How our board supports our mission

The board guides our work, making sure we’re delivering change, spending every penny wisely, keeping our staff and work accountable to our mission and values. Made up of experts from multiple sectors, backgrounds and expertise, they make New Horizon stronger and more sustainable for decades to come.

Meet the board

A photo of Matthew Reed

Matthew Reed

Chair

Matthew served seven years as Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, developing its social justice focus, overseeing a major strategy review and further growing the charity's capability to support young people who are facing multiple disadvantage and exploitation. Before that, Matthew was Chief Executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and a director of Christian Aid. Prior to moving into the charity sector, Matthew was a parish priest.

A photo of Daniel Jordan

Daniel Jourdan

Daniel brings extensive local knowledge, having been born and raised in Camden, and working professionally with young people and communities in the borough for 15 years. His knowledge of the funding landscape in London, as Head of Grant Programmes at a local placed based funder, brings relevant up-to-date insight to our fundraising and his experience of managing youth services brings added knowledge of risk assessment, safeguarding and trauma informed practice

A photo of Ellie Roy

Ellie Roy

Ellie Roy has worked at senior level in public sector management and policy roles including Chief Probation Officer, Director of Crime Reduction for London, National Director for Crime Reduction, and Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board. Ellie has wide experience of the adult and juvenile criminal justice system from her work in the community and in prisons, and has a keen interest in taking positive action to prevent offending. She has been a Trustee at New Horizon since 2009.

A photo of Gemma Rocyn Jones

Gemma Rocyn Jones

Gemma has spent the last 10 years specialising in financing and strengthening the organisational resilience of charities and social enterprises. At The National Lottery Community Fund Gemma combines a focus on strategy with finding new ways for social investment to deliver positive outcomes for vulnerable people. Gemma's first volunteer role came as a new graduate working in the city when she became a governor of an inner-city primary school. This passion for helping children and young people realise their potential led her to join New Horizon in July 2019. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, a Clore Social Fellow and an accredited coach.

A photo of Gill Goodby

Gill Goodby

Gill joined the NHYC Board in Sept 2022 bringing expertise in strategic marketing, crisis communications, corporate partnerships and public policy influencing. She is currently Director of Campaigns at the Mayor's Fund for London, holding previous roles as Director of Engagement at London Youth (a membership body for youth clubs across London) and Head of Communications at the social justice charity INQUEST. A decade previously spent in advertising sparked Gill's passion to support charities to build brand profile, generate income and drive supporter engagement. Having worked in housing early in her career and growing up in London herself, where she's now raising her three teenagers, Gill joined NHYC to support the charity in pushing for long-overdue, decisive political action to tackle youth homelessness in the capital.

A photo of John Williams

John Williams

John is a senior financial services professional and currently heads up the wealth planning division at Citi Private Bank in the UK. Prior to this he held senior positions with UBS, Credit Suisse and Nedbank. He joined the Board of Trustees in September 2017 and has used his experience and passion for supporting disadvantaged young people in his role at New Horizon.

A photo of Kate Hawthorne

Kate Hawthorne

Kate is a senior financial services professional and chartered accountant currently working in Risk at Natwest having previously worked in Finance and at a start up digital bank within Natwest. Prior to Natwest Kate worked for Ernst & Young and Scottish Widows. Passionate about education, youth development and women’s issues Kate joined the Board of Trustees in 2017.

A photo of Mandy Tennant

Mandy Tennant MBE

Mandy is a Civil Servant and Chartered HR Professional. With over 30 years national government experience in a diverse range of HR, corporate and operational support roles, she is currently leading a team responsible for implementing diversity and inclusion strategies, policies and initiatives across a number of Civil Service departments and was also seconded to the Greater London Authority as business partner to the Communities & Skills and Housing & Land directorates. Mandy is a 'born and bred Londoner' with personal experience of disadvantage and the charity's mission to support disadvantaged youth is close to her heart from personal perspective. As a trustee, she is excited to now have the opportunity to support community outreach through the work of the Charity, enabling mission delivery through her lived and professional experience .

A photo of Martin Dibben

Martin Dibben

Martin has worked in a variety of high end, high volume establishments covering experience in restaurants, conference and banqueting, business in industry and outdoor catering. Having run his own restaurant Dibben's in Smithfield's market for six years, Martin is now General Manager of Searcy's at the Barbican.

A photo of Nana Owusu

Nana Owusu

Nana is a Mental Health leader, CAMHS Clinical Nurse Specialist and Therapist with 20 years of clinical and senior management experience, shaping evidence-based, culturally responsible and accessible services for vulnerable children and adolescents. Currently as Director & Clinical Lead for Children and Young Peoples Services at MIND (Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow), she heads strategic development and clinical management of services, instilling best practices in service design and performance monitoring. Previously, she led the mobilization and delivery of MIND’s mental health support teams in West London as part of a national pilot to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people. Nana's passion and drive to supporting and advocating children and young people during their time of need and enable them to achieve positive outcomes, has led her take on the role as a trustee at New Horizon Youth Centre.

A photo of Paula McDonald

Paula McDonald

Paula McDonald, CBE, is a Judicial Appointments Panel Chair, a Board Trustee and a Non-Executive Director, working with a number of organisations in the youth, education and social care sectors. As a Senior Civil Servant, she led on Workforce, Leadership & Public Bodies Reform programmes in the Cabinet Office, coordinating major policy reviews across Whitehall and advising ministers and Prime Ministers. Paula has a background in social policy and economic development, employment promotion and HR planning. Prior to joining the Cabinet Office she had been a senior manager in local government, leading on quality reviews, strategy and resources. In her early career she established community initiatives to create employment opportunities and positive social change.

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