Our team

Amrita Conte

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

After several years of working in big organisations, I was excited by the opportunity to join a smaller team where I could work more closely with colleagues and contribute across a wider range of areas. Having benefited from youth groups myself growing up, I know how valuable they can be, so it’s especially meaningful to now be part of Blagrave, an organisation that supports young people to create change in communities. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it? 

Every day I see young people, partners and colleagues showing up with compassion and determination, even when facing significant challenges. Those small and collective acts of care and action remind me that positive change is possible. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

Dance is a huge part of my life, and I even teach salsa in my spare time. I also love travelling to new countries, hiking, and exploring the outdoors (especially with my dog!). 

Callum Pethick

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

As someone who was 21 when I joined Blagrave, and comes from a youth political education background, seeing an endowed foundation backing youth-led change was refreshing and different. 

To see a foundation directly funding young people to campaign and create change on issues that affect them, with young people in its governance, wanting to expand its staff team to embed youth leadership was exciting. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it? 

The changemakers, youth workers, and organisers who I get to work with daily, who despite growing hostility and polarisation continue to make significant impact on the lives of young people and the communities they support. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

I find joy and love to lose myself on a dance floor, in nature, or on a rugby pitch when not fighting for a socially just future. 

Daniel Newton

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

I’d been looking enviously over the fence at Blagrave for a while. I knew they did amazing work that centered young people in decision making and I absolutely jumped at the chance when I got an opportunity to join in my current role in 2024. Something that excites me so much is how this has grown during my time here, we’re constantly learning and finding new ways to improve our practice. It’s something we really care about and when we’re frequently humbled by the amazing young people we work with, firstly we go ‘wow’ and secondly, we go ‘and what can we learn from this?’. 

What give you hope in your work or beyond it? 

I see things that gives me hope every day. From people rushing to offer a disabled person a seat on the tube, to communities coming together to celebrate a birthday, to young people finding their joy on the pitch at the local park, to seeing new solar panels pop up on rooves everywhere, to new baby foxes appearing every spring (confusingly called kittens). There’s so much that makes me feel hopeful about the future and our place in it. 

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

You can probably surmise from my job title that I like spending a lot of my time looking for green spaces to be in. But something less obvious about me is how much time I spend looking to find new communities to be part of. I love being around new people and getting to know their lives. Having a little chat with the person that’s just made me a coffee is how I hopefully spread joy around. 

Demetri Addison

What brought you to Blagrave and what excites you about being here? 

I was drawn to Blagrave through Challenge and Change, I was a cohort 2 grant partner then an advisor and now I'm the Challenge and Change Officer. Blagrave felt like the first organisations to put complete trust in me and as a person that's generally distrustful of organisations and institutions that felt special. 

What excites me about Blagrave is the intention and selflessness behind everything that's done by the Trust, we as the trust are not what's important the people we serve and how the benefit are genuinely at the centre of everything that's done here. 

What give you hope in your work or beyond it? 

What gives me hope is that people still have fight in them, I feel like I've come across a lot of people that have essentially given up on trying to fix the world and except it for what it is. But at Blagrave I'm exposed to a lot of people who are just not having it. 

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

I got bare kids and you will not, ever, beat me in a race (100M or less though). 

Eli Manderson Evans

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

I came to Blagrave because I believe the people closest to a challenge are often closest to the solution, and that includes young people. In previous roles, I became increasingly aware of the gap that can exist between the people making funding decisions and the realities of those living with the issues those decisions affect. As someone who spent much of my twenties and late teens organising and campaigning, Blagrave's commitment to sharing power and backing young people to lead change on their own terms felt like a natural fit. 

What excites me most is the ambition, confidence and tenacity of the young people we work with. They inspire me every day. I also love working with colleagues and partners who are willing to "call the thing the thing" and have honest conversations about how change happens. It's refreshing, challenging and a lot of fun. 

What give you hope in your work or beyond it? 

