Our people
David Heinemann
Civic Leadership Programme Lead
David’s role is to discover and develop civic leaders working to improve the health of our society. He has a background in personal and organisational development, supporting pioneering changemakers and organisations in the UK and internationally for more than 15 years.
Gary Fawdrey
Innovation Practitioner
Gary joined The Young Foundation in 2023, having previously supported social innovators and designed innovation funding programmes through roles with Elrha’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund and Nesta’s Challenge Works. As an Innovation Practitioner Gary works across the Young Foundation’s social innovation portfolio.
Rosema Nawaz
Project Coordinator
Rosema joined The Young Foundation as a Project Coordinator in 2023. Previously, she worked within the Mental Health sector in Bradford, to improve accessibility of Mental Health Services using Artificial Intelligence.
Leonie Taylor
Research Officer
Leonie joined The Young Foundation in 2023, and is passionate about using ethical research to address health inequalities. She is a social researcher with a background in migration studies and gender equity. Leonie’s international experience in Sierra Leone and Greece informs her research design.
Jasper Morvaridi
Innovation Practitioner
Jasper joined The Young Foundation in 2023 after 10 years managing and producing projects across the creative industries. As part of our Innovation and Practice team, he supports the development and delivery of ambitious and fast-paced social innovation programmes
Marion Oveson
Evidence Officer
Marion joined The Young Foundation’s Institute for Community Studies in 2023 after completing a PhD at the University of Sheffield that explored community-university partnerships (CUPs) within the context of the neoliberal university and the civic agenda.
Elizabeth Adeyemo
Interim HR Manager
Elizabeth is an HR professional with experience in sectors including finance, education, and health. She is particularly passionate about The Young Foundation’s role in community research, engagement, and inclusion.
Dr Al Mathers
Director of Research
Having previously been Director of Research and Learning at the RSA, and Head of Research at Good Things Foundation, Al is passionate about The Young Foundation’s commitment to realising a fairer future with communities, and supporting evidence-driven social change.
Lynn Macdonald
Project Administrator
Lynn provides project support to the research team and Peer Researcher Network. She joined The Young Foundation in 2023 from a career background in project office and change management, and is motivated to help reduce barriers to inclusion, and to support positive social change.
Jacob Coburn
Knowledge Exchange Manager
Joining the Institute for Community Studies in 2023, Jacob leads work focused on supporting anchor institutions to develop deeper more integrated relationships, aimed at enabling greater knowledge-sharing and strategic thinking.
Jem Hai
Researcher
Jem joined The Young Foundation in 2023 after having worked as a Research Assistant for a charity supporting children living in deprivation.
Daisy Webster Kincaid
Administrator
Daisy joined The Young Foundation in 2023, and is passionate about using her skills and experience within an organisation fighting for a fairer future through social research.