Settle is entering the next phase of our development, where we are setting ourselves big goals to increase our impact and delivery. We’ve therefore strengthened our Board by bringing new experiences and perspectives, and we’re excited to share a little about each of our new Trustees below!

Marion Amartey Wadibia is chief executive of Winfluence, a newly formed policy and convening organisation, supporting those offering care to young refugees, migrants and vulnerable young adults.

She has worked in the charity, non–profit and philanthropy sectors for over 25 years in a variety of senior leadership positions, both in the UK and internationally. Prior to taking up leadership at Winfluence, she spent eight years as CEO of NAZ. She is passionate about social justice issues and supports a number of start-ups and non-profit organisations globally. She currently serves as an advisor to Rwandan Palliative Care Association and divides her time between the UK and Africa.

Mary-anne Hodd is a PGCE teacher with a background in Psychology and lived experience of growing up in foster care.

Mary-anne says:
“When I ‘left’ Care, I designed a Guarantor Scheme for care leavers in the Devon area and spent a couple of years campaigning to incite policy change on a wider scale, taking this to Local Authorities across the country. Following this, I went on to teach Psychology at Access and A-Level, before moving on to work in Pupil Referral Units. I now use the unique combination of my care, teaching and campaign experience to deliver training and advice to authorities and organisations that work with and around young people in Care.”

“I am bringing the unique combination of my lived and teaching experience to the Settle board, which is directed at connecting the voice of young people throughout the heart of all we do. Having personally experienced the challenges in accessing private accommodation I can recognise the need for support in maintaining tenancies; this is a large part of my motivation to join Settle. Settle is plugging a gap. We talk a lot about sustainable outcomes and yet often once milestones are achieved the support is removed. Settle’s practical approach to supporting young people in the reality of their lives, in a solutions-focused way,  fits well with my experience.”

“As a fairly new organisation, it feels like an exciting time to join the board and help bring in a care-experienced voice into the governance of the organisation. The values of Settle; putting young people’s voices first, good intentions not being good enough and growing the good all align with my approach to practice and I am well placed in helping Settle follow through on these within this role. Settle is achieving in supporting young people to who I can relate and I am looking forward to providing their perspective and voice on a governance level.”

Sarah Byrt is a Commercial Solicitor at the Salvation Army, and combines her legal skills with knowledge of the voluntary sector.

Sarah says: “I had been a partner in a city law firm for many years, working on complex deals, when I became a volunteer for a homelessness charity and that set my life on a different course.  After learning more about the charity sector by working on projects in a criminal justice charity, I took up my current role as a solicitor in the legal team at the Salvation Army.  I support its varied work such as homelessness services and support for survivors of modern slavery.”

“Having been a trustee at a local hospice, I wanted to focus on young people for my next trusteeship.  Settle attracted me because of its focus on preventing homelessness and its award-winning approach.  I aim to bring my legal and governance experience to Settle, as well as my background in working with commissioners.”

Rachel Smith is a fundraiser and a charity professional and has worked in the charity sector for over ten years. She is currently the Head of Fundraising at Redthread, where she leads the fundraising and development team to build partnerships, inspire supporters and champion the impact of Redthread’s work with young people.

Rachel says: “I’ve worked in a variety of non-profit organisations, raising millions for social justice, health, mental health and international causes. I’m bringing ten years of fundraising and income generation experience to Settle. I’ve personally secured millions from a range of supporters, funders and partners to deliver vital interventions and embed new innovations. I’m also bringing experience of being on the leadership team of an ambitious fast-growing organisation; I’ve navigated many of the opportunities and challenges that a dynamic organisation like Settle will be experiencing over the coming years!”

“I’m tirelessly passionate about young people. A safe place to call home is one of the most foundational needs for anyone, but for many young people the road to independent living is anything but smooth. Through my work at Redthread I’ve become really aware of the challenges and barriers that young people experience when they’re trying to navigate the housing system for the first time, and I’m passionate about Settle’s practical, holistic support that gives young people the support they need to overcome these barriers and ultimately pursue the lives they want to lead.”

Steve Chaplin is an experienced children’s social worker and currently works at Service Manager level for an inner London Local Authority in their 16+ Leaving Care Service.He has experience of running early intervention projects in primary schools and as an advisor to the family courts.

We’re excited about the combined knowledge and experience that Marion, Mary-anne, Sarah, Rachel, and Steve will bring our board. They join our existing Trustees Rob Trimble, Kathy Mohan and Ben Lambert at a very exciting time for Settle as we prepare for our next stage of development.

We’d also like to say a huge thank you to our previous Trustees, Sarah Drummond and Coco Pemberton, for their service to Settle over the past few years as we’ve grown and developed our work.