What gives me hope is seeing more and more people choosing to believe that a different way is possible and then doing the hard work to make it happen. Across philanthropy and beyond, I see a growing community of leaders working to tackle injustice, expand opportunities and create the conditions for lasting change. That gives me a lot of hope.  

I also find a huge amount of hope in relationships and community. This work can be tough, but being connected to people who share your values, challenge your thinking, keep showing up, and can have a laugh along the way makes all the difference. And yes, it might be a little cheesy to say that I find hope in our strategy, Leading with Hope, but cheesy is kind of my brand. The idea that change starts with believing a better future is possible feels pretty important to me. 

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

I'm an aspiring DJ, and my first (and currently only) gig was at my six year old niece's birthday party. She was very particular about the song selection, accepted no requests, and it was a surprisingly tough crowd. 

Geraldine Warren

What brought you to Blagrave and what excites you about being here? 

I was excited to join the team at Blagrave because I could see the team and trustees were so committed to the mission - investing in young people - and willing to do things differently to other funders. That listening culture and willingness to both learn and unlearn continue to be deep rooted in everything we do at Blagrave. 

What give you hope in your work or beyond it? 

As a naïve optimist, I see hope and joy all around me, in small acts of kindness and bravery. I truly believe there are many reasons to be hopeful, and our partners remind me of this with everything they do in striving to make this a fairer more just world. 

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

My personal passion is all things tropical forests and whenever I visit somewhere new the first thing I do is research whether they have a botanical garden I can visit. 

Gray Hutchins

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

My journey with Blagrave began as a Regional Advisor, where alongside others, I brought lived and learnt experience to grant funding decisions. After spending 15+ years in community organising and varying roles in the voluntary sector, it is exciting to be a part of an organisation which seeks innovative approaches to resourcing young people and their communities to have impact.  

What give you hope in your work or beyond it? 

Seeing young people taking back power, hold space, and how despite challenges they continue showing up for each other with such kindness and compassion.   

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

Above all else – I am an activist.  I spend most of my energy supporting community organisers who seek to understand and address inequity experienced by marginalised groups they are a part of.  

Hannah Ogundana

What brought you to Blagrave and what excites you about being here? 

I’ve always wanted to combine digital communications with working alongside young people, so when I came across this opportunity, it felt like a natural fit. Since joining, I’ve really enjoyed finding ways to champion the work of our incredible grant partners. What excites me most, though, is getting to know the young people themselves. I already know that when I’m in a room with them, it's going to be straight vibes! 

What gives you hope in your work or beyond it? 

I don’t think hope has to be something distant, for me, it often starts close to home. Our grant partners are a constant reminder of that. As a Christian, my faith shapes how I see people; it reminds me that even the smallest acts can carry a deeper purpose. When you choose to start a chain, whether through advocacy or even small acts of kindness, you begin to see how near hope really is. 

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

I’m on route to mastering jollof rice. Once I get there, I think I can officially claim auntie status. Oh, and did I mention I’m half Nigerian and half Jamaican? Yeah… a lethal combination.

Joshua Carey

What brought you to Blagrave and what excites you about being here? 

I’ve come from a background in frontline refugee and homelessness work, through data integration projects with local councils and then spent some time evaluating international development work. Through this work I’ve grown really sensitive to data that is collected without properly reckoning with proportionality. Blagrave excites me because information is gathered sensitively, but there's also a willingness to listen carefully, change direction when the evidence points elsewhere and be transparent about that process. 

What gives you hope in your work or beyond it? 

It’s knowing that in every corner of the world there are people fighting to make it a better place. Sometimes I see the work of a gardening group improving biodiversity or a mutual aid group that is still running food to those that need it and I realise how much energy is going into solving problems that I wasn’t even thinking about. At Blagrave I get to hear more of these stories everyday and, where I can, I get to do my little part to help out too.  

What's something about you that doesn't show up in your job title? 

Happiest when playing a board game, making a sandwich or finding a really great stick to accompany me on a long walk. 

