Staff
Habiba is the Interim Youth Programmes Coordinator, overseeing the GEMS programme and Mother-Daughter activities at Baytree Centre.
Habiba’s journey at Baytree began as an intern within the Volunteer Service. During her internship, she was always eager to support the youth clubs, building strong relationships with the girls and contributing enthusiastically to programme activities. Her dedication and passion for the organisation led to her being offered a maternity cover position, which she was delighted to accept.
Before joining Baytree, Habiba completed a degree in Business Management. However, she soon realised that her true passion lay in creating positive social impact and supporting communities, which ultimately brought her to Baytree.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and reading.
mailto:Lex is the Corporate Partnerships Manager at Baytree. She began with Baytree as a mentor before joining our fundraising team.
Lex’s prior experience in the charity sector includes work in disaster response, youth outreach, animal rescue, and food security. Lex has also worked in community organizing for the last decade, joining with her community to address wealth inequity, police brutality, and gender-based violence. Baytree’s work to empower women and girls is close to Lex’s heart.
Originally from New Orleans, Lex and her cat Claude have lived in the UK for the last four years. She graduated from the University of Manchester with a BSc in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Conflict Response and holds an MSc from UCL in Humanitarian Policy and Practice.
Lex is very excited to continue to forge strong partnerships that offer meaningful experiences to both our partners and our women and girls.
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Hélène is Operations & Facilities Manager and works hard to make sure that The Baytree Centre is a safe and welcoming place and that our operations run as smoothly as possible. She joined Baytree in February 2023 after working for nine years at Shell in Human Resources where she developed skills in project management, stakeholder management and process improvement – all very useful in her current role! Hélène has lived most of her life in Southwest London but her family are based in France where they make wine. Her other passions in life are volunteering, hiking and rock dancing!
mailto:Gisela is the Communications Officer at Baytree. She graduated from Goldsmiths University with a degree in Media and Communications and has always had a passion for storytelling and sharing people’s experiences.
Before joining Baytree, she volunteered as a Social Media Officer at Home-Start, where she developed a strong interest in the power of communications to create real impact. Seeing first-hand how sharing stories can raise awareness, reach new audiences, and make a genuine difference to people’s lives inspired her to pursue a career in the charity sector.
At Baytree, she leads on communications, helping to share the stories of the girls and women supported by the charity and highlight the impact of its work.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending concerts, and binge-watching the latest TV series on Netflix.
mailto:Alejandra is the Programme Lead – Arrive & Thrive at Baytree. From an Ecuadorian family, she was born and raised in Barcelona and moved to London to pursue a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics. She was also the head of the Hispanic Society at her university and started a project where volunteers delivered English lessons to the Spanish-speaking members of the cleaning staff at campus. Wanting to pursue a career in the charity sector, she volunteered at Baytree for some time and then officially joined the team in August 2023. It was particularly important for her that the organisation she worked with was aligned with her personal values and gave back to the community, which is why Baytree was the perfect fit. In her free time, she loves reading, going for long walks, and discovering new hidden spots in London.
mailto:Caroline joined The Baytree Centre as CEO in 2010 and retired in 2024. She has now returned to provide maternity cover and strategic leadership to the Centre. During her years leading the Centre, Caroline has championed programs supporting women and girls to thrive and has been instrumental in expanding the Centre’s community impact. Known for her collaborative and compassionate leadership, she is passionate about mentoring and empowering staff to grow.
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Sonia is our Afternoon Clubs Facilitator and has been working at Baytree since 2007. Prior to Baytree, she spent 13 years working in fostering and adoption at Lambeth Council. A domestic goddess, Sonia’s love of sewing means she is often found in the fashion club teaching the girls her tricks. Much to the delight of the entire team, she loves to bake and often brings in her homemade treats to share with the rest of us. A firm favourite with the girls, Sonia always has time to listen and share her words of wisdom.
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Elena graduated with a degree in Technical Architecture and moved from Barcelona to London in 2005, settling in Brixton with her family. She studied IT at Baytree and volunteered in various capacities. Before joining Baytree, Elena worked as a ward play volunteer at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she supported children and families in the playroom. She has also been actively involved in youth work at her local parish. In her free time, Elena enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and taking walks with her husband.
mailto:Linda has worked in educational settings in Peru, Spain and the UK all of her life. She was the founding head of a secondary school for girls in London which she led for 10 years. Before this, she worked in leadership roles in Spain and Peru, gaining her MA in School Leadership at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.
