Ever since I was a child, social justice and fighting for equality has been my driving mission. My early experiences of marching for the miners in Wales as a child has helped shape me as a person and my commitment to fighting for human rights. I have lived and worked in Swansea, South Wales for most of my life and am passionate about both the city and the people.

Please get in touch if you would like a chat!

charlotte@swanseamad.com

I have worked with young people in different settings for 6 years which has led me to get an understanding of different roles and expertise. I have most recently worked closely with young people with additional learning needs, supporting their learning and development, and providing enrichment activities to their daily routines.

I originally studied Hairdressing in college and qualified with a Level 3 before moving to Childcare Learning and Development Level 3. Through working in schools, I have been fortunate enough to undertake an array of training opportunities including; Safeguarding, Paediatric First Aid, Health and Safety, Autism Awareness and Essential Skills.

I have joined Swansea MAD as Office Manager because I truly believe in the importance of safe spaces where people can learn new skills, be encouraged to develop their passions and get the support they want, which Swansea MAD value and demonstrate everyday.

beth@swanseamad.com

During my childhood, so that I could realise my obsession with music, I built my first computer which would allow me to start producing music. While studying, I found myself teaching classes in Music Technology and various Adobe web applications which helped me to find my passion for teaching. Around this time, I started ghost producing music for various artists online and started a computer repair company. Later I decided to return to academia to study Computer Networks where I became qualified as a Cisco network engineer.

I joined Swansea MAD so that I could make use of the broad range of technologies I’ve learnt over the years and to support those who do not currently use technology and develop those already on their journey.

dave@swanseamad.com

I have over ten years of experience working with young people and I am very passionate about social justice and development. This is evident through my early participation in a number of Model United Nation projects for young people, to discuss and proffer solutions to the issues affecting women and children globally. From the age of 14, I participated in a nation-wide protest against the law endorsing child marriage in Northern Nigeria.

My passion to fight against social injustice, inequality  nd oppression is

not new and has been sustained through my experience as a lawyer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and recently a master’s degree holder in Public Policy from Swansea University. I am very excited to work in an environment like Swansea MAD, that provides the opportunity to develop necessary skills and to be part of conversations that affect positive changes in the lives of people.

fikayo@swanseamad.com

As a young person, I was able to experience the benefits of being involved in Youth Services which empowered me to make positive changes in my community. At 16, I was the recipient of a £10,000 grant to set up and run a local, grassroots youth club in the small rural village I call home. From this, my passion for community engagement and participation developed
which led me onto a variety of roles and responsibilities and 14 years’ experience in Youth and Community Work. I joined Swansea MAD so that I could use my skills working with the community in new and innovative approaches, utilising digital technology to improve opportunities and reduce barriers.
I am a Trustee of the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) and Treasurer of Melin Community Centre (MCT) as well as a Lead Assessor for the Education Workforce Council (EWC) Youth Work Quality Mark. I was Young Worker of the Year 2017 (YMCA England and Wales) and am an active member of Digital Alliance Wales, Digital Leaders, the Digital Youth Work Advisory Group and a Digital Leaders Week Facilitator.

geraint@swanseamad.com

My background and studies are rooted in theatre and drama, and I am a massive advocate for protecting the arts and heritage sectors to promote their value to wider communities. Since graduating in 2020, I have been trying to expand my skill set and have been lucky to work on multiple projects across the arts, education, and heritage sectors. Recently, I have enjoyed supporting exhibitions and youth projects with the National Museum of Wales and hope to support the wellbeing of young people through this. I first worked with Swansea MAD through their Raise Your Voice project, where I wrote a spoken word piece about elevating the arts and recognising that they are viable as a career; something particularly close to my heart. I am excited to be part of the Swansea MAD team to help engage further with the wider community; to help signpost new opportunities and support people in developing skills to carry forward. I hope to be part of the preservation of Welsh culture, arts, and heritage for future generations to enjoy.

phoebe@swanseamad.com

I have 10 years’ experience in the Youth and Community Work sector in Wales, as a Support Worker, Equality Manager, Trustee and HE Tutor. I am driven by social justice, inclusion and young people having access to safe spaces where they feel like they belong.