Kosh Shengamo

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

I was drawn to Blagrave because of its commitment to putting young people at the centre of change. Throughout my career in youth work, youth justice, residential care, and the creative sector, I've seen first-hand what happens when young people are genuinely listened to and trusted to shape their communities. What excites me most is the opportunity to bring together my passion for community engagement, creativity, and partnership building to help create spaces where young people can thrive and lead. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it? 

Young people give me hope. Despite the challenges many face, I constantly see resilience, creativity, and ambition in the communities I work with. I've watched young people overcome barriers, discover their voice, and become leaders in their own right. Beyond work, I find hope in the power of creativity, faith, and community people coming together to support one another and create positive change, often in ways that aren't always visible from the outside. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

Outside of my professional roles, I'm a multidisciplinary artist and through music, poetry, visual art, and events, I tell stories that celebrate community, identity, and resilience. Creativity has always been a huge part of how I connect with people, and it's taught me that some of the most powerful conversations happen through culture, storytelling, and shared experiences. 

Marie Benton

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here?

I originally applied for a role because of the kindness and integrity that the team had shown when I'd applied for a grant, years before.  It felt like an organisation where I'd find good people and it turns out I was right!  I'm super excited about our new direction under Leading with Hope because it's about up-ending traditional systems and working towards a more equitable status quo. I would so love to live in a way where everyone shares the world's resources equally and where there's no lottery over who you are, or what family or community you're born into. I know it’s a long road to get there - but I feel that working here I'm at least taking some important steps along the way. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it?

Young people!  So much passion, drive and commitment - and hard work - from my younger colleagues as well as our partners.  Bring on the future!

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title?

I used to play tenor saxophone for a living, and in a completely unrelated incident I once shared a McDonald's with George Michael. 

Rochell Rowe

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

I came to Blagrave through grassroots youth work and a strong belief that young people should have real power - not just be consulted. I’m excited to be somewhere that backs young people with funding and trust, and supports them to challenge systems and create the changes they want and need to see. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it? 

Young people, always. Their honesty, creativity, and refusal to accept “that’s just how things are” keeps me hopeful. I’m constantly inspired by how they show up for each other, push boundaries, and imagine bold alternatives. It reminds me that meaningful change is already happening. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

I joined the team as a young person from a working-class background, which shapes how I show up in the funding sector and why representation matters to me. I have my own experience of leading youth-led change too, challenging oppressive schooling systems and academies. Outside of work, I love dogs, drawing, and anything creative - I’m happiest when I’m making something or covered in dog hair! 

Tessa Hibbert

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

I love that Blagrave practices future generations thinking, beyond the immediate political cycles of 3-5 years but genuinely thinking about our future. I feel part of a passionate group of people working hard to change things for the better and that gives me so much hope. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it? 

The change in the way difference is viewed in society, and how open minded and supportive many young people are to each other. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

I've been a cat owner continuously for the last 27 years. Not the same cat! 

Valeria Tavares

What brought you to Blagrave, or what excites you about being here? 

After more than 10 years working in delivery organisations, I was really interested in understanding how funders worked, particularly those taking a more progressive approach. What really excites me about Blagrave is our new strategy, which puts young people and their communities at its heart, not only today, but for years to come. 

What gives you hope - in your work or beyond it?  

The initiatives led by the young people we support never cease to amaze me. Their commitment, creativity, and determination to change their world are genuinely inspiring. It’s a powerful reminder that real change is not only possible, but already happening. 

What’s something about you that doesn’t show up in your job title? 

I’m Brazilian and have moved around quite a bit, but for the past 15 years I’ve found my home here in England. I’ve even grown to love the British weather, nothing beats that first burst of sunshine after a long, dark winter. I also recently took up crochet and have become slightly obsessed… although I’m still very much learning! 

Barbara Ojei Agwaziam

Barbara joined Blagrave Trustee Board in March 2021 with hopes of making a difference in people’s lives.