Linda is a founding trustee of the Association for Character Education and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce. She is a passionate advocate of character development in education and has delivered many workshops for parents and educators and trained teachers on character education. She has taught and mentored hundreds of girls and firmly believes that everyone can aspire to be the best version of themselves.
She loves nothing better than a walk in the countryside and reading a good book. She has an identical twin sister so if you see someone who looks like Linda and doesn’t say hello it could well be her sister!
mailto:Mairéad has worked in secondary schools for 28 years. She is a secondary trained English teacher with an MA in Education focusing on the Continuing Professional Development of teachers. She was Head of English for 13 years before becoming Deputy Head of Academics and most recently Headteacher, of an all-girls’ Independent School in London. Mairéad is absolutely passionate about education and is excited to pioneer the new role of Head of Adult Learning at the Baytree Centre, leading and supporting our ESOL Team.
mailto:Ruby is the Fundraising and Communications Director at The Baytree Centre. She joined Baytree after being inspired by its mission to empower women and champion community-led initiatives.
As a first-generation university graduate, Ruby is deeply passionate about social mobility. She previously worked as a Centre Leader at IntoUniversity, a charity supporting young people facing socio-economic disadvantage. She also holds a Master’s degree in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics, which underpins her commitment to advancing equity and social justice.
In her role at Baytree, Ruby is dedicated to building meaningful and impactful partnerships with organisations that share Baytree’s mission, helping to create opportunities for women and girls to thrive and succeed.
mailto:Federica leads our Volunteer Service. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay. She joined Baytree in March 2019. In 2022 she also worked as a Mentoring Consultant for Latin American projects at Wonder Foundation. Before joining Baytree, she worked in procurement for the hospitality sector. She has volunteered in different social projects in Kenya and Uruguay and is passionate about social mobility and community development. As a typical Uruguayan, she loves her country’s traditional tea, ‘ Mate’.
mailto:Apithanie is a Youth Programme Lead (Life Skills and Employability) who leads on Sparking Futures, a life skills and employability programme and the youth clubs Spark, Junior Spark and Sparklers. Prior to this she developed strong bonds with Baytree after volunteering for several years, falling in love with the impact Baytree has in the local community. She finds many of their values align with her own so when offered the opportunity to join this inspiring team, she was thrilled. Apithanie absolutely loves the work she does and inspired by her colleagues and the girls daily. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, personal development, spending time with family and friends and travelling.
mailto:Debbie is the Interim Youth Programmes Manager, looking after GEMS and Mother & Daughter Activities.
Debbie was first worked with Baytree in 2019 while coordinating Building Young Brixton, a partnership of 10 local youth organisations. She has since admired the safe, nurturing space Baytreecreates for girls to build confidence, find their voice, and take up space.
Passionate about collaborative working, supporting young people and championing youth voice, Debbie has over 10 years’ experience working across youth organisations in Lambeth and sits as Vice-Chair on the management committee for a local adventure playground. She also has an MA in Children’s Literature and is an award-winning children’s book writer. Outside of her work with young people, Debbie enjoys baking, taking walks and spending time with friends and family.
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Joyce is our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. She has started volunteering with us in 2016 after moving to the UK from the Philippines whilst working for another local charity near Brixton. She has been involved with all Baytree’s services and feels stongly connected with the team and service users as well as Baytree’s work. It was no surprise then that as soon as the opportunity to join Baytree as an employee opened up, she went for it. Joyce has longstanding experience in community development, education, governance and project management in her home country. She brings with her a great enthusiasm for working with children, young people and communities. Baytree is a very natural fit for her. Outside of Baytree, Joyce is a keen softball player, if by keen you mean ‘enjoys hanging out with the team and going to the pub after matches’. She is still adjusting to the UK’s unpredictable climate, so will often be found wearing thermal undergarments.
mailto:Daisy is Baytree’s Women’s Service Coordinator, supporting women through a wide range of educational and personal development programmes aimed largely at empowerment. She first joined Baytree as a Women’s Service Intern, where she especially enjoyed getting involved in ESOL classes and connecting with the women who attend them.
With a degree in History and Politics, Daisy has long been passionate about women’s rights and social justice. Growing up in South London, she developed a deep appreciation for the area’s diversity, culture and sense of community. Her curiosity about other cultures has also taken her to several Spanish-speaking countries, where she’s enjoyed learning the language and meeting new people.
