Our people
Meet our skilled team, expert partners, and influential trustees.
Helen Goulden OBE
Chief Executive Officer
Helen leads our multi-disciplinary team of researchers and innovators to support stronger communities across the UK. Previous roles were at Nesta, in the private sector, and in government. She was awarded an OBE for services to development of sustainable communities in the 2023 New Year Honours List.
Helena Hollis
Evidence Manager
Helena works on a range of Institute for Community Studies projects. Prior to joining us in 2021, she completed PhD research, coordinated a shared UCL and British Academy project on AI and the future of work, and worked as a research methods lecturer and librarian. She is passionate about her research having a real impact on people’s lives.
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.
Jennifer Clayton
Social Innovation Programme Manager
Jen’s background is in designing and delivering support and scaling initiatives for social innovators and entrepreneurs. Before joining The Young Foundation, she held integral roles in grant management delivery, challenge prize design, and business mentor brokering at UnLtd and Nesta.
Jenny Barke
Peer Research Lead
Prior to joining The Young Foundation, Jenny worked at the University of Bristol on community engaged research projects. She is is a chartered psychologist, and has worked across health, social sciences, engineering, arts, and humanities. She has expertise in a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Jessica Moore
Head of Communications and External Affairs
Joining in September 2021, Jess drives thought leadership and shares our creative ideas with diverse audiences. Formerly an editor at The Guardian and The Independent, Jess is passionate about communicating the needs of people in our communities, working to extend The Young Foundation’s reach and impact.
Jessica Redmond
Senior Researcher
Jess works to ensure community voices are reflected in research and policy design. They were a policymaker at the Bank of England, held roles in government, policy research, and education, and explored youth unemployment and educational inequality as part of the Year Here Social Innovation Fellowship.
Kathryn Holland
Innovation Practitioner
Kathryn has worked to design and deliver community-led crowdfunding programmes with Local Authorities across the UK. She enjoys applying creative approaches to community engagement and developing ways to build meaningful social connections within communities.
Katriya Bulutoglu
Senior Researcher
Through her work, Katriya is particularly interested in diversity and inclusion, as well as how research methodology can bring communities together and amplify the voices of those so often left out of traditional research. Katriya joined The Young Foundation after graduating from university in 2020.
Paul Oberg
Director of Finance and Corporate Resources
Paul joined The Young Foundation in 2021, having held a similar role with The Land Trust. Paul has 15 years’ experience in the charity and not-for-profit sector, having begun his career in the corporate world. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and brings experience across HR, and IT, as well as finance.
Richard Harries
Associate Director, Institute for Community Studies
Richard was previously a senior civil servant and deputy director of the independent think tank Reform. He has extensive experience of research and policymaking, and has advised governments all over the world on public service reform. Richard has published on a wide range of topics.
Rosie Farrer
Senior Associate
Joining The Young Foundation in 2020, Rosie’s passion is working with change-makers to make communities and cultures more effective and more meaningful. She is an experienced facilitator, coach, innovation mentor, and senior leader with an MSc in international development, and a BSc in psychology.