Valerie Wilson

Founder & Partnership Coordinator

Val has over 30 years’ experience in leadership roles in education and international development with a focus on capacity building, strategic development and project management.

Val supported teachers in the community to set up a Learning and Resource centre and registered Ndhiwa Community Empowerment and Development Project as a CBO in 2003. She remains actively involved as Twende Pamoja Treasurer.

Helen Hodgson

Trustee

Helen works at the National Audit Office as a Director of Value for Money Audit. She has extensive experience as a public sector auditor, including auditing the work of the former Department for International Development (DfID) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Helen joined Team Kenya as a trustee in September 2023. Helen has spent time in Kenya and is passionate about supporting the ground-breaking education projects that support women and girls.

Neil Haddow

Trustee

Neil has an Economics degree from the University of Edinburgh and is a CFA charter holder. He is based in Edinburgh and works in financial services. Latterly, he has spent 3 years working in Corporate Finance across sub-Saharan Africa.

Neil joined Team Kenya as a Trustee in July 2023. He is a member of the finance sub committee and assists with forecasting and governance.

Jacky Quincey

Trustee

Jacky has over 30 years’ experience in education, starting her career as a teacher in East Africa and finishing as Deputy Head at a Northumberland High School. She became a trustee in 2012 after she retired and since then has been to Ndhiwa five times to get to know the projects at first-hand and to work with the staff, particularly in the Education area.

Jacky has also supported our grants fundraising and reporting throughout the time she has been involved with Team Kenya.

Victoria Webber

Trustee

Vic is Director at J & Y Webber Services Ltd, trading as Bluebird Care. She is a prominent business woman in Lincolnshire and is passionate about equal rights and female empowerment.

Her connection to Team Kenya came about in 2023 through a chance encounter with Val. On hearing about the work Team Kenya does, Vic was immediately keen to join the Board and be an active member of the charity, particularly within marketing and communications

Terry Courtney

Treasurer

Terry is a qualified accountant and worked in industry, in particular manufacturing and engineering, over 40 years for various companies, most recently as Finance Director of an engineering business where he was responsible for all finance and most commercial activities. Terry is now retired from full-time work but holds a non-executive directorship with a local design and manufacturing company and is a trustee of two charities in Newcastle and Darlington.

Chelsi Tolbert

Volunteer | Schools Partnership Coordinator

Chelsi, originally from small-town Idaho, began her education career as a primary teacher and gained international experience in rural Mexico and Tanzania during university. She earned a Distinction MA in International Development and Education from Newcastle University in 2021 and joined Team Kenya as a volunteer in October 2023.

Now based near Teesside, Chelsi works as a supply teacher and leads Team Kenya’s school partnerships. She enjoys exploring the Northeast, reading, and championing girls’ and women’s empowerment through education.

Lynda Evans

Volunteer | Volunteer Coordinator

Lynda was the former Head of Geography at Walbottle Campus and then Gosforth Academy before changing careers to lead the teacher training team at Newcastle College, then becoming the Assistant Principal of Newcastle Sixth Form College.

Lynda’s involvement with Team Kenya over the last 10 years has included working as a volunteer on the joint Team Kenya/Twende Pamoja values project and acting as Board Secretary.

Chantel Gray

Volunteer | Digital Marketing Manager

Chantel is a Digital Marketing Specialist with expertise in SEO and Digital Strategies. She works for a renewable energy company managing websites and digital marketing strategies across several European countries.

Chantel joined the marketing team in June 2024 and supports with the website strategy and management, technical and content SEO.