The staff team
For any general enquiries please contact info@studentminds.org.uk
About Aaron
Aaron is the Communications Officer for Student Minds working on our communication campaigns as well as writing and creating all sorts of content for our platforms. He is passionate about empowering the voices of students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Before starting at Student Minds, Aaron completed a bachelors in Computing and Graphic Design as well as being a sabbatical officer (Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer at UEA). They also were the co-founder of Eradicate Hate and Black Students representative for the NUS Liberations Committee. Aaron keeps busy in their spare time with a combination of musical theatre, basketball, vlogging and supporting his local Church. About Benedict
Benedict is the Digital Product Manager at Student Minds, playing a pivotal role in steering the organization's digital landscape. His responsibilities encompass the management and strategic use of various digital products; a task he approaches with a wealth of experience in spearheading digital product development and leveraging digital tools for organizational growth. Away from the professional realm, Benedict likes to hangout with friends, play football and board games. About Dominic
Dom joined Student Minds in 2017 after working as the Community and Wellbeing Sabbatical Officer at the University of York’s Students’ Union. Dom leads on our campaigning & influencing work as well as our co-production & volunteering activities. Dom also has strategic oversight of our student voice, policy, insights and communications functions. Outside of work Dom enjoys gaming, watching anime and picking things up and putting them down again in the gym. About Fay
Fay is the Executive Assistant at Student Minds, providing support to Rosie (our CEO) and the senior management team. She is responsible for co-ordinating the quarterly Trustee meetings and Clinical Advisory Groups. Prior to this, Fay worked as an office manager and internal recruiter for an executive search business. Outside of work, Fay loves to cook and bake, go to gigs, watch films and documentaries, and bother cute dogs in the street. About James
James leads our financial activities. The role includes the production of internal and external management information, including liaising with external partners and agencies. James has over 30 years in the charitable and Not for Profit sector.Outside of work James likes to attend concerts and can be often found with a camera in his hand. About Kate
Kate leads the development of our income generation strategy. She supports a diverse range of initiatives to generate income for the charity, working alongside our grant funders, community fundraisers and donors, and is passionate about ethical fundraising. She also plays a role in capturing our impact and communicating this to funders. In her free time, she enjoys reading contemporary fiction, painting and hiking. About Sophie
Sophie is the Training Manager at Student Minds. She provides support for the network of trainers, facilitates the various training sessions and courses Student Minds offer and contributes to the development of the training programmes. Prior to this Sophie worked in education as a Secondary School Teacher for 6 years. Sophie enjoys nothing more than watching football on the TV with Pickle and Pete (her four-legged friends). |
About Alice
Alice is our part-time Clinical Supervisor, working within the Student Minds team on a consultative basis to provide supervision and support to our staff and team of peer-supervisors. Alice completed a Psychology degree at the University of Birmingham back in 2003 and trained as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist within the NHS in Oxford becoming fully accredited by the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) in 2012. She now works at Birmingham City University as a Mental Health Adviser and CBT Therapist within Student Services. As part of her role she also sits on the University Mental Health Adviser Network (UMHAN) committee as Development Worker Supervisor. Alice has a particular interest in Mindfulness and Compassion Focused Therapy and tries to attend workshops and training on these regularly. About Charlotte
Charlotte works as the Programme Coordinator within the Student Space team, focussing on developing, promoting, and continuously improving the Student Space platform and services. Her role ensures that Student Space continues to effectively support the mental health and wellbeing of students. Prior to joining, Charlotte worked in public and private sector roles after graduating with her Masters in Sociology. Outside of work, Charlotte can often be found with either a book or a pair of knitting needles in hand, usually waiting for a baked good to come out of the oven About Emily
Emily joined the training team in 2022 as a Programme Officer, supporting Sophie to manage the training network and the organisation and development of training programmes for university staff and accommodation providers. Before joining Student Minds, Emily completed a Master’s in Educational Psychology at the University of Bristol, which instilled in her a passion for student mental health. In her free time, Emily enjoys stand-up paddle boarding and volunteering at her Cub Scout group. About Gareth