She joined the Civil Service Fast Stream and has been able to do so in a range of roles, including working as a policy advisor at BEIS, Private Secretary to the Chief Medical Officer, Head of Incident Management working on COVID-19, Head of Parliamentary and Public Engagement and presently the Head of Workforce – Charging Reform Implementation. Barbara’s passion for diversity and inclusion lead to the founding of A Touch of Colour (ATOC) an organisation which seeks to drive racial equality in the workplace for which she has been selected as a Laureate of the Future by the PeaceJam Foundation.

In her spare time, Barbara enjoys travelling, photography and videography – the latter of which she developed as a Barbican Young Reviewer.

Becca Weighell

Becca is a youth engagement and safeguarding specialist with a decade of varied experience working with conflict-affected and underserved communities in the humanitarian and education sectors. She is a champion of children’s rights, is dedicated to supporting young people to bring about change and believes in the power of collective action and active citizenship to tackle injustice and inequity.

Becca is the Head of Youth Engagement for the Fair Education Alliance, working to ensure that young people who have faced barriers to their educationare respected and heard in decision making across the education sector. She is also a trustee for the Associationfor Citizenship Teaching. Prior to the FEA, Becca worked in the humanitarian sector for War Child UK and Plan International and completed her master's degree in Children, Youth and International Development. Becca is based in Sheffield and will most often be found in nature either running, hiking or scuba diving.

Boudicca Pepper

Boudicca joined Blagrave Trustee Board in March 2020. She graduated with a degree in music, started a live band and is a Songwriter for independent music company Good Soldier.

Her previous roles include Music Programmer at International Youth Arts Festival, hosted by Creative Youth and Creative Director at Brighton Youth Fest in 2019. Boudicca also campaigned to protect youth services in her teens and raised awareness and funds for Audio Active – a youth charity in Brighton for their first all-female production workshops to encourage other young women to study technology in music.

She also continues to make music for social change, performing her own songs and poems, and supporting grassroots organisations to bring other like-minded artists to the frontline.

Daze Aghaji

Daze joined Blagrave Trustee Board in March 2020. She is a climate change activist and works as a freelance consultant on environment, climate, intersectionality and youth engagement and was previously the Regenerative Cultures Coordinator at Extinction Rebellion Youth UK.

Previously Daze was the Creative Director at Earthrise Studios, a digital media company dedicated to communicating the climate crisis through research, design and filmmaking. Daze also has a degree in History and Politics from Goldsmiths University.

Josephine Campling

Josephine is the Invest for Change Campaign Manager at Students Organising for Sustainability (SOSUK), where she leads a national campaign empowering students to hold universities accountable for their financial and investment practices. Previously, she was Welfare and Sustainability Officer and Trustee at the University of Sheffield Students’ Union, representing over 30,000 students, amplifying student voice across the University and advocating for them locally and nationally.

She comes from an analytical engineering background and has broad experience of activism and leadership across youth communities and the student movement, including organising, political education and coalition-building. Her work is rooted in the belief that the social, economic and climate crises we face are interconnected, and that inclusive, youth-led collective action is key to lasting change.

Josephine envisions a funding sector that redistributes power and equips young people with the skills and confidence to organise, influence and lead. She is delighted to be working with Blagrave Trust to help make this vision a reality.

Nasra Ayub

Nasra joined Blagrave Trustee Board in November 2023 and is a multi-award-winning women and girl’s rights campaigner, TEDx speaker and writer from Bristol, UK. She has recently delivered a TEDx talk called ‘What If Young People Ran the World?’, exploring the power shift of philanthropy decision-making away from traditional donors to young people. Nasra works in Programs at Global Fund for Children focusing on the youth-led participatory grantmaking streams, most notably the youth-led program Spark Fund. She was a recipient of the Diana Award for her efforts to end female genital mutilation since the age of 15.

Nasra envisions a funding sector that will resource young people to create change and make decisions on what their community needs. Blagrave Trust's focus on empowering and supporting young people resonated strongly with Nasra and saw joining their Board as an opportunity to contribute to an organization whose values and initiatives resonate with her philanthropic values.

