Delivery
Leap's training and consultancy is delivered by a highly skilled, committed and specialist team
Tom Currie
Programme Quality & Development
Tom manages the delivery of Leap’s action research projects, which drive forward the development of our curriculum to meet the emerging needs of the youth and conflict sector. Tom is also organisational lead on evaluation, developing bespoke tools and processes for the wide range of settings that we deliver our training courses. He is also responsible for developing and marketing our publications and resources, seminars and master classes.
Tom worked for 15 years as a freelance trainer prior to becoming a manager within the third sector and has a practical attitude and creative approach to training and development opportunities. He has designed and delivered training interventions for all kinds of people, from cabin crew to senior management teams and young offenders to government departments.
Tom’s lifelong passion for music currently finds expression in his role as the musical director of 20-voice choir ‘Acappella Rising’, whose eclectic repertoire spans sufi chants, zulu hymns, gospel and pop anthems as well as original compositions.
Anita Sehdev
Delivery Manager: Young Leaders and Volunteers
Anita manages the delivery of Leap youth programmes nationally, including conflict resolution, peer mediation and leadership courses in schools and community organisations. Anita also manages the volunteer programmes for young people and adults and oversees youth engagement within the organisation. Anita enjoys working with Leap’s young trainers and volunteers and organising events for young people around the country as part of PeerLink, our national network of young people trained in conflict resolution.
Anita has over 13 years experience of working with hard to reach young people in a variety of settings and has worked extensively within the criminal justice system. Her background is in training, professional coaching and volunteer / mentor programmes and project management. Anita started her career initially as a young person accessing youth services and volunteered as a young mentor before securing a full time job as youth engagement coordinator in London at the age of 19. Her progression has given her a thorough understanding and passion for young people and developing routes to employment, training and education.
Outside of work Anita enjoys travelling, running and Pilates. She is into life coaching, and enjoys reading books and attending events for professional and personal development and meeting people from all walks of life. Anita also enjoys her music and attending concerts as well as dancing and socialising with friends.
Lizzie Ogle
Programmes and Partners Coordinator
Lizzie joined Leap in September 2011 as part of the Quaker Peace and Social Witness Peaceworker scheme, which funds year-long work placements in organisations working towards peace and conflict transformation. Before Leap she worked for the Challenge Network, a youth and community organisation, as a School’s Coordinator and a Senior Mentor.
At Leap Lizzie is coordinating the delivery of several of Leap’s action research projects, including Identity, Prejudice and Belonging. She is also building the profile of Leap’s Youth and Conflict publications and workshop resources, as well as developing partnerships and networks to expand Leap’s programme of delivery.
Lizzie studied International Relations and Development Studies at Sussex University. She loves to travel and has lived and volunteered in various parts of the world including India, South America and the Sahara Desert. In her spare time she likes to play and write music, dance, make hats and climb mountains.
Alex McKell
Trainer
Alex has been working with Leap since 2005. She began as a member of the Peerlink Steering group of which she was the vice chair and also worked with Leap on a voluntary basis around the same time. From all the experience Alex gained during her time as a volunteer with Peerlink and Leap, she became a young trainer in 2007 and has since become a Level 4 trainer with Leap. She brings a great deal of skills and qualities to her facilitation especially high energy and enthusiasm and really enjoys and believes in the work Leap does. Alex has delivered on a range of Leap projects such as school programmes, quarrel shop and leadership programmes from which she has developed a high level of facilitation skills.
She has also delivered training on a global scale as she volunteered at Liberty Lodge boy’s school in St Vincent where she run a week conflict resolution program with its students. Alex has also been involved in organising, running and supporting many Leap events such as Peerlink’s national conferences. Alex has just completed a stint as a team mentor with The Challenge and is currently studying a BsC in Criminology and Psychology. She continues her facilitation development through her PAL role at her university. Alex was given great opportunities through Leap and her youth group and would like to do the same for other young people.
Allison Gibbs
Trainer
Allison started working with Leap in 2004. She has many years of experience working with young people, and people with issues around substance misuse. Allison has delivered lots of Leap’s schools programmes, has supported a wide range of Peerlink events, and has mentored many of Leap’s Young Trainers. She is currently training to be an NLP practitioner.
Amanda Nelmes
Senior trainer
Amanda been involved with Leap since 1998. A level 6 trainer for the organisation, highly skilled in project design, business development and programme management, she has a proven track-record of designing programmes which have real impact on local communities, institutions and multi-agency teams. Amanda is currently leading on the design, and delivery of our work in partnership with the Prison Service. As a freelancer for the organisation, she was the lead trainer for Fear and Fashion – (programme to reduce weapon carrying) with Westminster youth Service and the lead for our partnership work with Enfield Youth and Community – Multi-agency work to address issues of gangs and anti-social behaviour. She has delivered Leap’s training to youth work professionals and young people across the UK. She now leads Leap’s criminal justice work.
