Our Senior Leadership Team
Tom Cavalot (Head of Youth Work)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in 2022 having spent 11 years as part of the Airplay project as youth worker, regional manager and in my current role. My previous experience is in youth work, fostering, project management and digital media.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Leading a small, passionate central team to ensure the successful delivery of the RAF Benevolent Fund’s flagship Airplay youth support programme at RAF Stations through a partnership of YMCAs.
What is your ambition?
To develop a high quality service that best supports the communities it serves and empowers young people to belong, contribute and thrive. I also still harbour ambitions to one day be bitten by a radioactive spider.
What are your personal interests?
Spending time with family and friends. Being a bang average sportsman across a range of disciplines. Playing video games, watching movies, reading and relaxing.
Steve Green (Head of ICT & Digital)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in March 2023 and have 20 years’ experience of delivering IT solutions in the 3rdsector. I’ve worked for a National Charity for over 12 years as well a Not-for-Profit Housing Association, so I’m very aware of the challenges in providing a secure, robust, scalable and versatile IT network, whilst ensuring value for money.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Interacting with all areas of the business to ensure that our IT infrastructure meets the needs of the organisation, focusing on governance, cyber awareness, processes, project management, policies, documentation and maintaining supplier relationships. Most importantly, it’s ensuring that all One YMCA staff are aware of what we’re doing, where we’re going and feel included as part of the important journey of how we’re getting there.
What is your ambition?
My ambition is to create a secure, integrated, and flexible IT environment which meets the needs of our staff and everyone using our services. I’ll be automating as many manual processes as possible, allowing One YMCA frontline staff to focus on delivering our incredible services.
What are your personal interests?
I try and stay fit as it’s key to mental wellbeing, so I’m a regular gym goer and I’ve run over 50 marathon/ultra marathons in the last few years. I have ambitions to run 100 marathons before I consider hanging up my running shoes.
I also front a 14-piece swing band and love listening to live music and when I have time, you will find me in the garage, tinkering with old classic cars. I have a couple that will hopefully see the light of day one day soon.
Donna Lawrie (Head of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising)
What is your background?
I’ve worked for One YMCA since April 2015 and in this role since April 2020. Before this role I worked for One YMCA as Executive Assistant and Marketing Coordinator. Previous experience was within the hotel industry at IHG and Hilton Hotels.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Leading a small, energetic and passionate marketing, comms and insight team. We work with all teams across One YMCA with an aim to raise the awareness of how our services can help even more people belong, contribute and thrive in our local communities
What is your ambition?
My ambition is that more people recognise the great work of One YMCA so even more people can benefit from the support that is available to them and they can reach their full potential
What are your personal interests?
Spending time with my husband and two children, catching up with friends and family, yoga and eating out !!
Nicola Lee (Head of Therapeutic and Specialist Services – YMCA & ECP)
What is your background?
I joined ECP and YMCA in April 2020. Previous to this I worked at Families First Bedfordshire and at Bedford Borough Council for 11 years.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Working with a highly motivated and passionate teams to deliver accessible therapeutic and specialist support services in the community to children, young people and adults. Developing new and existing professional relationships to strengthen and expand our offer of support, writing contract/funding reports to evidence impact and secure further funding, promoting our amazing services!
What is your ambition?
Enable more children, young people and adults to access quality support through the creation of a facilitators training platform, to share our learning in our many areas of expertise.
What are your personal interests?
I love a good family walk with our cute dog, I love my morning workouts at the gym before my little ones wake up, and will settle down most nights with a Netflix series!
Nikky Manning (Head of Housing & Community)
What is your background?
I’ve worked in the homelessness sector with Haven First for 20 years and have joined One YMCA through the recent charity merger.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
I work closely with the Housing and Community Managers to ensure we are delivering high quality services to our residents and in our local communities.
What is your ambition?
To deliver housing services that provide life-changing, specialist support to our residents, helping them move on to independent living.
For our community projects to be highly valued services in the local communities and accessible to all.
What are your personal interests?
Enjoying time with family and friends, listening to music and going to gigs. I love sunny days, my garden and the wildlife visitors I have. I also crochet (a lot!) and love making blankets for people!
Shaun O’Sullivan (Head of HR Operations)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in January 2020, just before the pandemic! I previously worked in a Homeless day centre as a support worker and an Outreach Support worker before attending University in Sheffield. My first HR related role was in the Healthcare setting with a 111 and Urgent care provider as a Recruitment officer before fully making the move into HR a year later in 2015.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Working with my colleagues to offer a service which delivers One YMCA’s strategic requirements and always trying to improve the employee experience, covering:
- Payroll
- Recruitment & Workforce Planning
- Systems, Processes & Insight
- Pay & Reward
- Comms & Employer Branding
What is your ambition?
The employee experience to be as great as possible through the employee’s journey. This is from attracting the right candidate, a clean and effective onboarding process with a fantastic induction (both corporate and departmental), rewarding and recognising all the fantastic work One YMCA offers. A further ambition is to allow all our people to develop so they have the competencies to provide amazing work to all our service users and customers. We aspire to provide effective offboarding where we can understand our strengths and limitations. This includes a communication portal where all our employees can see the information they need to without any difficulty.