Outside of work, Daisy is drawn to anything creative or outdoorsy – whether it’s art, mountains, wild swimming or camping – and she’s continually inspired by the stories and resilience of the women she meets at Baytree.
mailto:Trustees
Ozohu is a MBA from Oxford University with over 15 years experience in business development.
Wife and mother of four, works in Business Development for a financial services company in London. Prior to that, Ekene founded and ran a contemporary handbag brand. Ekene holds an MBA from Manchester Business School.
With three years’ experience in the UK health service, Maria brings a background in nursing and senior management within a charitable hospital, presently focused on patient safety and risk management. The role involves collaboration with colleagues across hospitals and implementing a new statutory framework for patient safety. Maria has a history of applying nursing skills globally, notably in Ireland, the UK, Kenya, and the Philippines, contributing to not-for-profit work. The current focus is on embedding ongoing improvement in healthcare.
When a student at university, spearheaded Baytree’s Homework Club. Marie-Claire worked in London at the BBC and at the United Nations before taking over as CEO of a print business in West Africa. Currently works for the Foreign Office.
Sophia has been with Baytree since 2004 keeping track of the financial affairs and strategic direction of Baytree. She is a qualified chartered accountant, ACMA with experience in various industry sectors. She is Baytree’s Treasurer.
Advisors
Sinead is a lecturer in Literacy Education and works with the International Literacy Centre at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE). She works on literacy-related topics including language and communication, phonics, and Reading Recovery. She is interested in research on early writing development and early literacy interventions.
Karen is a thought leader in Character Development. An educator and school leader she has taught at both the secondary and university level. She is founder and Director Emerita of the LifeCompass Institute for Character and Leadership at Montrose School. Former Assistant Professor and Director of Boston University’s Centre for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (now CCSR), Dr. Bohlin is a Senior Scholar at BU’s Center for Character and Social Responsibility.
Marion Atieno Osieyo is currently the Head of Inclusive Conservation at WWF-UK. As a leader, she brings together strategy, storytelling, science and contemplative spirituality to create solutions that promote human and ecological wellbeing.
Over the past ten years, she has worked in nature conservation and sustainable development with NGOs, corporates and international organisations including World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Lush and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Marion has received numerous awards, including a WWF Legend Award for Integrity and ‘Future Leader of International Co-operation and Development’ by the European Commission. She is a University of Oxford alumna graduating with a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
Born and raised in Kenya, she currently lives in London, UK.
Meet Our Team
Our team is a diverse group of passionate individuals who are committed to empowering women and girls to unlock their full potential through education, personal development, and holistic support.
Every member of our team brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives, but we all share one common goal—creating a brighter, more inclusive future for the women and girls in Brixton and beyond.
Learn more about the people who make it happen!
Trustees
Ozohu is a MBA from Oxford University with over 15 years experience in business development.
Wife and mother of four, works in Business Development for a financial services company in London. Prior to that, Ekene founded and ran a contemporary handbag brand. Ekene holds an MBA from Manchester Business School.
With three years’ experience in the UK health service, Maria brings a background in nursing and senior management within a charitable hospital, presently focused on patient safety and risk management. The role involves collaboration with colleagues across hospitals and implementing a new statutory framework for patient safety. Maria has a history of applying nursing skills globally, notably in Ireland, the UK, Kenya, and the Philippines, contributing to not-for-profit work. The current focus is on embedding ongoing improvement in healthcare.
When a student at university, spearheaded Baytree’s Homework Club. Marie-Claire worked in London at the BBC and at the United Nations before taking over as CEO of a print business in West Africa. Currently works for the Foreign Office.
Sophia has been with Baytree since 2004 keeping track of the financial affairs and strategic direction of Baytree. She is a qualified chartered accountant, ACMA with experience in various industry sectors. She is Baytree’s Treasurer.
Staff
Caroline joined The Baytree Centre as CEO in 2010 and retired in 2024. She has now returned to provide maternity cover and strategic leadership to the Centre. During her years leading the Centre, Caroline has championed programs supporting women and girls to thrive and has been instrumental in expanding the Centre’s community impact. Known for her collaborative and compassionate leadership, she is passionate about mentoring and empowering staff to grow.
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Linda has worked in educational settings in Peru, Spain and the UK all of her life. She was the founding head of a secondary school for girls in London which she led for 10 years. Before this, she worked in leadership roles in Spain and Peru, gaining her MA in School Leadership at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.
Linda is a founding trustee of the Association for Character Education and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce. She is a passionate advocate of character development in education and has delivered many workshops for parents and educators and trained teachers on character education. She has taught and mentored hundreds of girls and firmly believes that everyone can aspire to be the best version of themselves.