Andy Jukes
Trainer
Andy had extensive experience leading distinction based personal development work to adults as well as working as a connexions advisor to young people when he joined Leap on the Gangs & Territorialism project in 05.
After two years delivering partnership projects he went on to consult for Social Enterprise, specialising in working with gangs and YPs at risk. He also has a particular interest in outdoor experiential learning.
Carey Haslam
Senior trainer
Carey has worked for the Leap since 1992. She is a Senior Trainer and been involved in the development and delivery of most of Leap’s courses to young people and to adults. She worked with Leap to design and run their training programmes for new trainers and has been part of the team working to develop a Foundation Degree in Youth and Conflict with Leeds Metropolitan University and of the team that re-wrote Leap’s core text: Playing with Fire. She was the lead trainer on the Race & Diversity Project from 2005 – 2008.
Clifton McDonald
Trainer
Clifton joined Leap in 2009, since then he has delivered on our Pathfinder, Quarrel Shop and Identity, Prejudice and Leadership Programmes. He is a qualified Youth & Community Worker with over 20 years experience who has worked with a wide variety of organisations in the public, statutory and 3rd sector delivering one to one and group work programmes.
As a coach, trainer and workshop facilitator Clifton has supported young people and adults on conflict resolution, bereavement, building self-esteem, identity, leadership, peer mentoring/leadership, anti-social behaviour, transition, young men rites of passage, team building and performance management. He is committed to delivering and promoting equal of opportunity to all that he comes into contact with. In working non-confrontationally, Clifton is committed to his own, as well as the personal, self and spiritual development and growth of those he works with.
Hannah Grant
Trainer
Hannah has a MA in Applied Theatre (Central School of Speech and Drama, 2006). She began working with young people as a volunteer youth leader at the age of 16 and her passions for social action, theatre and youth work have now formed the basis of her professional career as an informal educator and trainer. She manages and runs theatre projects, youth engagement and conflict programmes for young people in the UK and internationally. Hannah began working as a freelance trainer for Leap in 2007.
Hannah works in schools and communities. She specialises in using the arts to engage with young people and her work is frequently focused around issues of race, identity and belonging. She has worked closely with housing trusts, schools, colleges, youth charities and lobbying organisations. Hannah has worked with young offenders, NEET young people, school pupils, young parents, young victims of crime and peer youth workers.
Hannah’s other experience has included working as Education Officer for The Jewish Council for Racial Equality and working with Immediate Theatre to engage hard to reach young people in Hackney through the arts. Hannah also manages, designs and delivers her own projects, including (since 2008) the drama programme for the annual Southwark Children’s Book Awards, working with primary and secondary pupils across the borough.
Currently, Hannah is developing several school linking projects, bringing children together from different faith schools. Hannah is also the London based Founder and Director of ‘Theatre:Connect’, an international company which brings together young people from India, Singapore and London to share stories about their communities through drama and the arts. In June 2011, Hannah was invited
to speak about this project at the Drama Educators Association International Conference in Singapore and, following this, more countries will become involved soon.
Jassy Denison
Senior trainer
Jassy Denison has over 20 years experience as a trainer and consultant in the community and small business sector, with conflict & communication, participation and leadership development as the common thread through her work.
Jassy has worked extensively in community settings, with a commitment to recognising and working with diversity, developing inclusive and empowered communities. Her work has included the development of participatory structures and processes, community based research & evaluation programmes and peer support and education projects; creating opportunities for people to work effectively with and represent their own communities and build relationships between communities and individuals. As a community cohesion advisor for the Department for Communities and Local Government, she has managed and delivered projects building cohesion and facilitating dialogue and mediation in areas with high levels of conflict. She also works with teams and partnerships supporting them to work effectively through formulation of shared aims, strategies and work practices.
Jassy has delivered across the range of Leap programmes including work with staff and students in schools, gangs programmes, and adult training. Recent work for Leap has included the development of accredited peer mediation training, and Girlstory, a programme for young women affected by gangs and street violence.
