impact that acet UK will have within the youth with the Esteem project. As a youth group leader myself, I understand the importance of investing in the younger generations with love, respect and wisdom and I believe acet UK has a great strategy for this. 

Prior to joining acet UK, I had been studying both full time and part-time for the past 5 years, gaining a BA and an MA in theology, in addition to being a minister in my local church. During my studies, I worked within schools in the London area, supporting young people with their academic and behavioural development. Over the years, I have grown a passion for young people, having had first-hand experience with some of the many difficulties they face, both within and outside of school, and I have always had a heart to reach out to them in a more holistic way.

Having joined acet UK in 2018 as a Schools Worker, helping to deliver the Esteem programme within the London borough of Southwark. I am now working as the Training Coordinator for London and the South, delivering all of our training programs, from our full accredited training to teacher INSET days. The training enables all who work with young people to gain valuable skills and knowledge in RSE, aiding them to deliver high-quality lessons that meet the needs of their young people.

I believe it is important to see young people changed and transformed in the area of relationships and sex, as well as seeing the narrative surrounding relationships and sex becoming more positive, nurturing and healthier for our young people.

My working life started in community and church youth work. Whilst working as a community youth worker, I was trained by acet UK to deliver relationships and sex education (RSE). I then worked for 6 years for a school's work charity, delivering RSE across Chester high schools. During this time, I worked with over 5000 young people focusing on the simple message that there is hope in a better view of relationships and sex.

I joined acet UK in January 2015 and, as Esteem Network Director, I train and support eductors from charities, churches and schools in tackling the delicate issues of relationships and sex. It is my role to help them be the best they can be in this essential field. I also deliver RSE in schools across the North West and spend some time training and supporting acet UK's international partners. I feel my main motivation has always been around helping people reach their full potential. For me a vital issue in this is relationships and sex education. I am excited to see how acet UK grows over the next few years.

Before I worked for acet UK I was working in Zimbabwe for over 25 years, involved in a number of areas of developmental work and responses to the HIV pandemic.  This included setting up and establishing a number of faith-based and community based organisations that responded to the different facets of the HIV pandemic.

I also spent time working as a developmental consultant, helping to build the capacity of different organisations involved and providing care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children.

 I was also working on the pastoral team of a Pentecostal church focusing mainly on youth and young adults and raising up other young leaders who could also lead and minister to young people throughout Zimbabwe.

 There were a number of reasons I was drawn to and interested in working with acet uk.

Firstly, as much as we might think otherwise, issues pertaining to HIV and AIDS still exist, and although in certain situations the pandemic maybe seemed to be under control or even pushed back, the reality is HIV and AIDS are still with us.

This might be in the UK, Eastern Europe, Africa, or Asia, so we need to continue in our efforts to help support programs and projects that are preventing HIV and are providing care to those who are either infected, or affected, by HIV or AIDS.

Secondly, acet UK is an excellent organization in terms of the impact that it has, the strategies that it uses, and that with a relatively small number of staff or secretariat, has made a sizeable difference in the fight against HIV.

 As an organization acet UK seems to draw together excellent staff members whether it's in UK or any of its international partners, who generally strive to make a difference in the world and inspire you to want you join that team, or organisation and get involved in their causes.

My past experience equipped me well for my extremely varied and interesting role at acet UK, where I assist our UK team of Esteem educators, support the board of trustees and CEO, and liaise with our international partners. I have been able to draw on my 6 years as an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ administrator of a small charity; the finance experience I gained from working in various management positions; the international development elements of my BSc; plus 8 years’ teaching experience!

I am passionate about the work that my role supports at acet UK. As a qualified teacher, with a heart for young people’s emotional and relational needs, I really enjoyed participating in the Esteem training course - and would highly recommend it. And, as a parent of two teenage children, I have a vested interest in supporting the next generation in developing healthy self-esteem and relationships.

I know that we cannot do everything, but believe we must do everything we can!

I have enjoyed over 20 years volunteering in church youth clubs and camps throughout Wales where I became known as the “sex lady” for speaking about relationships and sex education, particularly to university students.

After 20 years of community development, I then spent 10 years in international and early childhood development in South Africa starting up several charities and businesses to support them. I also developed a project to shift the lives of over 28,000 children orphaned by HIV and AIDS. I designed, developed and delivered training to over 1,000 functionally illiterate caregivers, in 4 languages and then spent the next two years organising medical clinics and running disaster relief work for the world’s poorest country, Madagascar. A keynote speaker at last year’s Humanitarian Forum and International Disaster Management show, I love inspiring strategic and transformational change!

