Our people
Meet our skilled team, expert partners, and influential trustees.
Adira Andlay
Senior Researcher
With a specialisation in co-design and citizen engagement, Adira leads a range of mixed-method research projects, from community-led social innovation to supporting peer research training. She has a multidisciplinary background in design research, social innovation and visual communication.
Alice Bell
Senior Researcher
Alice joined The Young Foundation in 2020, having previously gained experience as a Government Social Research intern. She is enthusiastic about exploring innovative and inclusive methods to involve diverse communities in impactful research.
Amelia Clayton
Senior Researcher
After completing her masters in sociology, Amelia joined The Young Foundation as a research officer. Amelia has a passion for uplifting marginalised voices, especially disabled and chronically ill voices. She is also interested in research into role-playing games, and in fringe subcultures.
Charlotte Healy
Head of Social Business and Innovation
Charlotte’s background is working as an Economic Development Programme Manager in Local Government. She loves all things social enterprise and is interested in how we can use social innovation to create a more equal society.
Cristina Wilkinson Salamea
Senior Research Manager
Cristina is a mixed-methods social researcher with an MSc in sociology from the University of Edinburgh. She has more than seven years’ experience working in research and evaluation in agency, charity and academic settings.
Damian Hebron
Senior Innovation Practitioner
Damian is passionate about involving citizens in decision-making and has worked for more than 20 years in arts, health, campaigning and community engagement. He has campaigned extensively to promote the impact of creativity on people’s health.
Daniel Farag
Director of Innovation and Practice
Dan leads our practical social change and innovation work with communities, public systems, and social enterprises. He has worked across the public, private and charitable sectors, and was previously a director of Nesta’s Health Lab.
Emily Morrison
Director of Sustainability and Just Transition
Emily joined us from the British Council, where she developed the global research portfolio. She has led and conducted a broad range of international research projects, and previously held positions at University College London and King’s College London. Emily has a long-standing interest in participatory and creative research approaches.
Felicia Barrow
Finance Services and Business Support Manager
Felicia is passionate about our organisation and a gifted communicator, with expertise in operations, policy development and implementation, change management and frontline service delivery for the private, public, and charity and not-for-profit sectors. She is a Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) in Management and Leadership.
Gary Fawdrey
Senior Innovation Practitioner
Gary leads our grant management processes. He is an experienced project, programme and grant manager, specialising in social innovation. Prior to joining The Young Foundation, he supported social innovators and designed innovation funding programmes through roles with Elrha’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund and Nesta’s Challenge Works.
Helen Goulden OBE
Chief Executive Officer
As Chief Executive Officer of The Young Foundation, Helen leads our multi-disciplinary team of researchers and innovators to support stronger communities across the UK.
Iqra Farooq
HR Manager
Iqra manages the HR department and provides support across the organisation. Prior to joining The Young Foundation in 2017, she worked at AEG Europe, based at the O2, in a similar capacity. Iqra has more than five years’ HR experience and is CIPD-qualified.