Trustees
The Board of Trustees have the financial and legal responsibility for the charity, its strategic direction, activities and services.
Tony
Retired after a long career in the UK and overseas, at firms as diverse as British Rail, Liebherr, Rolls Royce, the UK oil industry and Nottingham Trent University, Tony has a business degree and is an experienced project manager including many building projects. His children and grandchildren have benefitted from being part of WHISH and he has been a volunteer for many years. He joined the Board of Trustees specifically to help with the transition to the new building and it's development.
Steve Chair of Trustees
With a background in Technology Management and 30 years of experience in IT, I dedicated much of my career to providing cloud computing consultancy services to financial, media, and public sector organisations. While I have since retired, I continue to maintain a keen interest in digital media, amateur video production. Beyond IT, I enjoy cooking, motorbike riding, playing drums and guitar, and am also a novice sailor at my local yacht club.
I first became aware of WHISH through my involvement with the Whitby and District Rotary Club. While creating a promotional video for a Rotary event, I captured footage of WHISH’s environment and the invaluable services they provide. Many of the trustees have a direct personal connection to WHISH, with children or family members who have benefitted from its support. While I do not have that same personal link, I was still deeply drawn to the charity’s incredible work and saw an opportunity to contribute my IT skills to support their mission. Inspired by their dedication and impact, I am now proud to serve as a trustee for this fantastic cause.
Amy
Hello! My name is Amy and I am very excited to join WHISH as a Trustee, having used the sensory room and other services as a parent. I work in Mental Health within the NHS as a family liaison officer. Prior to this I spent several years working with vulnerable children and young people. I look forward to supporting the fantastic work of WHISH and being part of this amazing resource for the Whitby area.
Katie
My brother and I have been WHISH beneficiaries and I have volunteered at WHISH over the years at Saturday Club, Thursday Teen Club, horse riding at Borrowby and fundraising events. I have 10 years’ experience in the logistics/supply chain management. Local connections include other charities, sporting groups and social clubs. Also, I have awards in sporting leadership and have recently undertaken a Leadership Apprenticeship with my employer. I have developed more activities for teens / young adults and hope to start a group for LGBTQ+ young people, working with the Development Worker and LGBTQ+ Champion at North Yorkshire Youth and at the local authority.
Jonathan
Hello my name is Jonathan and I am very proud to be a Trustee of WHISH. My daughter has benefitted from the Charity and I wanted to give something back. My background is in mental health, both as a clinical lead and management. I am now semi-retired and work within Nursing Governance and hope to contribute to the ongoing success of WHISH.
Colin
Hi my name is Colin and I am happy to be a Trustee of WHISH. My son really enjoys being a part of WHISH, and I really appreciate the support we have received, so much so that I wanted to be able to contribute back through the Trustee role. I am currently in Commercial Banking with a High Street Bank and have been for over 10 years. I also had my own local business in Whitby for many years and have always enjoyed working with the whole community. I’m looking forward to working with WHISH further, and am happy to support however I can in my role as Trustee.
Laura
Hi, my name is Laura. My son joined WHISH a year ago and it has really made a difference to our whole family. I work in Social Housing and am actively involved in the local community as a Trustee of Whitby Food Bank and a committee member of Apollo Players (Panto). I cannot wait to be involved with WHISH as my role of Trustee and help to support all of our members.
Become a Trustee
Recruitment of additional Trustees
The Board is actively seeking additional Trustees to strengthen the range of skills and experience on the Board, share the responsibilities across a greater number of people and have a blend of “old hands” and “new blood “. We are particularly interested in people who can offer professional expertise in areas such as education, finance, fundraising, H.R., law, marketing.
The multi-stage process: An invitation to an informal discussion with the Chair and another Trustees, a tour of WHISH facilities and information given, e.g., development of WHISH, constitution, finances. The potential Trustee is given information from the Charity Commission about the legal and financial responsibilities of becoming a Trustee. The individual is asked to evidence how their skills and experience can contribute to and enhance the Board. Suitable individuals who wish to progress are invited to attend 1 or 2 Board meetings to have an understanding of the individual input and time commitment needed. For those people wishing to continue their application to become a Trustee, there are then Charity Commission checks to be made relating to legal and financial reasons for disqualification as a Trustee and declarations to be completed regarding fitness to become a Trustee.
If you would like to put yourself forward or nominate a suitable person, please contact the Chairman, Steve Bremner via email whishgroup@gmail.com in the first instance.
Staff
Andrea
With over 20 years of experience in the childcare & education sector, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to my role here at WHISH. I hold a degree in Education Studies alongside other childcare qualifications, and have worked in a range of positions including Deputy Manager of a pre-school, Teaching Assistant, and Primary School Teacher.
Over the years, I’ve also taken on key responsibilities such as Deputy Safeguarding Officer, Educational Visits Co-ordinator, School Governor, and Chair of the PTA — all of which have deepened my understanding of how to support children and their families in meaningful ways.