She is a trained community mediator, an accredited teacher of co-counselling and a qualified counsellor (City University: recognised by British Association of Counselling) and has a post graduate diploma in Psychosocial Studies (University of West of England – Msc will be completed June 2012)
Jessie Ben-Ami
Senior trainer
In 1994, Jessie began working with young people that were serving custodial prison sentences in America. From this experience she developed an interest in working with young people in gangs and has since has developed, delivered and managed a range of programmes for young people involved in gang activity or knife crime. Jessie has a BA in Sociology and was a co-author of the “Working with Gangs and Young People” manual for Leap Confronting Conflict, a bi-product of their action research programme, and now an essential manual for trainers interested in ‘gangs’ work. Jessie is one of Leap’s senior trainers and has delivered Leap’s curriculum to adults and young people throughout the UK.
Jim Pope
Trainer
A creator of long term drama engagement programmes, Jim brings his extensive experience as an actor, director, teacher and trainer and co-Director of “Playing On” Theatre company, a professional company of actors and facilitators to the Leap training pool. In response to a specific need for delivering programmes of drama in young offenders institutes, Jim Pope created the Playing Up programme for the National Youth Theatre. This is a three-tiered drama programme for 17 to 25 year olds who are not in education employment or training. Accredited by the open college network, it is now in its third year running. The courses are well-regarded and outcomes include placement of young people in higher education. He works with various disenfranchised groups of young people in the field of film making, theatre and drama. He is currently working alongside the youth offending services of Hammersmith and Fulham to run a reparation programme for young people from a youth offending team as an alternative to custodial sentencing.
Joshua Brown
Young Trainer/ Volunteer
Joshua joined Leap in early 2010 as a participant on quarrel shop. Since then, he has developed a substantial understanding and passion for the importance of Leap’s work. He’s a community-minded individual who regularly puts the needs of others before his own, best evidenced through his substantial and high impact community work, both professionally and voluntary.
As a young trainer/ Coordinator Joshua has facilitated workshops in conflict resolution and theory. He has also prepared projects, coached, mentored, and managed young volunteers. Recently he completed a placement as a social media researcher. This allowed him to dedicate his time towards a specific field of interest in which he enjoys in addition to gaining more skills that are advantageous to his career path and own small business.
Katharine Yates
Trainer
Katharine is an artist and creative facilitator with a background in physical theatre and devised work. She has worked with Leap since 2009 and is passionate about facilitating an experiential creative learning process for and with the people she works with. Katharine has a particular interest in the use of play and drama in learning.
For Leap Katharine has delivered work for both young people and adults. She was involved in the Pathfinder project from 2009-2011, has designed and delivered Leadership & Identity programmes in schools and community settings as well as delivering training for adult youth professionals.
Katharine is co-director of deep:black, a social enterprise which uses the arts to engage people with conflict. She is also currently working on a project called Act Change! which uses forum theatre to work with young people at risk of exclusion from mainstream education in Tower Hamlets. The programme aims to increase awareness of behaviour and behaviour choice through drama. She also works with Clean Break and in Italy for Break Theatre using drama and play to teach young people English and French. She is a qualified as a yoga teacher and is exploring how to integrate yoga into her facilitation work.
Katharine believes in the power of the arts to engage people in a creative learning process and is excited about the potential for change and personal development through creative action.
Kweku Aacht
Trainer
Kweku Aacht is a Hackney-based artist who’s been working as a facilitator and youth worker for over 10 years. Kweku initially began working with Leap through his job as outreach worker for Hackney Mediation Service in 2006, connecting the PeerLink programme to Hackney where he is a volunteer mediator. As a facilitator he’s worked with various organisations including Hackney Empire, Transport for London and the Peabody Trust, delivering a range of subjects from music production to peer mediation.
Lee Henry
Trainer
Lee has over 16 years experience of sports coaching and Sports Development with YP in his role in Leeds City Council’s Community Sports dept.
He has worked on projects with Refugees & Asylum Seekers, Gypsies And Travellers Exchange & Stop Hate UK and delivered work in primary & secondary schools as well as community settings.
He provides Equality & Diversity training, safeguarding and child safety training for his colleagues in Leeds Councils Sport & Active Recreation and is the Equity Officer for his department. Lee has also represented England at the 2009 Seniors World Cup in Thailand, where they won!
Macarena Mata-Porras
Trainer
Macarena joined Leap in 2008, and has been delivering courses in schools on ‘Conflict Resolution’ and ‘Peer Mediation’ within the Pathfinder programme, ‘Challenging behaviour’ courses to adults as well as working within the Identity, Prejudice and Leadership programme.
Macarena has been working in the mediation field since 2005 as a community mediator with Mediation Hertfordshire, where she is also a member of the Board of Trustees, expanding her practice to family mediation since 2007 with Essex Mediation and to workplace mediation since 2010. She is also a trainer in conflict resolution, mediation and self-awareness to executives, academics and community groups, and trainer in peer mediation in schools. She lectures on conflict theory and self-awareness and reflective practice for conflict practitioners at the PgCert and MSc courses at Birkbeck College, University of London. Her academic qualifications include an MSc in Conflict resolution and Mediation Studies from University of London and a Ph.D. from Cranfield University. Macarena was born in Málaga, Spain, and now lives near London with her husband. She can mediate and train both in English and Spanish as needed.
