With over 30 years of experience in the youth sector, Karen has held various positions in both local authorities and the voluntary sector, demonstrating her extensive expertise. As a JNC professionally qualified youth worker, trainer, assessor and quality assurer, Karen brings invaluable knowledge to her role as trustee.

Currently, she serves as the Learning and Development Manager at the National Youth Agency (NYA), as a trustee she combines her national perspectives on sector needs with her local insights from residing and working in Medway. This dual perspective provides her with a profound understanding of young people, youth work and its associated challenges. In her role at the NYA, Karen is dedicated to developing ongoing professional development opportunities and resources for the sector, including forums, webinars, toolkits, and training. Karen works closely with the NYA Safeguarding Hub in response to sector needs and was pivotal in the recent development of ‘A toolkit for local authorities’, aimed at supporting local authorities to fulfil their Statutory Duty.

Karen is invested in Medway, with two grown up children and grandchildren, she places great value on the Youth Work sector and stives for the further development of quality services. When Karen is not championing young people and youth workers she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her two dogs, she is a little obsessive about music and loves to travel!

As a Career Civil Servant from 1976 to 2010, Mark navigated diverse Government Departments, starting with Employment. During this time, he authored a report on enhancing diversity by bringing Disabled individuals, Ethnic Minorities, and Women onto Non-Departmental Public Body boards.

His commitment extended to Trade Unions, where he rose through Branch and Departmental ranks for over thirty years, culminating as National TU Side Chair for the Children, Schools, and Families Department. A member of the Public and Commercial Services Union, Mark continues within the Southeast Association of Retired Members Branch's Executive.

Mark served as a Kent County Council Member (1993-1998), where he chaired the Medway and Swale Social Services Area Forum and acted as Vice Chair for the Highways and Transportation Sub-Committee. He also chaired committees spanning Social Services, Environment, Planning & Transportation, and the Kent Police Authority's Complaints Committee from 1993 to 2000.

Serving on Medway Council during various periods (1997-2000, 2003-2007, and is currently is elected for the term 2023-27), Mark has chaired the Education Committee and served as Group Planning Spokesperson, Children's issues lead spokesperson. He currently serves on the following committees: "Children and Young People" and "Business Support and Digital" Overview and Scrutiny Committees, "Planning" and the "Licensing and Safety" Regulatory Committees.

Mark has held roles including Governor, Chair, and Committee Member for institutions like Balfour Junior School, Medway Community College, MHS Homeowners' Forum, and more. He is currently Communities Officer for the Medway Trades Union Council, Chair of the Rochester Film Society, and Hon Secretary of the Young Medway - Young People's Foundation Trust.

Mark is a keen follower of County Cricket in his spare time.

With a background as a successful businessman and experience on several Boards of Trustees connected to youth work, Peter brings a wealth of experience to his role as Treasurer. Amongst other positions, he is currently chair of the Rochester Grammar School Trust and the Medway Youth Charity (which he helped form in 2007). He is also chair of the Medway Schools Forum and at Bradfields Special School. Peter has an interest in astronomy, gardening and has cruised most of the rivers in Europe. His ambition is to cruise the Amazon.

Adam is a Portfolio Holder for Children's Services (including statutory responsibility) in Medway alongside providing consultancy support within the employment, unions and third sectors. Adam has direct experience within the NHS, local government, the European Union, political organisations and the third sector.

Adam joined Young Medway in his role as Trustee in 2021. Within this role Adam brings his extensive experience to support the collaboration within the youth sector.

Jim was a senior management professional with over 30 years experience working within the mutual/charitable financial services sector. Jim is motivated by a genuine desire to see individuals and third sector organisations achieve their goals, achieving a more stable and inclusive society.

As well as the local ward Councillor for Hempstead and Wigmore, Jim currently Chairs the Hempstead Village Fayre Group, The Hempstead Players amdram group, and acts as Church Warden for All Saints’ Church in Hempstead

Clare originally trained as a JNC qualified Youth and Community Development Worker and subsequently worked with children, young people and families for fifteen years in neighbourhood based organisations in Camden and Southwark. More recently she has worked for national and regional grant making trusts, that predominantly fund work with schools, and children and young people's organisations.

In addition to being a Trustee and the Treasurer of Young Medway, Clare is also a Trustee and the Chair of the Grants Committee for Westminster Almshouses Foundation.

futureCoders gives me an opportunity to combine my two greatest interests: education and software development and to use these to provide opportunities for others to learn and experience problem solving with code and data.

I am very aware that as a community we are stronger when we work together. As a trustee at Young Medway I can understand more about the needs of Medway's young population and to help steer the charity as it works with members to support the delivery of their services.

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Kirstie Bottiglieri is a JNC professionally qualified youth worker with a BA (Hons) in Youth and Community Work with Applied Theology. Having previously been Director of a youth charity, she now works in further education as a Safeguarding Lead and Programme Coordinator, supporting SEND young people aged 16–25.

Kirstie is the Trustee of Young Medway with safeguarding oversight and, while she may secretly still call herself a youth worker, her passion for inclusion, her hometown, and the young people of Medway remains at the heart of everything she does.