Gareth is the content development lead for the University Mental Health Charter and the Psychoeducation Lead for Student Space. Gareth works with our project teams to ensure that what we do is evidence informed and supports positive change for students and universities. Alongside his part-time work with Student Minds, Gareth is a psychotherapist and the Research Lead for Student Wellbeing at the University of Derby. About James
James works with our extensive and amazing network of corporate partners. Managing their needs and making sure we’re constantly spreading the word and supporting the work of Student Minds. James graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Politics and Business. During this time, he worked on the advisory board for Pearson PLC and assisted in the managing of the University’s accommodation services. Since then, he has climbed the ranks working for a handful of international corporations and has recently made the move in the charity sector. In his spare time James can be found at an electronic music event, out on a hike or wandering around a National Trust Property on a wholesome Sunday. About Ling
Ling has direct responsibility for our people and culture workstreams, organisational policies, and compliance. Ling has over 20 years of experience working in multi-national and multi-ethnic settings across private, public and charity sectors and in various project and management positions. Ling holds a Master's degree in Equality Studies and is CIPD qualified. Ling is passionate about EDI and has dedicated significant time to various diversity networks and causes. In her free time, Ling loves spending time with her son, as well as cooking and running her own food blogging website. She also enjoys watercolour painting as a way to unwind and relax. About Tilly
Tilly provides coordination and administrative support to ensure the Sector Improvement Programme delivers high quality outputs to participants. Before joining Student Minds, Tilly completed an undergraduate degree in Social Policy at the University of Birmingham. Alongside studying, she also dedicated time to championing student mental health through work with YoungMinds and the Charlie Waller Trust. These experiences reaffirmed her desire to work within the charity sector after graduating. In her spare time, Tilly enjoys playing tennis (socially) and catching up with friends over a coffee! |
About Andrea
Andrea has overall responsibility for administration, financial management, HR, policy development and compliance for Student Minds, alongside Eleri as a job share. Andrea has worked for over 30 years in the charity sector, mainly in the arts, in a range of project and senior management roles. Outside of work, Andrea can often be found in a corner of an art gallery or standing at the back at live music events.. About Chastyn
Chastyn works as one of the Programme Managers for Sector Improvement focussing on programme activities and supporting the University Mental Health Charter programme and the wider Sector Improvement team. Chastyn earned her Masters in Public Health from the University of Glasgow in 2021 and has diverse experience in roles aimed at gender based violence prevention and mental health improvement across the UK and the US. In her free time, Chastyn finds joy by exploring the great outdoors, adventure-seeking, attending gigs around Glasgow, meeting new people and travelling. About Emily
Emily is our Sector Improvement Lead. She leads the team delivering the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award, bringing together universities committed to embedding better mental health, sharing good practice and creating cultural change. Emily has worked for over 18 years in the non-profit, public health and education sector in a variety of leadership roles including Fundraising, Relationship and Project Management and Managing Youth Services. She is passionate about using a systems change approach to embedding positive change for people's health and wellbeing. When she's not at work, Emily can be found in rock climbing, biking, surfing and exploring the outdoors with her partner and children. . About Grace
Grace leads on our communications activities, from overseeing our social media accounts to working creatively with the staff team to communicate new exciting projects and research. She is passionate about giving people a platform to share their mental health stories to ensure student's experiences are at the heart of our work. Grace is happiest when drinking tea, reading a good book or watching a documentary. About Jennine
Jennine is our Head of Programmes. She is part of the senior leadership team and holds overall responsibility for all programmes (Training, Sector Improvement (UMHC) & Student Space) and Digital platform. Jennine holds 14 year experience of working in HE/ Student Unions & Charity sectors. Outside of work, Jennine can be found spending time with her dogs, Harvey & Loki. Jennine also loves following Women’s Rugby, spending time with friends & family, cooking and adventures in her T25 VW Campervan, named Gwen! About Nicola