Matt Lent
Trainer
Matt has worked in the community development, youth and education sectors for 20 years. Qualifying as a Community and Youth Worker in 1995, he has since worked in a wide variety of settings, including with the The Big Issue, with young people in residential support centres, leading on street based youth work initiatives, and as the Director of wide reaching local community initiatives. Matt was the Operations Director of a national education charity for 5 years specialising in youth participation and active citizenship.
Matt now works as a trainer and educator, focusing on; conflict resolution, youth sector workforce development, gifted and talented education, community development and leadership. He is an expert in game-based learning, facilitating workshops using game theory and behavioural economics to develop teams and strategic decision-making.
Matt has also sat on numerous working groups and committees, including the Partnership for Young London ‘Learner Focus Task Group’, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ‘Engaging with Young People Advisory Group’, the Department of Health ‘Emotional Health and Well-Being (EHWB) Stakeholders Group’ and the ‘Gifted & Talented Voice Working Committee’. Matt is also an active Fellow of the RSA.
Nia Imani Kuumba
Senior trainer
Originally a trained actor, Nia has worked since 1984 with young people and professionals in the Caribbean, Europe and the USA, became a drama worker in 1994, and is one of Leap’s most Senior Trainers, having joined them in 1997. Nia first worked with Leap as a theatre director on a project working with young homeless people, and then in 2001 joined the organisation fulltime as a Gangs and Territorialism worker. He spent three years developing a ground-breaking group work programme for young people and gangs, and co-authored Leap’s manual, “Working with Gangs and Young People”. He is very interested in young men’s transition to adulthood, and works internationally with many groups in this area.
Nick Patel
Trainer
Started his journey with Leap as a participant on Quarrelshop before joining the Young Mediators Network as a member and then as chairperson for the steering group. He worked full time for Leap as a member of the Yorkshire team delivering Pathfinder, our high capacity schools mediation training project before returning to work as a freelance trainer.
Nick has experience delivering our accredited work in and out of schools and often works on our residentials. He also performs as a DJ and magician!
Nigel Williams
Trainer
Nigel joined Leap in 1996, arriving from the North of England where he had been studying Youth and Community Work in Manchester. Returning to London, he continued his career as an informal educator by joining the Waltham Forest Youth Service, where he is currently employed as lead manager for volunteering. Nigel believes in using drama and theatre techniques to support the learning process. He studied at Goldsmiths College for his Masters Degree in theatre and education, and has completed all the Boal workshops hosted by Adrian Jackson and facilitated by Augusto Boal. Nigel is very happy in his life, and enjoys the responsibility of being part of a family. He is in the process of developing a dream that one day he will spend some time watching the sun go down.
Nik Pitcher
Senior trainer
Nik Pitcher is a state registered drama therapist and member of the Health Professionals Council with over 20 years experience working with young people at risk and managing adults who work with them in the UK, Europe and USA. A background in fine art and performance has equipped her with an innovative and creative approach.
During the past 12 years she has been a consultant and senior trainer for LEAP, developing, delivering and evaluating quality training for young people and adults in the UK. She has specialised in working with gangs, weapons and knife crime and supporting sports professionals who work with high risk young people. Most recently she co-led an action research programme for Leap focusing on girls who are involved in or affected by gangs or street violence, leading to the production of the practitioner resource ‘GIRL STORY’. In 2010 Nik co-authored the second edition of Playing with Fire and has been writing and developing modules for the BA in Youth and Conflict at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Alongside her work with Leap, Nik is Director of Carving Community with her partner James Bond, works on the MA in Dramatherapy at Exeter, offers team consultancy and supervision to other practitioners. She is currently completing an MSc in Psycho-Social Studies at Bristol University, focusing on the impact of interventions by returning servicemen who work with young people involved in gangs and street violence.
Nik is passionate about creating hearty, physical learning experiences in order to develop safe and meaningful relationships and opportunities for growth. Her primary focus has been to enable children, young people and adults (including herself) to develop a range of responses to difficult situations in order to effect successful change in their lives. When not working Nik enjoys riding wild horses with her daughter in preparation for a trek across Mongolia.