I originally studied English Literature at university and am passionate about arts being accessible and inclusive for everyone. During my career, I have been lucky to work in partnership with artists, supporting young people to create theatre and film to develop confidence, share their stories and aspirations and advocate for change.

rachel@swanseamad.com

I have over 7 years’ of experience working with the community by volunteering with over 25 organisations since 2016. My roles in community work have included being a trustee with UID asylum seeker community support group, receptionist and Youth Worker with EYST Ethnic Youth Support Team in Swansea, Case Worker with Refugee Council, Young Ambassador with Prince’s Trust and Voice Ambassador with British Red Cross, helping with young carers in YMCA, a women’s group organiser, visual activism and Chair with PCSO South Wales Police Swansea and many more! I have also helped to interpret in various other languages as I am fluent in over 4 languages.  I have received many awards over the years including the High Sheriff Award in 2017 for recognition of great and valuable service to the Swansea City of Sanctuary, supporting asylum seekers and refugees. I am also the multi-award holder and winner for the bilingual photography competition from Swansea University, the high 5 achievement award and the International Diana Award for the appreciation of my volunteer work early in 2020’s very passionate and determined to help people and support their needs. I also like to learn new things and gain new experiences. My passion for learning has led me to complete a few things, including a diploma in hairdressing and I hope to open a hair salon one day in Swansea. I am also currently studying to achieve a BA degree in Documentary Media Photography and Visual Activism and will be graduating in 2024.

As a BME young muslim woman, I believe in equality and diversity and always feeling welcome in the community and now I am very excited to work with Swansea MAD as it will give me the opportunity to put my past work experience to good use and gain more experiences in youth and community work.

saba@swanseamad.com

I graduated from Swansea University in 2021 with a BA in media and communication and am passionate about representation in the media. Film and television are my main areas of interest with my dissertation being centred around the depictions of physically disabled people in Hollywood cinema. It is a subject I feel very close to being disabled myself. I have played wheelchair basketball for a number of years and help to manage the club’s social media channels.  The reason I wanted to join Swansea MAD was to be involved in something worthwhile to the city of Swansea, while also developing skills within myself. I have lived in Swansea for all of my relatively short life, so it is a privilege to be working with people who have Swansea’s artistic interests at heart. 

sam@swanseamad.com

I have over 10 years experience of using digital technology and strategic digital development supporting the local community in Swansea to grow and flourish. I love being part of the team at Swansea MAD that works in a co-creative and solutions focused approach; developing digital equity and transforming organisational process and performance through creativity and digital technology.

stu@swanseamad.com

I have coordinated projects in the areas of creative arts, well-being, financial capability, democracy, and equal rights. I also have experience developing resources for young people, as well as developing and facilitating training sessions for youth facing professionals in the sector.

Since leaving school, I have been lucky enough to work in the third sector building on my skills and experience, I am also a Trustee for National Theatre Wales. In my spare time I make music, and review local food spots on my @flavahoodwatch Instagram page.

I am a proud mother of five from the Vale of Glamorgan. My career started in early years education where my team won the Pearson Award for Education. I have since worked across local Government, education and the 3rd Sector to become a highly experienced and solution focused trainer, advocate and programme author. I currently work as Service Manager for NYAS Cymru.

I’m a passionate advocate for peoples rights and working with and experimenting with creative methodologies that inspire real change. My focus over the last few years and during lockdown has been working to create systems and spaces to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

My name is Chisomo, also known as Chizi, and I’m a Senior Account Executive at Freuds. I was previously Policy and Communications Partner at Chwarae Teg,  a Campaign Executive at Seeker Digital and Campaign Officer at Cowshed.

I was previously Student Union President at Swansea University Students’ Union and Women’s Officer at NUS Wales where I ran a successful campaign to end period poverty in Wales. This led to me winning Chwarae Teg’s People’s Choice Womenspire award in 2019.

I have also been a Trustee of the British Youth Council and am currently a Trustee at the Bevan Foundation. I have a wealth of experience in governance, equality, PR and communications which I look forward to bringing to the Swansea MAD Board. 

I currently work for the YMCA as Wellbeing Manager, where I support our wellbeing team and run our Y-Girls mentoring project.

I’m so excited to be part of Swansea MAD’s trustee board, as I truly believe in the work they are doing and am proud to mirror and support the organisation’s values

During the Covid-19 lockdown,  I set up The Privilege Café as I was frustrated with the lack of diversity and couldn’t express myself as a woman of colour in spaces filled with privilege. I’ve facilitated weekly sessions on Zoom covering various themes including mental health, ‘unconscious’ bias and privilege in the recruitment process. The level of engagement has been incredible and the speaker’s insight knowledge and expertise have brought nothing but positivity to all those who have attended the sessions.

The Café is an open to all, it’s a safe space for all to engage, learn and to use their privilege for good: https://www.patreon.com/PrivilegeCafe