Our people

Helena Hollis

Senior Researcher, Institute for Community Studies

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.

Isabel Young

Head of Community Programmes

Isabel works to bring diverse voices together to take action on the issues that matter to people in local communities. She is passionate about supporting leadership development across the UK, and about blending research, innovation, and social action approaches in our work.

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.

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.

Nora Zia

Research Officer

Nora joined The Young Foundation in 2022, after completing her psychology degree. She has a particular interest in exploring experiences of communities that are under-represented in traditional research through creative methods.

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.