Our central team

Clare has had senior roles in NHS mental health services including psychological therapies, psychological medicine, and specialist drug and alcohol teams.  She was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Department of Health from 2008-10, advising ministers and publishing evidence-based national policy guidance as part of the national personality disorder programme. Clare is Vice-Chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, a membership body of leading organisations from across England who combine their voice to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, making sure the voice of children, young people, their parents and carers are central to this.  Clare has held various non-executive roles, most recently as chair of governors of Cranbury College, an alternative provision school in Reading.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller:

Working with skilled, experienced and generally brilliant people (volunteers, Trustees, office team, trainers and the Waller family) who are passionate about mental health and want to make a positive difference.

An experienced programme professional, Kay has a background in programme management and delivery across a range of sectors and industries, with a focus on people and services. Having started her career in the military, Kay has also worked within a consultancy, the NHS and in the charity sector.

Kay joins The Charlie Waller Trust from Racing Welfare, a charity that supports those working in the Thoroughbred Horse Racing and Breeding Industry, where she is Head of Programmes. As part of this role she has transformed their Workforce Wellbeing Programme and is responsible for the delivery of the projects and services within it.

Kay is also a trustee of The Railway Benefit fund, a charity that supports the workforce of the rail industry, where she Chairs their Strategy Working Group which oversees the move from a traditional benevolent charity to service provision.

Kay lives in Norfolk where she enjoys spending time managing her small holding and enjoying the countryside when not working.

Rebecca has worked within the advertising and design world for nearly 20 years. Graduating with a degree in Graphic Design, she began her career locally to refine her skills within the education, finance and marketing sectors. During this time, she realised her passion was for the strategic aspect of communications, so completed a CIM professional qualification. The call of the Big Smoke beckoned, and she then spent the next 6 years working at two award-winning, global advertising agencies in London before heading back to Newbury to raise her family. Over the last three years, Rebecca has founded two businesses to compliment her lifestyle with young children but is very much looking forward to getting stuck into her new role at such an amazing charity. 

Nick has worked in fundraising for over 10 years, with a focus on corporate partnerships. Most recently, he has led the philanthropy team at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, one of the world's leading conservation organisations. Prior to that, he led the corporate partnerships team at Together for Short Lives, a leading UK children's palliative care charity. Nick has also managed partnerships with a number of high-profile brands, including ITV's Text Santa, Disney and HSBC. 

Annabelle is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for our children and young people and is committed to getting it right for every individual. In her previous role, she led the transformation of Buckinghamshire’s early years respite care services and early intervention reform. Her other work has included the management and development of several early years and family support programmes and she is the co-founder of a company that delivers training to the education and social care sectors.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

Working here doesn’t feel like 'just a job' - I have found meaning in what I do. I feel that I’m valued and that I’m making a positive difference in my work.

Sarah is Director of the Schools and Families Programme and a member of the Charlie Waller team delivering consultancy and training in colleges and universities.

Sarah holds professional qualifications in counselling and psychotherapy, nutritional therapy and coaching. She is a Registered and Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a Member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT), and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 

Over the last 30 years, Sarah has worked with a wide variety of individuals and groups, particularly children and young people. Prior to joining Charlie Waller, she led a multidisciplinary team as Head of Mental Health at the University of Warwick. Sarah continues to work in private practice and teaches counselling related and psychopathology modules at the University of Warwick and the University of Oxford.

A highly experienced mental health practitioner and educator, Sarah’s passion is supporting others to understand the multitude of biological, psychological and sociological factors which influence mental health and wellbeing, providing training and interventions to facilitate wellbeing at an individual and collective level.

Tracey has worked in charity communications for more than 25 years, for large and small organisations, including the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and RNIB. Prior to that, she worked in homelessness and social housing, providing direct support to people with a variety of needs. This included helping people with severe mental health problems move from psychiatric hospitals back into their local communities, a role which convinced her of the need to reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller?

Being part of an organisation whose advice I find really useful myself!

