Meet the team

I am currently Director of Evidence at Foundations, the National What Works Centre for Children and Families, where I lead an ambitious portfolio of transformative work that shapes policy and practice for the nation’s most vulnerable children. I am responsible for generating actionable evidence to inform government policy and local authority practice, leading a brilliant interdisciplinary team of over 30 people. My role also includes strategic leadership of our £6M grant funding function, fundraising through partnerships, and developing our anti-racist approach to evidence generation. Findings from our evaluations and our recent Practice Guides have been embedded into statutory government guidance and legislation. Before this, I worked in a variety of roles in academia and in frontline practice with children, young people and families in and on the edge of care. I’m really excited to be joining Oxfordshire Youth as a trustee. I’m looking forward to contributing my expertise to support the organisation to realise its mission and vision, to listen to and learn from young people and the brilliant staff at Oxfordshire Youth and to make a difference to my community.

As a Trustee Bob supports Oxfordshire Youth in its goal to transform young people’s lives. He passionately believes in the power of Youth work to help  youngsters develop their skills to thrive in a world that has much inequality of opportunity.

As a new trustee, appointed in October 2025, I am delighted to have the chance to contribute to the vital work that Oxfordshire Youth does to enable young people from all backgrounds to thrive in our community. I’ve been a senior leader in a large urban comprehensive in Oxfordshire which I hope gives me a useful perspective, as will my voluntary role as a Youth Justice Panellist. I love the commitment that Oxford Youth brings to not just ensuring that young peoples’ views are heard but that they are acted upon. And I’m looking forward to working together to achieve our collaboratively identified goals. I love playing tennis, hiking, reading and being with my family.

Oyindamola (Oyin) is a corporate commercial expert with 17+ years’ experience delivering multi-stakeholder initiatives across energy, financial services, impact investing and hospitality. She has led and driven various organisational improvement projects including regulatory change & impact management, governance design and implementation, compliance management design and automation and been a strategic adviser on high stake commercial transactions.

Oyin has a passion for helping people and organisations thrive and reach their full potential, and is especially passionate about the formative years. She is startup mentor with experience supporting entrepreneurship programmes and partnerships. She has also been programme manager in a not for profit organisation targeted at supporting disadvantaged children where she supported on conceptualising and implementing various outreach and experiential programmes. Oyin is currently an Executive MBA candidate at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Caroline O’Connor is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and community development. With a background in strategic marketing and business networking and entrepreneurship, she brings extensive experience in connecting people, fostering collaboration, and supporting personal growth. As the founder of Fourth Born and a Co Director of Opendoorz, Caroline has built a thriving professional network that champions mutual support, shared learning, and positive impact across Oxfordshire.

Her interest in young people’s development stems from a deep belief that confidence, connection, and opportunity can transform lives. Caroline joined Oxfordshire Youth to contribute her skills in relationship building, strategic thinking, and business community engagement, helping the charity expand its reach and strengthen its partnerships. She is particularly passionate about inspiring the next generation to believe in their potential and take bold steps toward their futures.

I’m a campaigner, storyteller, writer, broadcaster, teacher, urban cyclist, occasional long-distance runner, habitual
chocolate cake eater and mischief-maker, and Chief Executive of the UK’s largest feline welfare charity, Cats Protection. I have spent my career supporting and leading voluntary, educational and charitable organisations in the United Kingdom and around the world. A strong supporter of Oxfordshire, I did my teacher training at Brookes, and have been involved with supporting young people in the county for more than thirty years. I became Chair of Oxfordshire Youth in 2023.
I believe in great youth work and the positive impact it can have on young people’s aspirations and achievements. I know that this happens by listening intently to the voice of young people, using their views of the world. We must be working with them in genuine partnership, treating them with respect, helping them develop stronger relationships and collective identities, respecting and valuing differences, and promoting equity and inclusion – all things that Oxfordshire Youth has done in the past and will continue to do.

I was Managing Director of the Educational and Children’s Division of Oxford University Press and then Managing Director of Egmont Books UK. Later, after studying philosophy, I became a magistrate, and worked as a consultant for youth and enterprise charities. Having worked on curriculum development and qualifications for the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy which supports young people to gain qualifications while running their own businesses, I put my skill set to good use at WorldSkills UK, Next Gen Skills Academy and the Combined Cadet Force Association. My hobbies include books, travel, tai chi, and my grandchildren.

I am currently studying Political Science and International Relations at the University of Birmingham.

A passionate believer in the power of youth voice, I bring with me a wealth of experience from my time as a spokesperson for Girlguiding UK and as a British Youth Council Delegate.

I am currently the Principal and Chief Executive of EMBS Community College which engages adults and young people from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds including learners with mental health issues, unaccompanied minors, learners in social care, refugees, and those who have had negative experiences of education. Previously I managed and delivered youth and community services in school and community settings in Banbury at the Shifa Trust and coordinated Higher Education Summer Schools and Taster days at The University of Liverpool.  I was also the President of FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies) and involved in several community-based programmes.

 

I studied Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Liverpool and have completed a number of post-graduate studies in Philosophy, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership & Youth and Community.

I am currently a student at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where I will be graduating in Global Development, with 2.5 years of experience serving on the committee of Help the World Oxford, a women of colour-led activist charity. I’ve had the opportunity to host the Youth Awards and be part of the amazing OY podcast, both as a host and contributor. As a young British Asian trustee, I’m passionate about using my lived experiences to support and empower young people, especially those from marginalised communities and backgrounds.

Outside of work, I am a practicing druid and an enthusiast of ancient history, the occult, and all things wonderfully nerdy.