Our Team

Simone is a Volunteer Mentoring Trainer and is excited to be part of a growing organisation which prevents homelessness.  She will be continuing her work to reduce the stigma faced by many marginalised groups. She has previously trained professionals in eating disorders, drugs, alcohol and homelessness.  She has focussed on helping people with often very complex issues.

Hannah joined the team in February 2019 as the Your Own Place Administrator.  Hannah is dedicated in supporting organisations which work to tackle social inequality and has worked within large and smaller third sector organisations for 14 years.  Hannah has training in communication design and likes to bring her creativity into her work.

Surya is dedicated to transformation: of herself, of others, of society. She knows each of us have the capacity to change, but we can only do so through connection with others.

Passionate about collaboration, she works with organisations that seek to transform themselves, their participants, and the world.

This has led her to roles with local charities Norfolk Citizens Advice, Norwich Buddhist Centre, and now to social enterprise, Your Own Place.

Surya’s practices of mindfulness, meditation and yoga imbue her professional work with focus, clarity and compassion. She recently took on the role of Buddhist Chaplain at the University of East Anglia.

We were thrilled to welcome Jessica to out team at the end of 2019.  Jessica has previously been a dedicated employee at a large restaurant chain and worked with teams to open their new restaurants. Ensuring the high quality of the brand, managing trainers and following regulations, we are excited to add Jessica’s training credentials to the Your Own Place Team.

Erin is one of the newest members of the team, she joined Your Own Place in 2021 as a Facilitator. She has previous experience in teaching English as a foreign language and has worked for multiple organisations in this sector within the U.K and Spain. She will utilise this experience and her creative energy to deliver Tenancy & Independent Living Skills Plus workshops, helping individuals realise their full potential in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment

Emily is another new member of the team, she joined Your Own Place in 2021 as a Facilitator. Emily has previously been a teacher at a further education college, working with people of all ages to help them to improve their literacy skills. Emily is passionate about equality and ensuring all are able to access support where and when they need it. Emily is excited to join the team in 2021 as a YOP Facilitator.

Mike’s previous career was in corporate and small business worlds working in commercial and creative teams. More recently he has worked as a facilitator and designer of courses in thinking skills and emotional intelligence. He is a coach and volunteers as a Your Own Place mentor.

Bianca has recently joined the team as a Facilitator where she will be designing and delivering training. She is excited to bring her previous experience of facilitating fun, engaging and creative courses for adults to this new role helping young people on their journey towards sustaining a tenancy and moving towards independence. Her strong values of compassion, empathy, and equality drive her to create a welcoming, inclusive and collaborative learning environment. Bianca is an avid artist in her free time so will be bringing her imagination and innovation to Your Own Place.

With a wealth of experience in customer facing roles across many sectors such as retail, banking, pharmaceutical and education, Claire has developed a passion for helping other people. Her strong yet empathic nature, has helped build many relationships and allowed her to advocate mental health and equality for everyone, because we all deserve to reach our full potential and live a better happier life. Claire is a firm believer in self development and loves being organised and innovative in her work by thinking outside the box. She enjoys creativity through arts and crafts in her spare time.