What are your personal interests?
I run an amateur football club with four teams on Saturdays who have won 3 trophies in the last 2 years. I am hoping in the next couple of years to have a youth, veterans, and ladies’ team. I watch a load of sports and would love to chat about any of them! I am a huge foody and I don’t believe there is a box set I haven’t watched! Most of all, I love to play and spend time with my daughter!
Tim Roberts (Head of Christian Mission)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in April 2021 as the new Head of Christian Mission. I have been serving as Senior Minister of Wellspring Church for over 22 years, a role I continue part-time alongside my work here.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Working with leaders and staff across the charity to build on our strong Christian foundations and, as part of this, supporting and overseeing the brilliant Chaplaincy and Connect teams.
What is your ambition?
To see the Mission25 vision become an experienced reality. To see every staff member, service user and partner organisation freshly and authentically inspired by the life, example and teaching of Christ.
What are your personal interests?
I’m a passionate Watford fan and I love family barbecues, early mornings, muddy walks, long cycle rides, daily gym visits, design, photography, good movies, inspiring books and long evenings with good friends.
Linzi Schier (Head of Family Support – FCS & ECP)
What is your background?
I’ve worked for One YMCA since 2018 and have 30 years’ experience of working within an early years or family services role.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
I lead the family support and children’s centre services to provide high quality support, information, advice and guidance to respond to the needs of families across the communities in which we serve. This often involves working with a wide range of Partners, and together we develop new ideas, programmes and services.
I also have the privilege of working with an amazing team of almost 130 colleagues who are some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated people I know!
What is your ambition?
My ambition is for every parent, child, young person and member of the team to reach and fulfil their ambitions, reaching their full potential.
What are your personal interests?
I like nothing more than spending time pottering in my garden. When I’m feeling slightly more energetic, then my other love is walking; although I often find myself wishing I had paid more attention to learning to read a map.
Kirsty Stuart (Head of Housing and Community)
What is your background?
I started with One YMCA in September 2015 working with families in the Hertfordshire Family Support Service. In May 2021, I became Head of Youth and Children’s Activities overseeing our Early Years Settings, Youth and Airplay Teams. In May 2023, I moved into the role of Head of Housing and Community.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
My role within One YMCA is to support and develop staff to ensure we provide the best care and service for our children, young people, families, and residents. I also support with ensuring we deliver this work and meeting our KPI’s, working within budgets, meeting with Commissioners, and developing new opportunities for development.
What is your ambition?
To create and develop a culture within One YMCA where people can have their needs met at the time when they need it. Through the amazing work across all our departments, we will be the Charity which supports everybody’s holistic needs.
What are your personal interests?
Spending time with my son, watching him grow and develop each day. I also have a keen interest in travelling and enjoy the sights and cultures of many countries, with Spain being one of my favourite Countries. I am also a Football and Motorsport enthusiast!
Sam Voyle (Head of Housing & Community)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in October 2021. Before this, I worked in homelessness in London running a ‘No Second Night Out’ assessment centre and then hotel sites to support rough sleepers throughout the pandemic. I have also worked in local government across Health & social care and family support.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
Working closely with Supported Housing Managers and Community hub site coordinators to deliver high quality services. In Housing, we aim to provide residents with the tools to gain confidence and live independent, fulfilling lives. Through our community sites, I work with our teams to provide a diverse range of activities/groups to benefit the communities we work in.
What is your ambition?
To deliver Housing & community services that enrich people’s lives and give them a launchpad to fulfil whatever ambition they have for the future.
What are your personal interests?
I love spending time with my friends and family, particularly my niece and nephew. I like to watch, coach, and play rugby when I can!
Gary Wright (Head of Health & Safety, Fire)
What is your background?
I joined One YMCA in July 2023 and have over 30 years’ experience in the Health & Safety and Fire Safety field. I have served in the Military and as a Firefighter and have worked for a national fire safety business and national private healthcare business.
What are your main day to day responsibilities?
As part of Place & Environment I oversee that the requirements of H&S and Fire safety legislation are met, to build strong and collaborative relationships with people across all areas including our external suppliers. To help transform how we maintain, innovate and educate our staff, residents and visitors to ensure safety for all within One YMCA. Most importantly being the H&S, Fire individual that all staff can approach and engage with.
What is your ambition?
My ambition is to ensure that Health & Safety and Fire Safety management is embedded into One YMCA’s day-to-day business operations and to promote a robust culture for both, to continually improve processes and procedures so our staff, residents, service users and visitors can work, live in and use our buildings safely and securely.
What are your personal interests?
I enjoy entertaining and socialising and I am a keen swimmer. When I feel the urge you may also find me with a pair of running shoes on. I have Grandchildren and a dog who keep me active. I love music (all types) and now and again I will dust off the Bass Guitar & Ukulele and make some noise!
