THE YAA TEAM
We have a team of experienced youth workers with a range of skills from market trading, sports, performing arts, to enterprise and street work, led by our CEO Tania Moore. Below you can read a little about our staff and our Trustees.
Tania Moore
Role: Chief Executive Officer
Tania has spent over 20 years in youth and community work and is passionate about transforming youth work and the lives of young people. She took on the lead role of running Youth Action Alliance in 2019 at a time of public funding cuts in youth work. Tania is working on building a youth service where young people always come first and all possibilities translate to reality.
OLA ALILAJ
Role: Digital Programme Manager
Ola has over 10 years’ experience working history within the public, social and private sector. She is skilled in internal and external communications and online presence including website and social media and IT.
Ola has taken on the challenge to lead and transform our online delivery programmes and thoroughly enjoys engaging young people in innovative ways.
MICHELLE McCANN
Role: Traveller Sessions Lead
Michelle is a qualified teacher and Learning Support Worker working with hard-to-reach and Not in Education Employment and Training (NEET) young people. Her passion is to make a positive impact and provide inclusion in the community.
Michelle is responsible for supporting the Traveller young people through the projects we run at Youth Action Alliance.
SAID ADEN
Role: Senior Youth Worker (Holiday Provision)
Said has had over 15 years’ experience in play and youth work and is a valued member of the Kensington and Chelsea community.
BILAL ARAKJI
Role: Staying Connected Support Worker
Bilal is a passionate youth worker who has spent 5 year working with schools and within the community. He is a qualified Criminologist with a wealth of experience working with young people. His vision is to empower young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by aiding them experience different social experiences in life.
Lorna Capewell
Role: Girls Project Lead
Lorna is the Support Worker for the Vocalized Programme and the Girls Group. She has worked in the youth sector over the past 5 years within schools and in the community on various youth programmes. She is also a Theatre graduate and has had several years' experience working within theatre production and youth theatre. Lorna is passionate about supporting young people to realise their potential and encouraging their ambitions and passions.
Garima Seth
Role: Support Worker (Girls Group/Travellers provision)
Garima is deeply passionate about children's mental health and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as a Youth Support Worker. With five years of experience as a school counsellor, she provides essential support to adolescents, offering counselling services and creating a safe space for them to express their emotional concerns. Her background as a mindfulness trainer informs her current work, as she incorporates techniques to help children cultivate emotional presence. Garima also holds a degree in therapeutic movement, emphasizing the role of the body in healing.
PATRICIA Moorhead
Role: Youth Advisory Board Lead
Patricia has over 20 years' experience working with youth in school and the local community. She is a working community play specialist within the NHS and has recently taken on the role as Youth Advisory Board Lead for Youth Action Alliance. She is passionate about amplifying and listening to young peoples voices so that services can be influenced.
OUR Board OF TRUSTEES
Youth Action Alliance is managed and supported by a board of Trustees, who live or work locally or have an interest in the local community, with extensive youth and community work expertise.
Angela JANDU
Angela has over 30 years experience in the private sector in developing and implementing programmes with people at the heart of the change. Her most recent role was as HR Director, Organisational Effectiveness with BT. An innovative leader with excellent communication, influencing and change management skills, she has a track record of leading businesses through critical transformational change programmes. A critical thinker, she combines a strong ethical mindset with the ability to simplify complexity and exert influence by working through others.
Angela is also a school governor and trustee for another youth based charity, Jamal Edwards Delve.
Desmond Sylvester
Desmond has been a trustee at YAA for 1 year and has worked in RBKC for 20 years working closely with community organisations across the borough. He is passionate about sports, youth work and developing close links with the local community.
PIERS THOMPSON
Piers Thompson has lived in W10 for over 30 years and is a founder of Portobello Radio, Ladbroke Grove’s community station. He was also there at the inception of Portobello Live, Portobello Panto and Roughler TV. He has been a DJ and film-maker most of his life, and led the fight to save Silchester Estate from regeneration.
Selina Julien
Selina is an award-winning journalist and TV producer. With a media career spanning over 20 years, she has interviewed some of the world's most recognisable people including Beyoncé, David Beckham, Idris Elba, Rihanna and many more. She currently writes for Vogue and CNN, and produces documentaries, factual entertainment and live shows for national and international events including the Oscars, Ukraine War and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. When she’s not jet-setting around the world for work or play, Selina loves meeting interesting people and unearthing their own fascinating stories.
Born and bred in West London, Selina is passionate about mentoring young people and giving back to the community. In addition, she supports St Luke’s Hospice and Missing People, the UK charity reconnecting missing people and their loved ones.
ANNE-MARIE SPRINGER
Anne-Marie has developed her love for people and community in a career spanning cabin crew experience with British Airways, working with and supporting various charities including The Felix Project and Bookmark, and creates homes to support wellbeing as an interior designer. You’ll find her curled up with a book or a puzzle when not raiding the stalls of Portobello market.
NITO HARVEY
Nito has over 15 years experience in Youth and Education Development. He is a dynamic speaker and engaging leader with forward-thinking experience across several areas of Youth work. Nito has a passion for wellbeing and works on a daily basis to ensure that young people have access to the services they need to live a well rounded life. He is a keen tennis player and encourages health and fitness in young people. Nito graduated from Goldsmith University of London with a Masters in Anthropology Youth and community development.
Nito previously held jobs managing youth clubs, school mentoring, community groups and working with faith based organisations to promote inclusion.
Marianne Davies
Marianne is Global Head of People Services with GSK, a pharma, vaccines and consumer healthcare company. She holds a BA Hons degree in Philosophy from King’s College, University of London, and a Diploma in HR Management from De Montfort University.
Marianne enjoys spending time with them and her wider family, as well as keeping fit through the regular ParkRun and local hockey club. She is a Trustee with SPANA, focussed on improving the welfare of working animals in the world’s poorest communities, and is also an Independent Committee Member for the Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Committee at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.