Welcome to our meet the team page

We are a team of enthusiastic and devoted individuals with a shared commitment to providing First Aid training and empowerment to as many young people as possible. Our pride stems from the diversity and talent within our team, and we firmly believe that our combined expertise and experiences empower us to genuinely impact the lives of those we aim to serve.

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Cherry Russell-Hogg 

Project Manager

Cherry Russell.pngHello, I have worked in a variety of charities from animals to people from young to older, originally in Comms and Event Management roles and then around 10 years ago stepped into the exciting world of Project Management. 
 
Joining St John Ambulance to manage the Legacy of the Covid Vaccination Project in 2021, I am delighted to now be the Project Manager of such a great youth project and work with such a great team. I oversee the project ensuring we learn from where we’ve been, are happy with where we are and plan for a bright future. I love the enthusiasm for the project all the way from Cadet to Chief Executive in both St John Ambulance and NHS England and really hope we can help both the NHS and Young People shape their future together.

Jane Fonteyn

Team Leader

Jane Fonteyn.pngHi I’m Jane, the NHS Cadets Team Leader. I have a background in Youth Work and have worked for St John Ambulance for eight years and started working on the NHS Cadets Programme at the end of 2019. I am passionate about seeing young people grow and learn skills that will help to take then where they want to be in life. Working on this project I have been fortunate to see two great organisations come together and assist young people to achieve their dreams, which is something we are now seeing happen as graduates from the programme are sharing their onward journey’s with us. I support the Regional Leads to build relationships with the partners that we work with as well as assisting Cherry with the day-to-day operational management of the programme.

 

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Sam Ladyman

Project Assistant

I've been with the team since March 2022 and have an NHS background which is why being part of the project appealed to me. Being able to support the team and help young people get onto programmes is part of my everyday role, but I am also a mental health first aider and advocate for St John. I produce the NHS Cadet gazette, which is so rewarding as I really enjoy engaging with the delivery staff and NHS cadets who are eager to contribute and share their stories and ideas.

Tom Nieto-Rimmer

Project Assistant

Tom Nieto.pngHi I’m Tom. I am a Project Assistant and Youth Support Worker on the NHS Cadet Project. Prior to joining St John Ambulance, I worked for the NHS as part of the Pandemic and Health Emergency Response Services and I am really grateful to be working with and for the next generation of NHS Volunteers and workers.


Along with Sam, I facilitate the onboarding of applying Cadets to the programme and ensure the Regional Leads and Project Leads have key information they need to run the programme. We also look after the NHScadets@sja.org.uk email which you can reach us on with any queries.

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Dr Govind Sharma

Regional Lead for the Midlands

govind.pngI am the NHS Cadets Regional Lead for the Midlands. I have brought my knowledge of working as a Project Lead into my current role to develop and improve the programme. I am passionate about working with youth and enjoy providing them with key skills to progress on their journey through life. I enjoy working alongside the NHS on this programme and aim to offer this fantastic opportunity to as many young people as possible.

Carolyn Bowers

Regional Lead North of England and Targeted Programmes Lead

carolyn bowers.pngHi I'm Carolyn Bowers, I've been in SJA for 25 years as a volunteer and have worked here for 11 years. In all that time I've primarily been involved in Youth with a bit of Student Volunteering, Training and also I'm an assessor and IQA.


My background is Youth Work, previously working for the local authority and central government on projects such as Youth Opportunity and Capital Fund and UK Youth Parliament as well as managing a Youth Centre and Neighbourhood Projects.


Within SJA I've previously worked on projects including Peer Education, Youth Training, Youth First Aid, Youth Voice, Youth Volunteering Policies, Competitions, Recruitment and many more.


Now working on NHS Cadets, I thoroughly enjoy engaging with hard to reach groups of young people and helping them undertake our bespoke programme.

Safina Kusar-Ahmed

Regional Lead East of England

It only takes one individual to make the young person feel empowered to work on fulfilling their dream. Therefore, I believe in investing in our young people today for a better tomorrow and continue to strive to explore opportunities for them to have a fulfilling career.

Having worked in various professional roles in an educational setting for 16 - 19 years olds as well as managing many projects with young people, I’ve witnessed how many setbacks they face, especially those from underrepresented communities. As a Regional Lead, I build strong relationships with many institutes and organisations for collaboration to ensure various options are available for young people to work on personal development and reach their full potential which, they may not have otherwise considered. By providing inclusivity with no labels attached and a safe environment, I open doors for them to build confidence and have hope and motivation in considering careers that may have not been an option previously, regardless of their ability and background.

Furthermore, I work closely with my team in managing their options so that it is possible to implement various career pathways and work on goals so that they also will be contributing to and supporting a diverse society.

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Ngozi Allotey

Regional Lead London and the South East

Be the change you want to see

ngozi allotey.pngI have been a youth worker for nearly 10 years, and I enjoy empowering, inspiring, and being a part of a young person’s story.  Being a part of the NHS Cadets team enables me to share that passion with staff and other professionals. As well as giving us the opportunity to support young people on their journey through school into their chosen careers.  I am excited to see how the NHS Cadet programme propels our Cadets into healthcare and professional environments that they would not have been exposed to without this programme.

Claire Ferguson 

Regional Lead for the South West

Claire Ferguson.pngHi I’m Claire, I have worked in social care for over 30 years with young people and adults with learning difficulties. I enjoy helping and giving people opportunities and for them to learn new skills for this reason this is why l have been working on the NHS cadets programme for over two years now, seeing it evolve and reaching to young people not just through NHS trusts but through schools and youth providers helping young people reach their goals.