Nicola joined Student Minds in February 2021 after two years at Durham SU as Policy Coordinator (Welfare). As Insight Manager, Nicola leads Student Minds’ listening work and ensures this is at the heart of the work we do. In her spare time, Nicola enjoys visiting the beach with her cockapoo, Jax, catching up with friends over a chai latte or enjoying a takeaway in front of the tv. About Yaxin
Yaxin’s work is focused on the following areas: resolving supporters' issues related to fundraising, maintaining relationships with existing supporters, relevant data analysis, finding new supporters and updating the website with relevant content In her spare time, Yaxin enjoys spending time in Ballroom dancing, Chinese calligraphy, cooking and trying new sports. |
About Aphrael
Aphrael is the Content Manager for Student Minds’, having strategic oversight of content development and management across all Student Minds’ websites. This involves evaluating current content, and working with colleagues and external suppliers to ensure that all assets benefit university communities, empowering students through university life and beyond. Before joining Student Minds, Aphrael worked in both the charity sector and edtech industry, focusing primarily on how technology can be used in universities to support student mental health. Outside of work you will find Aphrael reading fictional novels, drinking copious amounts of tea and spending time with her fur babies; hamsters Taco and Sushi. About Dan
Dan joined Student Minds in October 2022 as the Student Voice Intern after finishing his Master’s degree in sociology at the University of Leeds. His role involves developing the volunteering opportunities within the charity, whilst helping to ensure that students contribute to the work Student Minds produces. Outside of work, Dan watches an unnecessary amount of sport and is a long-suffering Leeds United fan. He also enjoys going to gigs and reading books when he gets the chance. About Emmy
Emmy is the Communications Assistant who focuses on all of the Students Minds' social media accounts. She creates social media content and helps arrange for other students to make content about their own experiences and more! Before joining Student Minds, Emmy completed a Master's in Digital Marketing Communications and has always been passionate about helping with mental health. Outside work, you can find her drawing, buying more plants to support her plant addiction or cuddling her pets. About Izzy
Izzy leads on the management and delivery of the Student Space programme, working with a range of sector bodies, service providers and specialist organisations, clinicians and student representatives to develop the digital product. Prior to joining Student Minds Izzy has worked in various roles within higher education: beginning as a students’ union sabbatical officer and most recently working within a university welfare team. Outside of work Izzy loves to create music, attend drag shows and explore the countryside with her sausage dog. About Jenny
Jenny is our resident policy specialist, delivering research, briefings and analysis to empower the whole Student Minds team. She keeps a finger on the pulse of the higher education and mental health sectors, and is passionate about grassroots activism, co-production and student leadership. She previously worked as the Welfare Coordinator for Sheffield Students’ Union, where her love for all things policy flourished. Outside of work she is a dubious ice hockey player and all-round outdoorsy type. About Shonét
Shonét works in partnership with universities, students, and assessors to deliver and develop the University Mental Health Charter Award assessments. She also supports the Charter programme activities and wider Sector Improvement team to enhance approaches to mental health across the sector. Prior to StudentMinds, Shonét has worked in community projects, campaigns and education. Outside of work Shonét loves to be in nature and moving - especially by the sea or in the mountains - and enjoys creative activities, like cooking, writing, and singing. About Yeme
As Interim CEO Yeme will lead the organisation for the next year, working closely with the staff team, trustees, student advisors, clinicians, professionals and our cross-sector partners to continue developing the charity’s direction, strategy and future opportunities. Prior to joining Student Minds Yeme worked in a range of education and charity sector roles involving events management, volunteer management and anti-racism & LGBTQ+ inclusion strategy work. Most recently, they were a trustee for the LGBTQ+ mental health service MindOut and worked at King’s College London leading on their Student Minds Charter submission, as well as supporting university services to embed a whole university approach at King’s. Outside of work Yeme enjoys learning languages and going for long walks with her cavapoo Nala. |