I hosted a popular relationships radio show specifically giving advice to parents bringing up children, and have written and illustrated several books. In my spare time, I’ve had great fun painting well over 1,000 educational murals, in schools, clinics and hospitals across southern Africa, warning of the perils of HIV, TB, Malaria and Rabies and the benefits of breastfeeding.

I am passionate about fighting injustice and developing and enabling young people to reach their God-given potential.

I became CEO of acet UK at the start of 2020 and am most excited about our vision to transform culture.

I grew up in Ealing knowing of ACET through family friends at my church, so have always been keen to support the work of ACET. Fast forward a number of years to today - I am married and we have three children! I trained as a doctor and after qualifying, gained a diploma from The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; I've also studied the History of Medicine and my last job was in clinical research, so my medical experience and interest is varied!

I'm passionate to support the work ACET does through the Esteem programme. It is so important to provide excellent teaching and empower our next generation to make wise and healthy decisions when it comes to relationships and sex. As a parent I'm even more keen for us to have a positive impact in this sphere for as many young people and educators as we can.

I am also very keen to support the international work of the partner organisations in the ACET family especially in terms of education and healthcare around HIV, and supporting vulnerable women and children.
I have a diploma in Youth and Community work but have been a children’s Pastor in our local church for the last 5 years. I am passionate about helping broken people and seeing people reach their full God-given potential! I am super excited to be part of acet UK and can’t wait to witness firsthand the impact that the ACET family has on lives of young people and communities.

I actually did the Esteem training with Paul and have loved being able to access all the resources - I can’t wait to start using them in our local schools as well as in church.

I am a wife to Matt who is a primary school teacher and mother to two sons and our British Bulldog Mozzi. We live in Wales and it was in Wales that I met Catherine when I was a teenager, I can still vividly remember the sessions she ran in our church youth group on sex education, she was always open honest and unshockable which is what I seek to mirror in my own teaching within church.

I have a diploma in Youth and Community work but have been a children’s Pastor in our local church for the last 5 years. I am passionate about helping broken people and seeing people reach their full God-given potential! I am super excited to be part of acet UK and can’t wait to witness firsthand the impact that the ACET family has on lives of young people and communities.

I actually did the Esteem training with Paul and have loved being able to access all the resources - I can’t wait to start using them in our local schools as well as in church.

I am a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. I am currently the Chief Operating Officer of a boutique investment management firm based in London. My expertise includes strategic financial oversight, budget setting and approval, risk management and oversight, governance, HR and taxation. I am also responsible for financial oversight of a medium-sized baptist church in Tring, and chair of its related OFSTED registered Preschool.

The conversation of relationships and sex education (RSE) has been a topic I’ve been passionate about from a young age. I failed to understand why the topic was deemed taboo and felt determined to encourage the normality of RSE from a Christian perspective.

As a youth leader, I adopted ways to encourage and create an atmosphere for young people to ask questions whilst ensuring safeguarding policies. I helped to facilitate training in safeguarding to other volunteers as well as leading panels at events determined to demonstrate safe and healthy conversations about RSE.

Having the opportunity to be a part of the vision and team on how we equip young people around the country on the topic of RSE provides me with joy and complete anticipation. I’m a strong believer in educating young people for safer relationships along with being passionate to aid and equip churches across the UK with the right materials to achieve the same result. With parents, churches and volunteers combining their efforts on enabling healthy conversations and with our resources, we can look forward to a generation fully prepared and aware of their sexual health. acet UK is a powerful charity with a great foundation and a strong message

An experienced charity sector professional, I bring with me the wealth of more than 30 years’ experience in the not for profit sector, the majority of that time spent working in senior management and executive positions. I am particularly adept at helping define strategy, determining operational plans to deliver strategy, shaping, developing and managing teams and implementing operational plans which deliver results. I have worked extensively with not-for-profit boards, helping them to develop governance best practice. I am a good communicator with experience in broadcast media and public settings.

I am married to Sally and have four, now grown up, children. I have lived in Ealing, West London, all my life apart from a short break to study Physics at the University of Bath.

I work as a Software Development Director, in a leading international software company. I have worked in many different roles gaining experience in both technology and people management.

I am currently chair of acet UK, having previously served as a board member for several years. I am also a long-standing trustee of my church.