Meet Our People

Andy has worked in education for 17 years. His specialist areas are special educational needs, inclusion and behaviour. Andy has always had a heart for education and the Middle East and he says that the opportunity to lead this charity is a dream come true. He fully believes in our strap line 'Restoration through Education' and is so excited about seeing this come to life. Andy thinks he is a comedy genius and he certainly keeps us amused! When not working for KnownValuedLoved Andy loves to spend time with his family. We love Andy's commitment to ensuring others feel Known, Valued and Loved!

We have a great team of people looking after all that we do.

The Chief Executive Officer manages the day to day operations of the charity and the team of Trustees oversee the Charity and provide subject matter expertise. 

Matt works in global software sales and has a background in business management and recruitment. He is really important in helping to shape our team and growing our fundraising efforts. Matt tells us he turned down the life of a professional musician in the hope of becoming a cricketer! We are making good use of him while he awaits the call....! Matt is passionate about social justice and equipping young people to reach their potential. We love Matt's calm and generous nature!

Alex is a former practising solicitor, and is now an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Leeds. He has an Executive MBA and brings to the role a wealth of leadership and board experience, gained across a range of educational settings. He believes passionately in the transformative power of education, and is committed to ensuring that the reach and impact of KnownValuedLoved’s work continues to grow. Alex lives in a small, North Yorkshire village with his wife and two children. When he is not working, he enjoys swimming, football, and family adventures!

Originally from Namibia and having moved to the UK aged 15, Oliver got involved in various causes relating to young people including Derbyshire Youth Council, NHS England Youth Forum and the UK Youth Parliament. These roles helped shape his passion in helping other young people be able to access opportunities. In order to be able to access opportunities, it is vital to have the right foundation and education is a key part of that. Oliver now works as the Parliamentary Assistant to The Lord Popat of Harrow, supporting Lord Popat in his role as Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

Over the past 17 years, Ian has overseen the formation and development of Blend Youth Project, which provides youth work activities, support services and education & training opportunities for marginalised young people.

Ian has developed particular experience and expertise in the areas of organisational development, project management and social enterprise and is passionate about the contribution the charitable sector has to make in working with and supporting local communities.

Following 20 years working in the public sector across the UK Richard comes with hands-on experience in senior management, HR, change and project management. He currently leads a company providing a range of HR and business solutions including leading a specialist team providing full HR outsourcing, wrap around HR for companies with HR resource and offers HR and Business Consultancy. Richard brings a range of skills including diagnostic and influencing skills, with the ability to plan and execute business transformation, process re engineering, cultural change and HR strategies to support business sustainability and drive growth.

Having seen the value of education first hand, not having a great experience of it when younger, he has been passionate about learning since. Richard is keen to create environments where children can learn and have support to reach their potential. This links well with his Christian faith, being a committed Christian for over 40 years. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Naomi and their two daughters in their early 20s.

Mark brings a wealth of experience to the board. 
He is experienced in finance at a large city council, as well as specifically within the international charity sector. 

He supports with the budgeting and cash flow for KnownValuedLoved ensuring we can do incredible things with donations and fundraising.​​