THE BAYTREE CENTRE - Key Persons
An authority in using data and insight to drive transformational change, Ada has over 10 years of commercial and operational working experience across multiple industries. In her volunteer capacity she supports start ups and charities to establish systems and structures that ensure the longevity of their businesses.Her expertise lies in gathering market intelligence, reviewing business performance and seeking out opportunities for improvement and areas requiring risk management. She currently leads a team of data analysts for a regulator within the financial services industry.
Alejandra is the Youth Mentoring Coordinator at Baytree. From an Ecuadorian family, she was born and raised in Barcelona and moved to London to pursue a bachelor's degree in politics and economics. She was also the head of the Hispanic Society at her university and started a project where volunteers delivered English lessons to the Spanish-speaking members of the cleaning staff at campus. Wanting to pursue a career in the charity sector, she volunteered at Baytree for some time and then officially joined the team in August 2023. It was particularly important for her that the organisation she worked with was aligned with her personal values and gave back to the community, which is why Baytree was the perfect fit. In her free time, she loves reading, going for long walks, and discovering new hidden spots in London. mailto: alejandra@baytreecentre.org.uk
Ana brings five years of experience in UK Higher Education, notably at institutions like the Cambridge Judge Business School and Brunel Business School. Specializing in entrepreneurship and social impact, her career trajectory is directed towards impact finance. Ana excels in designing educational programs with a focus on entrepreneurship, overseeing content, updates, and facilitating engaging teaching-learning interactions. Passionate about guiding innovators through business development complexities, she has implemented mentorship entrepreneurship programs and established mentor and tutor networks. Ana's enthusiasm lies in contributing her expertise to support the Baytree Centre's mission and enhance its social impact.
Job Titles:
- Baytree 's Service Director
- Service Director Responsible for the Women 's Service
Anna is Baytree's Service Director and oversees the smooth running and strategic development of the Women's Service and Volunteer Service. Anna took on the role of Service Director in Spring 2021, having previously worked as one of our Social Mobility coaches and volunteered extensively at Baytree. She has over 20 years' experience in private sector client services and is very pleased to now be applying her skills to support and develop Baytree's fantastic work.
Job Titles:
- Women 's Service ESOL Tutor
Bouchra is an ESOL Tutor with our Women's Service. In 2002, Bouchra moved from Morocco, where she gained a BA in Linguistics, to London, to join her husband. Her first engagement with Baytree was as a client, where she came to improve her English. Her own experience of moving to London gives Bouchra a profound understanding of women's situations and complexities when learning a new language. After completing her education at Lambeth College and gaining her CELTA qualification, she returned to Baytree as a volunteer, where for several years she mentored a young woman and taught ESOL to girls on the Into School programme. She is happy to be working in Baytree's welcoming environment alongside the Women's Service staff who once supported her. Outside Baytree, Bouchra helps run a community group, organising activities for children and women. She also enjoys painting and going for long walks.
Job Titles:
- Baytree 's Development Director
- Development Director Responsible for Fundraising and Development
Carmen is Baytree's Development Director and has been involved with the centre as a volunteer and employee at various times right from the very start. Part of the initial team which helped turn Baytree from a derelict warehouse into a women's centre. Carmen also started Baytree's first homework club over twenty years ago. She is very experienced working with and for a variety of different charities. Prior to her role here, she worked at HAVCO as their Development Manager and acted as a consultant to over 400 local charities. Carmen has run numerous youth and female empowerment programmes in the UK and overseas and brings enormous insight into inter-cultural partnership working, participatory development and project management. Carmen is also the CEO of Wonder Foundation, an organisation that partners worldwide to empower women and girls through education.
Carol, our Facilities Coordinator, never fails to give us all a warm welcome when we arrive each morning - and always knows where the good stationery is hidden. Carol was a Care Assistant before she came to us in 2002. She loves Baytree because of the rich community made up of staff, children and parents. "I look forward to coming in every morning" she said with a smile as she spoke about the Baytree family. In her spare time Carol enjoys spending time with her friends, keeping fit and laughing.