Reema Desai

Reema joined Blagrave in February 2024 as an Independent Member of the Finance and Investment Committee. Reema is passionate about supporting charities focused on serving the needs of underserved and marginalised communities. She has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Henna Asia Women’s Group (2015 - 2019) and is currently a volunteer at Jeevika Trust (since 2023).

Reema has 18 years of business and product marketing experience. Reema left the investment management industry in 2023 and joined Impact Boards EM, where she is a Co-Founder and Member of the Executive Committee. Reema is also part of HERmesa, supporting the growth of early stage, female-founded businesses since 2023. She is an advisor to an impact data start-up, Fidata Limited, who aim to accelerate the path towards Net Zero by improving the accountability and quality of ESG data reporting.

Sam Tarff

Sam has joined Blagrave in January 2024 as a Finance Lead Trustee. With extensive experience in charity finance, he has served as a professional funding advisor, project manager, and participated in grants and investment panels for various UK, EU, philanthropic grant, and social investment programs. Sam brings to Blagrave a wide range of experience, having had a career that includes 14 years in local government and over 20 years working in a wide range of charities, development trusts, youth and community enterprises, as well as social investment houses.

Sam’s focus has always been working in and with communities facing financial, social, environmental, and economic exclusion, his passion lies in empowering individuals and communities to overcome barriers and injustices, which aligns perfectly with the mission of the Blagrave Trust.

Now retired from full-time commitments, Sam remains active as the lead finance trustee for a local Development Trust. In his leisure time, he enjoys outdoor activities like hill walking and mountain biking, as well as spending quality time with family and friends.

Segun Olowookere

Segun joined Blagrave Trustee Board in November 2022 and is a qualified management accountant and currently works for the Children’s Society as their Finance Director. Previously he worked for the youth charity Restless Development as Finance Director and Comic Relief as a Senior Finance Business Partner working closely with the grants team.

Segun’s passionate about helping to make finance fun and easy to understand. He spent over 5 years working for Humentum as a financial management specialist training over a thousand NGO professionals in good practice financial management, strategic financial management and grant management.  Outside of his professional work he is also a social entrepreneur and mentor.

Passionate about inspiring young people, he is the author of a motivational book called, You Might As Well.

Troy Norbert

Troy is the CEO of Victoria Hall Harrow, a vibrant community hub committed to fostering thriving local connections and empowering its residents. With a decade of experience in strategy, youth-led projects, and community partnerships within the sector, Troy is passionate about creating the space for young people to be seen, heard and equipping them with the tools and confidence to provide solutions that lead to tangible outcomes.

He brings valuable governance experience from his current board roles at Young Brent Foundation and Partnership for Young London, alongside extensive financial oversight and safeguarding experience.

Troy's personal journey, having grown up in multiple areas of disadvantage, provides a lived understanding of systemic challenges, further fuelling his commitment to supporting young people to be successful in school, work and life.

Victor Azubuike

Victor is an Independent Member of the Finance and Investment Committee after serving as a Blagrave Trustee from February 2021 to June 2024. Victor works in Business Development for ClayStack previously with Figment, one of the world’s leading providers of blockchain infrastructure. He was previously an Associate at J.P. Morgan Chase working in the Platform Sales division. He has also dedicated his time to supporting philanthropic causes including mental health, improving educational attainment of children from working class backgrounds and youth justice.

In his final year of university, he partnered with DebateMate, and taught an after-school debating club in a Birmingham inner-city primary school. As a result of this experience, he co-founded My Brothers Keepers’ Bookclub. A series of book clubs with the aim of turning boys from low socioeconomic backgrounds into the most active readership group in the U.K. He is also passionate about reforming the youth justice system and expanding the conversation about mental health to young people.

In April 2018, Victor travelled as part of the British delegation to Strasbourg to report to the Council of Europe on the state of Children’s Mental Health and Child-Friendly Justice. He hopes to continue to contribute to these issues in the future.