Stella is Chair in Evidence-based Psychological Treatments at our sister organisation, the Charlie Waller Institute, based at the University of Reading. Stella has extensive experience as an academic clinical psychologist, most recently at the University of Edinburgh, where she was also a clinician at the local NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Stella's work has been nationally recognised and has a strong focus on young people's mental health.

More about the Charlie Waller Institute

Amy spent many years working part time in the charity sector alongside her textiles business. When she closed the business in 2016 she was very excited to join the team and return to a full-time role. Initially employed as an admin assistant, Amy’s previous creative experience, together with her degree in design soon came into play and she is now the Trust’s graphic designer.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

Being surrounded by such a kind and dedicated team.

Although new to the charity sector, Martha has a background in education. As a parent of two young children, she hopes for future she sees the value in raising mental health awareness especially with two small people of her own.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

The team! It is truly wonderful to be part of something where everyone loves what they do.

Michael is a PhD student at Durham University studying how higher education policies and practices impact on student mental health and wellbeing. He joined Charlie Waller as a student involvement coordinator in 2018 and sits on the Trust’s College & University Advisory Board.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

Working with a super friendly and supportive team, and being part of an organisation that truly values student voice.

After a career in sales training within the financial services industry, Lucy has worked in communications on a freelance basis for the last 16 years, predominantly in the voluntary sector. This includes charities such as Guide Dogs and Widowed and Young, as well as Charlie Waller.

With lived experience of both mental illness and suicide within her family, she cares deeply about raising awareness of mental health and the importance of talking about it openly.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

Being part of a small but incredibly dedicated team that is committed to making a difference.

Chelsey's involvement with charities began following a teenage cancer diagnosis. Through these charities, she found sprint canoeing as a sport and was on the GBR paracanoe team for five years. Being an elite athlete, as well as her cancer journey, gave Chelsey the opportunities to be involved with many charities including three which she is now an ambassador for. 

Chelsey was the mental health representative for British Canoeing as well as offering mental health support in her ambassador roles. She is very passionate about improving mental health in young individuals and providing awareness to all those involved.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

Everyone is passionate about the same outcome and all work amazingly well together to achieve this.

Kirsty has 10 years’ experience in office environments. Although she is new to the charity sector, she is passionate about spreading the knowledge of mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.

Best thing about working for Charlie Waller

The whole team are so friendly and knowledgeable, it’s a joy to be working with them!

Natasha is a recent history graduate from The University of Leeds, where she specialised in the relationship between religion, sexuality and women’s autonomy. She is passionate about issues that affect children and young people’s health and wellbeing, as reflected by her time volunteering with Sexpression:UK, a national sex education charity. Natasha has a wealth of customer service and volunteering experience, which she is excited to bring to her role supporting our fundraising team.

Sabita joined the Trust in 2021, after having worked in digital communications and marketing for Age UK Berkshire and Self-injury Support. She has volunteered for a number of charities including SHOUT 85258, No5 Young People and the Blue Cross. She hopes to use her skills to help create real change for those who are struggling with their mental health.

With a background in account and project management across different sectors, Angela is new to the charity sector and is excited for the challenge and opportunities this next chapter will bring.

Passionate in raising awareness about mental health and the challenges young people face today, Angela is a keen advocate to keep talking about our mental health to help break down and end the stigma surrounding it.

Kerryn has recently joined the finance and operations team and is enjoying getting involved in various aspects of the Trust’s work in her support role. As a parent with a young daughter, she is excited to be collaborating with a team which is so passionate about young people’s mental health and wellbeing. 

Rachael studied History of Art and Design at Brighton University. She has previous experience of working for an arts trust and is looking forward to continuing working in the charity sector. Rachael is passionate about mental health and raising awareness of the need for young people to be aware of the support available and how to access it.

Helen joined the fundraising team in January 2023 to lead our corporate partnerships. She started her career in the food industry as a Food Marketing graduate. Previously, she lead the Corporate Partnership team at The Trussell Trust. More recently she worked within the renewable and sustainability sectors.