Job Titles:
- CEO & Director Responsible for Youth & Central Services
Caroline, the busiest lady we know - often mistaken for the dancing girl from the John Lewis Insurance advert - has been CEO of the Baytree Centre since 2010. As CEO her main responsibility is to provide leadership to deliver the vision, strategy and specific objectives of the centre. She describes her role at Baytree as ‘her most satisfying yet most challenging work to date.' Prior to getting involved in the third sector, Caroline worked at UBM, a global events-led marketing and communications services business.
Caroline is a lover of all things Italian, which includes her husband! They have three children (now young adults), all of whom have volunteered at Baytree in some form or another. To relax, Caroline enjoys spending time with her family and her beautiful mongrel dog, Alfie. Animals are another of her passions (particularly dogs, horses and pigs), and her dream is to one day move out of London and set up a small animal sanctuary.
Job Titles:
- Academic Manager & ESOL Tutor Responsible for in - House and Outreach ESOL Provision
Christina is the Academic Manager and the Adult ESOL and Literacy Tutor. She is a true veteran here at Baytree and has served over 20 years. When she first arrived at Baytree, Christina worked part-time teaching English, and then went on to become the ESOL coordinator. Now she is in charge of overseeing the smooth running of the Women's Service ESOL provision, as well as teaching. Christina is a UK native but lived in Greece for 13 years, where she met her husband. In 1996 she came back to the UK with her husband and two boys. Christina is a keen theatre-goer. She belongs to a theatre club and has ‘starred' in the play ‘The Trial' at the Young Vic. Christina also loves to travel and has been to Mexico, Brazil, Belize, Cyprus, France and all across the United States.
Sinead is a lecturer in Literacy Education and works with the International Literacy Centre at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE). She works on literacy-related topics including language and communication, phonics, and Reading Recovery. She is interested in research on early writing development and early literacy interventions.
Wife and mother of four, works in Business Development for a financial services company in London. Prior to that, Ekene founded and ran a contemporary handbag brand. Ekene holds an MBA from Manchester Business School.
Elizabeth is a Social entrepreneur with a background in HR in the corporate sector.
Job Titles:
- Volunteer Service Manager
Federica leads our Volunteer Service. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay. She joined Baytree in March 2019. In 2022 she also worked as a Mentoring Consultant for Latin American projects at Wonder Foundation. Before joining Baytree, she worked in procurement for the hospitality sector. She has volunteered in different social projects in Kenya and Uruguay and is passionate about social mobility and community development. As a typical Uruguayan, she loves her country's traditional tea, ‘ Mate'.
Job Titles:
- Accounts Officer
- Baytree 's Accounts Officer
Helena has been Baytree's Accounts Officer since August 2021, before this she had been volunteering within the department since 2014. Helena's experience with Baytree dates back as she remembers the building as a derelict warehouse when it was acquired in the 1980's. She previously worked in various roles within retail banking while volunteering repeatedly with Baytree over the years. She was born in Worthing and lived in Sussex for many years. In her spare time, Helena enjoys going for walks in the country and looking after her flourishing garden.
Job Titles:
- Operations & Facilities Manager
Hélène is Operations & Facilities Manager and works hard to make sure that The Baytree Centre is a safe and welcoming place and that our operations run as smoothly as possible. She joined Baytree in February 2023 after working for nine years at Shell in Human Resources where she developed skills in project management, stakeholder management and process improvement - all very useful in her current role! Hélène has lived most of her life in Southwest London but her family are based in France where they make wine. Her other passions in life are volunteering, hiking and rock dancing!
Job Titles:
- Head of Youth Programmes at Baytree
Indigo is Head of Youth Programmes at Baytree. Her main responsibilities include overseeing the development, management, and implementation of the Youth Service strategy. Indigo studied Music at The Brit School of Performing Arts and then went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths University. She is a writer and spoken word educator who has performed at Tedx Brixton, Tedx UCL, BBC Radio 4's Bespoken Word, Glastonbury Festival and is the winner of the 2012 New Generation slam. Her work has been published in Filigree: Contemporary Black British poetry, an anthology published by Inscribe in 2019 and was one of 6 leading poets selected for the pioneering Spoken Word Educators Programme. She has worked internationally and across the UK with organisations such as The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Southbank Centre and numerous educational institutions both as a consultant and facilitator. Indigo has over 10 years' experience working with young people and women through the creative arts, literature, and well-being workshops.