She loves nothing better than a walk in the countryside and reading a good book. She has an identical twin sister so if you see someone who looks like Linda and doesn’t say hello it could well be her sister!
mailto:Ruby is the Fundraising and Communications Director at The Baytree Centre. She joined Baytree after being inspired by its mission to empower women and champion community-led initiatives.
As a first-generation university graduate, Ruby is deeply passionate about social mobility. She previously worked as a Centre Leader at IntoUniversity, a charity supporting young people facing socio-economic disadvantage. She also holds a Master’s degree in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics, which underpins her commitment to advancing equity and social justice.
In her role at Baytree, Ruby is dedicated to building meaningful and impactful partnerships with organisations that share Baytree’s mission, helping to create opportunities for women and girls to thrive and succeed.
mailto:Federica leads our Volunteer Service. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay. She joined Baytree in March 2019. In 2022 she also worked as a Mentoring Consultant for Latin American projects at Wonder Foundation. Before joining Baytree, she worked in procurement for the hospitality sector. She has volunteered in different social projects in Kenya and Uruguay and is passionate about social mobility and community development. As a typical Uruguayan, she loves her country’s traditional tea, ‘ Mate’.
mailto:Gisela is the Communications Officer at Baytree. She graduated from Goldsmiths University with a degree in Media and Communications and has always had a passion for storytelling and sharing people’s experiences.
Before joining Baytree, she volunteered as a Social Media Officer at Home-Start, where she developed a strong interest in the power of communications to create real impact. Seeing first-hand how sharing stories can raise awareness, reach new audiences, and make a genuine difference to people’s lives inspired her to pursue a career in the charity sector.
At Baytree, she leads on communications, helping to share the stories of the girls and women supported by the charity and highlight the impact of its work.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending concerts, and binge-watching the latest TV series on Netflix.
mailto:Hélène is Operations & Facilities Manager and works hard to make sure that The Baytree Centre is a safe and welcoming place and that our operations run as smoothly as possible. She joined Baytree in February 2023 after working for nine years at Shell in Human Resources where she developed skills in project management, stakeholder management and process improvement – all very useful in her current role! Hélène has lived most of her life in Southwest London but her family are based in France where they make wine. Her other passions in life are volunteering, hiking and rock dancing!
mailto:Lex is the Corporate Partnerships Manager at Baytree. She began with Baytree as a mentor before joining our fundraising team.
Lex’s prior experience in the charity sector includes work in disaster response, youth outreach, animal rescue, and food security. Lex has also worked in community organizing for the last decade, joining with her community to address wealth inequity, police brutality, and gender-based violence. Baytree’s work to empower women and girls is close to Lex’s heart.
Originally from New Orleans, Lex and her cat Claude have lived in the UK for the last four years. She graduated from the University of Manchester with a BSc in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Conflict Response and holds an MSc from UCL in Humanitarian Policy and Practice.
Lex is very excited to continue to forge strong partnerships that offer meaningful experiences to both our partners and our women and girls.
mailto:
Joyce is our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. She has started volunteering with us in 2016 after moving to the UK from the Philippines whilst working for another local charity near Brixton. She has been involved with all Baytree’s services and feels stongly connected with the team and service users as well as Baytree’s work. It was no surprise then that as soon as the opportunity to join Baytree as an employee opened up, she went for it. Joyce has longstanding experience in community development, education, governance and project management in her home country. She brings with her a great enthusiasm for working with children, young people and communities. Baytree is a very natural fit for her. Outside of Baytree, Joyce is a keen softball player, if by keen you mean ‘enjoys hanging out with the team and going to the pub after matches’. She is still adjusting to the UK’s unpredictable climate, so will often be found wearing thermal undergarments.
mailto:Mairéad has worked in secondary schools for 28 years. She is a secondary trained English teacher with an MA in Education focusing on the Continuing Professional Development of teachers. She was Head of English for 13 years before becoming Deputy Head of Academics and most recently Headteacher, of an all-girls’ Independent School in London. Mairéad is absolutely passionate about education and is excited to pioneer the new role of Head of Adult Learning at the Baytree Centre, leading and supporting our ESOL Team.
mailto:Daisy is Baytree’s Women’s Service Coordinator, supporting women through a wide range of educational and personal development programmes aimed largely at empowerment. She first joined Baytree as a Women’s Service Intern, where she especially enjoyed getting involved in ESOL classes and connecting with the women who attend them.