As a mum of six, I understand the challenges that families can face and the importance of creating positive, nurturing environments where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow.
Ellie
Hi, I’m Ellie! I’m in my 30s and have A-levels in Art, Textiles, and Photography. Creativity has always been a big part of my life — in my spare time, I love baking and making beautiful hand-crafted items, which I sell at local craft fairs. I also enjoy exploring our local area and spending time with my three cat.
I joined WHISH in August 2023 as an Admin Assistant, then trained to become a Youth Worker, and I’m now also the Activities Coordinator. I really enjoy my job at WHISH, especially working with young people and planning all the exciting things they get to do.
Before WHISH, I worked across retail, hospitality, and care, and I loved each role for different reasons. Those experiences helped me build a wide range of skills — teamwork, communication, empathy, and creativity — that I now bring to my work here.
I also live with a hidden disability — Crohn’s Disease — which means I have a colostomy bag. It’s given me a new lease of life and the ability to work more regularly, as well as a deeper understanding and empathy for others living with hidden impairments.
Helen
I did a part time youth worker course equivalent to the part time courses today level 2-3. Then a 2-year full time course at YMCA national college part of North East London Poly. That was my professional training for my JNC qualified status, an HND equivalent to a level 5 today.
I worked as a project worker doing consultations and short-term projects, and I ran arts projects using recycled materials, in schools, holiday projects and festivals, dance and drama projects.
When I was in my late 30s, I started doing voluntary work with the drugs advice agency, RELEASE, and met a couple of probation officers and decided to train to do that - at that point, probation work was still more about rehabilitation, and had a social work element. This was hard but rewarding, I worked intensively with adult drug users and later with teenagers and their families in a youth offending team.
When we moved to Whitby in 2014, I did a bit of nannying, a bit of housekeeping and worked away as a houseparent at a boarding school – by 2015 was looking for work again and was lucky enough to encounter WHISH at an event for recruiting volunteers at the library- I was invited to run Saturday club at the Youth Shack, which I loved, and I got to know many families and felt part of the community here.
In terms of my personal experience of hidden impairments, I have a brother and three nephews with autism spectrum disorder, my son had depression, anxiety and episodes of psychotic depression and I have anxiety, and am mildly dyspraxia. My work aside from WHISH but related, is as a personal assistant and nanny, in which I mainly work with young people with hidden and visible impairments. I was very excited and honoured to be invited to work with WHISH in this new era.
Yvonne
I have business and marketing qualifications, working mainly in the Further and Higher Education sector for many years, then freelance as a consultant to business, charities and schools. I became involved with WHISH when I worked with the 19 schools in the Whitby area for North Yorkshire County Council. In that role I facilitated WHISH getting their first grants and worked towards becoming a registered charity in 2015. I have direct personal experience of Hidden Impairments in my family. A member of staff for 10 years, I have been directly involved with the development of a Hub, Sensory room and community facilities, seeing WHISH grow into the vital organisation it is today. I am currently involved with fundraising and partnerships, to help WHISH continue to thrive as an essential part of the local community.
Leo
As a parent of a WHISH member, I am very fortunate to have seen the benefits of the work WHISH do first hand over the last couple of years. My involvement led me to volunteer and give something back to the organisation - the environment, people you meet, the activities for our young people are fantastic. Through working with them I have been on a life-changing journey. I recently completed an NVQ Level 2 in Youth Leadership with the support and investment from WHISH and am now undertaking the NVQ Level 3 Diploma. My role at WHISH is to assist with the various clubs and holiday activities we offer. I often lead the groups during holidays at the East Barnby Outdoor Centre, supporting our young members to gain skills and experience in a wide range of activities. Seeing them engage with each other and achieving their developmental goals is hugely satisfying. I really enjoy helping to make a difference to their lives as they learn and grow with WHISH.
Bryony
I became involved with WHISH towards the beginning of 2025 in my role as a volunteer. I have recently joined the WHISH team in a Fundraising & Administration Role. I bring several years of experience working within the retail and care sectors. I also have an extensive background in fundraising. I have planned and hosted several fundraising and social events for a local school/charity and care home, generating tens of thousands of pounds. I believe my background will be an essential asset to WHISH. I look forward to getting to know our members and bringing fresh and hopefully exciting ideas to the charity.
Millie
Hi, I’m Millie! I joined WHISH in October 2025 as Admin Assistant after finishing my degree at York St John University. I studied British Sign Language (BSL) Deaf Studies and Linguistics, gaining a BSL Signature Level 3 qualification. I am passionate about working in a diverse and inclusive environment and have applied my skills and knowledge to the workplace. I have previously mainly worked in hospitality or retail where I focused on developing my teamwork and communication skills. In my spare time, my hobbies include art, swimming, movies and spending time with my dachshund, Albert. I use my hobbies to support the variety of fun activities we have here at WHISH. During my time here, I've gained first hand experience supporting the members and making a difference which is a very rewarding experience.