Job Titles:
- Social Mobility Coach in Baytree's Women 's Service
Joanne is a Social Mobility Coach in Baytree's Women's Service. Before joining Baytree, Joanne worked for London charity FAD, where she designed and delivered skills training and mentoring programmes, supporting 14-30-year-olds into creative careers. She has also worked for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Joanne is a qualified teacher and has taught languages, art and fashion textiles to children and adults in school, college and the community. She holds an MA in Latin American Cultural Studies, speaks French and Spanish, and has lived in Havane, Paris and Cajamarca, Peru. Joanne likes a nice cup of tea and hanging out with her daughter - their favourite places in London are the Horniman Museum and Hampstead Heath.
Job Titles:
- Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Joyce is our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. She has started volunteering with us in 2016 after moving to the UK from the Philippines whilst working for another local charity near Brixton. She has been involved with all Baytree's services and feels stongly connected with the team and service users as well as Baytree's work. It was no surprise then that as soon as the opportunity to join Baytree as an employee opened up, she went for it. Joyce has longstanding experience in community development, education, governance and project management in her home country. She brings with her a great enthusiasm for working with children, young people and communities. Baytree is a very natural fit for her. Outside of Baytree, Joyce is a keen softball player, if by keen you mean ‘enjoys hanging out with the team and going to the pub after matches'. She is still adjusting to the UK's unpredictable climate, so will often be found wearing thermal undergarments.
Job Titles:
- Leader in Character Development
Karen is a thought leader in Character Development. An educator and school leader she has taught at both the secondary and university level. She is founder and Director Emerita of the LifeCompass Institute for Character and Leadership at Montrose School. Former Assistant Professor and Director of Boston University's Centre for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (now CCSR), Dr. Bohlin is a Senior Scholar at BU's Center for Character and Social Responsibility.
She's had the privilege of working alongside Great British Bake Off contestant Benjamina and volunteering at summer camps and church youth groups all her life. In her free time, she finds joy in reading a good book, experimenting with baking recipes, and extending hospitality within her community. Her home-educated background has instilled adaptability, resilience, and empathy, qualities that enhance her dedication to supporting others. mailto: keisha@baytreecentre.org.uk
Job Titles:
- Communications & Fundraising
Ksenia is part of the Communications & Fundraising team at The Baytree Centre. With a background in media and fundraising, Ksenia is responsible for managing relationships with the press, developing Social Media & Marketing strategies, overseeing website architecture and photo/video production.
In addition to her work at Baytree, Ksenia is studying at the Psychosynthesis Trust and managing a Digital Platform with after school activities for Ukrainian displaced families. In her free time Ksenia enjoys running, meditation and spending time with her dog.
Job Titles:
- Women 's Service ESOL Tutor
Lorentana is a ESOL Tutor for beginners in entry 1. She became part of the Baytree family in 2010. Initially, Loretana mentored women on a one-to-one basis but soon became involved with programmes for girls here. Her favourite part about Baytree is its supportive, nurturing, and safe environment. "It doesn't feel like going to work; it feels like going home to my family." Loretana grew up in a small town near Rome, Italy and she loves to go back and visit every year. She moved to London when she was 21 when she got married. When she is not volunteering at Baytree, she loves gardening and cooking. She also enjoys reading about women and children living in different conditions around the world.
Job Titles:
- ESOL Programme Coordinator Responsible for Women 's Service
Margaret is a triple threat: she's Baytree's Women's Service tutor in ESOL, literacy and numeracy. When she's not tutoring or coordinating the ESOL programme for the Women's Service, Margaret likes to fix various broken objects around the centre and jokes that she should have been a maintenance person. A long-standing employee, she has been at Baytree since 1998. Before Baytree, Margaret worked as a secondary and primary school teacher in northern England. She taught a variety of subjects including general studies, French, English and Maths. She loves everything about Baytree, especially the teamwork and, of course, the people who come here.
When a student at university, spearheaded Baytree's Homework Club. Marie-Claire worked in London at the BBC and at the United Nations before taking over as CEO of a print business in West Africa. Currently works for the Foreign Office.
