Meet Our Team
Board of Trustees
Simon Penhall - Chair
Simon is a small business owner and performance improvement specialist supporting organisations delivering social good to capture and use performance insight to make even more of a difference.
He is a strong supporter of the charitable sector and combines his Committee Member role within the Board of Trustees at DAY with Trustee appointments with Stepney Bank Stables and Ouseburn Farm.
Simon became aware of the fantastic work of DAY through his support for the organisation as a volunteer Sported Business Mentor supporting the team with their impact management practice. He spent some time supporting staff as Interim Charity Manager at DAY and simply fell in love with the young people, villages and staff team. The relationship he formed with DAY showed passion and commitment to drive the organisation forward and he was delighted to be asked to join the Board of Trustees.
Simon loves living by the coast in North Tyneside and is a keen, but slow, runner and triathlete.
Christine Fletcher - Vice Chair (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Christine is an experienced Project Manager and Community Development Worker and has been active in County Durham for over 20 years.
She has a BA Hons in Librarianship and Information Management, an MSc in Development Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration.
From 2000–2003 she was responsible for the completion and development of the Pelaw View Centre on Sherburn Road Estate and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Durham City Centre Youth Project until 2005. She then worked in Neighbourhood Management until joining Age UK County Durham as their Development Manager where over 13 years she gained expertise in intergenerational work, community engagement and projects to combat loneliness and social isolation. She has recently joined Karbon Homes as their Community and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator.
Christine is active in her community and is currently a Belmont Parish Councillor and started the Gilesgate and Belmont Wellbeing Project in April 2020 which now has over 30 volunteers supporting over 80 individuals and families who are shielding or struggling during this difficult time.
Jon Steer - Treasurer
Jon is a Durham University graduate who has lived in Pittington for over 20 years. His day job is Technical Director for a marketing communications company based in Castle Eden where he specialises in online applications development.
Jon is married with six children aged 12-23
Jon is also Trustee and Treasurer of Pittington Community Association where he has spent the last 15 years looking after the funding of the Village Hall and together with the other trustees helped oversee the process of asset transfer from Durham County Council.
Jon is a Governor at Belmont School and has served as a Councillor on Pittington Parish Council.
Jon carries out the role of Treasurer for Durham Area Youth which involves carrying out and coordinating the financial requirements of the organisation.
Marc Husband
Marc Husband has been involved with Youth work and Youth work education for over 20 years. Mark has worked in and developed projects in Durham, Gateshead and Sunderland.
Marc has a BA in Community and Youth work and a PhD via research.
He currently works as a lecturer on the Community and Youth work BA and the MA in Childhood and Youth work at the University of Sunderland.
Marc has specific interests in creative youth work projects and was involved in several Music projects in Sunderland.
Mark is also on the editorial board for the Youth and Policy Journal.
Marc is married with 3 children.
Lucy Hinds
Lucy was introduced to the voluntary sector whilst taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards at school and has never looked back. After leaving school she spent some time in Lesotho, South Africa volunteering with a group who provided sports activities to children in remote villages.
Having grown up in County Durham, she completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Northumbria University and spent time working in the USA before returning to work within her family’s business, currently based in County Durham. With over 15 years’ experience working within the private sector, she now works closely with the Banks Group’s Board and Trustees. She is also heavily involved with the Banks Groups own community fund which has distributed millions of pounds worth of grants to local charitable and community groups.
She has been a Trustee for a charity based in Chester le street for several years, working with Children and young adults with disabilities. Over the course of a year, she raised over £16,000 for the charity which helped go towards a trip to Disneyland Paris for many of its service users.
Lucy is passionate about the charitable and voluntary sectors and is delighted to be joining the DAY team as a new Trustee.
Sarah Liddell
Sarah is a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor working with clients aged 16+. She is also the Counselling Lead/Manager at North East Counselling Services, a community interest company based in Gateshead. Here, Sarah leads a team of therapists who counsel young people facing emotional and mental health challenges. Increasingly, many of these clients have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and are struggling to access the support they need to be heard and understood.
Over the years, one of the main themes Sarah has noticed as a therapist is the continuing influence childhood has on adult relationships and experiences. This has led to a particular interest in how children develop during their early years and the impacts adults have on young people when they are growing up.
She sees the role of adults as nurturing the development and confidence of children while also championing and safeguarding their rights and interests. In her professional role she is able work to ensure standards and ethics are in place to enable children to use their voice and develop autonomy over the decisions they make for their wellbeing. This sense of authentic ‘youth voice’ was one of the things that stood out about DAY for Sarah.
Sarah is married with two children, who have certainly helped her to remember what it’s like being a young person growing up in a complex world!
Iain Lindsey
Iain is an Associate Professor in Durham University’s Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences. He teaches in areas of sports development and sport policy, and has multiple engagements beyond the university including with Durham County Council and County Durham Sport. His research has centred on young people’s involvement in sport, and the wider benefits that may be drawn from involvement in sport and physical activity. This research has been undertaken in both the UK and other countries, such as Zambia and Ghana, in which sport is used as a tool to improve children’s lives. Iain also coaches hockey and football with junior clubs in Durham, for whom his three children play as well.
Jess Young
Jess has worked in the charity sector since 2012, predominantly in the areas of youth and employability. After leaving University in York, Jess moved to London, where she worked in Parliament’s Education Service working with schools and young people, before moving to The Prince’s Trust where she worked in programme and partnership management, as well as corporate fundraising. After that, Jess moved back to the North East, where she took a role as Head of Operations at NCS, managing NCS delivery across the North East of England, as well as supporting NE Youth in Business Development. She now works at a global employability charity – Generation, where she is Regional Director for the North of England.
Jess originally grew up in Pittington, attending Belmont Comprehensive, before moving to York and then London, finally moving back to the North East in 2018. Jess now lives in Durham City, and is passionate about the charity and youth sectors, and looks forward to supporting a local youth organisation, and having a link to the local communities, whilst working in a global charity.
Durham Area Youth
Registered Charity No. 1174888