Nik Rabbani-Barker
Trainer
Nik is an experienced facilitator and has been developing unique mindmechanics training programmes since 1999. Courses have been inspected and commended by OFSTED and A.L.I. (Adult Learners Inspectorate). Satisfied clients include Education Leeds, Leeds Fostering Service, Mental Health Charities, Refuges and numerous Hospices. For the past twelve years she has created a series of bold training and coaching programmes that combine practical brain science with attitudinal change. Each course provides the mental tools to challenge disempowering belief systems.
Nik is a qualified N.L.P Practitioner and Clinical Hypnosis practitioner and holds a PGCE/Cert Ed in Teaching and Training Adults.
Nik joined Leap in 2008. She has team-led on numerous youth projects. She believes that we are incredibly powerful beings and as we leap beyond our own fears and personal limitations, our efforts can resonate on a wider scale across communities.
Nik is currently completing a book.
Petra Hilgers
Trainer
Petra is a development practitioner with over 15 years of international experience in personal, team & organisational and community development. Originally from Germany, Petra has developed her skills in peace building, non-violent communication, mediation and conflict coaching working in countries and communities all over the world including Bosnia, South Africa, Uganda, Darfur/Sudan, Afghanistan and now in London.
As a development practitioner Petra is passionate about supporting people to make changes that are positive for them and is particularly interested in exploring the power of anger.
Petra has been a community mediator in East London since 2006, and currently also works part-time as a family mediator for The Children’s Society,
Together with Kweku Aacht and Katharine Yates, Petra is running her own company deep:black which specialises in using the arts to work creatively with conflicts. She’s excited about giving arts more space in her life and is exploring her own creative skills especially around photography and movement.
Rene Manradge
Senior trainer
Rene has worked with Leap since 1991, and is now a Senior Trainer. His first project was as an apprentice, being trained in conflict resolution and practising his skills in an Islington youth club. This was the start of a powerful journey for Rene, as he had to confront and challenge many of his own preconceptions about himself and others. Since then, he has helped create, design and facilitate many of Leap’s courses and programmes. Rene is a Qualified Youth Worker, and has run projects in art and design as well as conflict resolution and team building. Rene is still inspired by seeing the “light bulb” or “Eureka” moment when participants realise that things can be different for them, and they can make powerful choices about their lives. When not working, Rene enjoys drawing and painting.
Sandy Sanghera
Trainer
Sandy has been working in the Youth Sector for 10 years, she has worked in various settings Youth Offending Teams, Youth Centres and managed diverse projects across the UK. A qualified Youth Worker who graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London her passion is informal education for young people to support their growth, self awareness and personal development. Sandy worked at Leap Confronting Conflict as the Youth Leadership Manager for three years and continues to work as a Youth Practitioner and Trainer.
Shaun Barnett
Trainer
Shaun was a participant on Leap’s Quarrel Shop programme, going on to work for the organisation as a Youth Animator. During his time in this role he delivered workshops to over 600 young people. Shaun often presents on Leap’s work, and is now a member of the freelance training team.
Steven Allen
Trainer
Steven is an experienced youth and conflict trainer and team leader, with extensive experience working with children and young people in schools, youth clubs and in the youth justice system across the UK. Specialisms include working with young people around issues of race and identity, peace education practices, leadership and activism training. He has spent time working in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, and lead the development of a training course for teachers on integrating peace-based educational practices into the Lebanese curriculum. He regularly freelances for a number of voluntary organisations. Recent examples: the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (social policy research into the impact of housing policy and practice for young people), Street Action (supporting the organisation to establish a volunteering scheme for those wishing to work with street children in South Africa and Burundi), JCore (interfaith dialogue programme for primary school students), International Alert (as an assessor on their simulation programme for those wanting to work in the context of conflict overseas) and Peace Channel (Nagaland, India – intercommunal dialogue following civil war). Steven is currently studying a Masters in Research at Birkbeck College, University of London, on international refugee and statelessness law particularly as they pertain to the Middle East region. He also enjoys travelling, learning Arabic and hiking when it’s not too windy.
Tony Weekes
Senior trainer
Tony has many years of working with young people and conflict, and is Safety Manager and a key trainer with Youth at Risk. As one of Leap’s Senior Trainers, he has delivered much of the organisation’s schools work, adult training and work with gangs, and currently works as a consultant on Leap’s Sport Relief Project looking at Conflict Resolution in Sport Programmes.
Yasmin Phillips
Young trainer
Yasmin has been working for leap since 2006. She came through the quarrel shop course and was subsequently employed as Youth Development Worker for Leap & now is freelance.
Yasmin has been delivering workshops around conflict resolution and peer mediation in schools and youth clubs across London. She has also project Cordinated the Quarrel Shop programme.
She is currently studying for her foundation degree in Children & Young Peoples Services.
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