Job Titles:
- Environment and Sustainability Advisor
- Head of Inclusive Conservation at WWF - UK
Marion Atieno Osieyo is currently the Head of Inclusive Conservation at WWF-UK. As a leader, she brings together strategy, storytelling, science and contemplative spirituality to create solutions that promote human and ecological wellbeing.
Over the past ten years, she has worked in nature conservation and sustainable development with NGOs, corporates and international organisations including World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Lush and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Marion has received numerous awards, including a WWF Legend Award for Integrity and ‘Future Leader of International Co-operation and Development' by the European Commission. She is a University of Oxford alumna graduating with a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
Born and raised in Kenya, she currently lives in London, UK.
Marwa recently graduated from Cardiff University where she studied psychology with placement year. During her time at university, I decided to join and start initiatives that she deeply cared about. Marwa volunteered with Student Action for refugees, co-founded the Mena (middle eastern and north African) Society, was an organiser for islamophobia awareness month and was also the head of education and wellbeing officer of Islamic Society. She completed her placement year at a children's hospital and also work as a teacher's assistant in a weekend Arabic school. After graduating, she wanted to pursue a career that gives back to the community and promotes women's welfare and social mobility and what better place than Baytree! In her spare time she enjoy hiking, reading and anything with food. mailto: marwa@baytreecentre.org.uk
Mayra is a Social Mobility Coach within Baytree's Women's Service. As well as coaching at Baytree Mayra is a journalist for a Venezuelan newspaper, and has a long history of working on social issues and with local support projects. She arrived in the UK seven years ago from Latin America; within a few months, Mayra became a Baytree volunteer and was immediately impressed by the centre's work. In her free time, Mayra loves to be in touch with nature, enjoy a good meal and spend time with her friends, who are more like family.
Ozohu is a MBA from Oxford University with over 15 years experience in business development.
Job Titles:
- Welfare and Housing Trainee Advisor
Paola is from Ecuador and has lived in the UK since 2020. She has a Bachelor's degree in Social Communications and worked as a Journalist and Communication Officer for the Ecuadorian government until she moved to London, where she started volunteering and working in the Charity Sector. She has lived in the U.S., Israel and Argentina. She loves to make documentaries about social issues, read books and spend time with her loved ones. Outside work, her passion is travelling.
Job Titles:
- Head of Youth Programmes ( Maternity Leave )
- Head of Youth Programmes at Baytree
Rosanna is the Head of Youth Programmes at Baytree. Her main responsibilities include overseeing the development, management and implementation of the Youth Service strategy. She joined us in June 2015, having graduated from Roehampton University with a first-class degree in Education Policy and Sociology. Rosanna is also a JNC-qualified Youth Worker. Rosanna has lived locally, in South London since moving from Germany in 2010, and takes great satisfaction in contributing to her local community through her work at Baytree. Besides Germany and England, she has lived in Spain and spent a few years of her childhood in Botswana.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Relations Manager
Ruby is the Corporate Relations Manager at The Baytree Centre.
She joined Baytree after being inspired by their mission of female empowerment and involvement in the local community.
Ruby is especially passionate about Social Mobility having previously worked as a Centre Leader at IntoUniversity a charity which supports young people facing socio-economic challenges.
She works hard to develop rewarding relationships with organisations that want to support Baytree's mission and provide opportunities for Women and Girls to succeed.
Sophia has been with Baytree since 2004 keeping track of the financial affairs and strategic direction of Baytree. She is a qualified chartered accountant, ACMA with experience in various industry sectors. She is Baytree's Treasurer.
Tseday is a volunteer at Baytree for over 10 years. A local government lawyer specialising in commercial law, formerly a child protection lawyer in the private and public sectors and has a master's degree in international child studies. She is our Chair and Safeguarding Lead.
Job Titles:
- Programmes Manager ( GEMS & Mentoring )
Valeria is the Youth Programme Lead at The Baytree Centre. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Education, and a Master's Degree in Mediation and Conflict Management. Valeria is responsible for the GEMS programme and Mother & Daughter activities.
She has lived in many countries including Mexico, the U.S., Canada and Spain. She likes dancing, horseback riding, four wheelers, baking, going to the theatre and spending time with friends and family. She has travelled to Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.
What she enjoys the most is helping others achieve their goals and dreams!