With a degree in History and Politics, Daisy has long been passionate about women’s rights and social justice. Growing up in South London, she developed a deep appreciation for the area’s diversity, culture and sense of community. Her curiosity about other cultures has also taken her to several Spanish-speaking countries, where she’s enjoyed learning the language and meeting new people.
Outside of work, Daisy is drawn to anything creative or outdoorsy – whether it’s art, mountains, wild swimming or camping – and she’s continually inspired by the stories and resilience of the women she meets at Baytree.
mailto:Debbie is the Interim Youth Programmes Manager, looking after GEMS and Mother & Daughter Activities.
Debbie was first worked with Baytree in 2019 while coordinating Building Young Brixton, a partnership of 10 local youth organisations. She has since admired the safe, nurturing space Baytreecreates for girls to build confidence, find their voice, and take up space.
Passionate about collaborative working, supporting young people and championing youth voice, Debbie has over 10 years’ experience working across youth organisations in Lambeth and sits as Vice-Chair on the management committee for a local adventure playground. She also has an MA in Children’s Literature and is an award-winning children’s book writer. Outside of her work with young people, Debbie enjoys baking, taking walks and spending time with friends and family.
mailto:
Apithanie is a Youth Programme Lead (Life Skills and Employability) who leads on Sparking Futures, a life skills and employability programme and the youth clubs Spark, Junior Spark and Sparklers. Prior to this she developed strong bonds with Baytree after volunteering for several years, falling in love with the impact Baytree has in the local community. She finds many of their values align with her own so when offered the opportunity to join this inspiring team, she was thrilled. Apithanie absolutely loves the work she does and inspired by her colleagues and the girls daily. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, personal development, spending time with family and friends and travelling.
mailto:Alejandra is the Programme Lead – Arrive & Thrive at Baytree. From an Ecuadorian family, she was born and raised in Barcelona and moved to London to pursue a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics. She was also the head of the Hispanic Society at her university and started a project where volunteers delivered English lessons to the Spanish-speaking members of the cleaning staff at campus. Wanting to pursue a career in the charity sector, she volunteered at Baytree for some time and then officially joined the team in August 2023. It was particularly important for her that the organisation she worked with was aligned with her personal values and gave back to the community, which is why Baytree was the perfect fit. In her free time, she loves reading, going for long walks, and discovering new hidden spots in London.
mailto:Habiba is the Interim Youth Programmes Coordinator, overseeing the GEMS programme and Mother-Daughter activities at Baytree Centre.
Habiba’s journey at Baytree began as an intern within the Volunteer Service. During her internship, she was always eager to support the youth clubs, building strong relationships with the girls and contributing enthusiastically to programme activities. Her dedication and passion for the organisation led to her being offered a maternity cover position, which she was delighted to accept.
Before joining Baytree, Habiba completed a degree in Business Management. However, she soon realised that her true passion lay in creating positive social impact and supporting communities, which ultimately brought her to Baytree.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and reading.
mailto:Sonia is our Afternoon Clubs Facilitator and has been working at Baytree since 2007. Prior to Baytree, she spent 13 years working in fostering and adoption at Lambeth Council. A domestic goddess, Sonia’s love of sewing means she is often found in the fashion club teaching the girls her tricks. Much to the delight of the entire team, she loves to bake and often brings in her homemade treats to share with the rest of us. A firm favourite with the girls, Sonia always has time to listen and share her words of wisdom.
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Elena graduated with a degree in Technical Architecture and moved from Barcelona to London in 2005, settling in Brixton with her family. She studied IT at Baytree and volunteered in various capacities. Before joining Baytree, Elena worked as a ward play volunteer at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she supported children and families in the playroom. She has also been actively involved in youth work at her local parish. In her free time, Elena enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and taking walks with her husband.
mailto:Ambassadors
Annie-Mai is the founder of Girl Power Marketing (GPM), a platform dedicated to empowering women and girls in the marketing world. With a passion for community building, she created GPM to offer a space where women can learn, grow, and support each other in their professional journeys. Through GPM, Annie-Mai helps women achieve their goals, keep up with the fast-changing marketing landscape, and connect with like-minded individuals. Her mission is to provide a supportive environment that fosters growth, confidence, and success.
Carmen brings a wealth of experience in financial investment relations to The Baytree Centre. Passionate about empowering women through financial literacy, she recently published a short-form e-book designed to help women take control of their finances and create positive change in their communities. Drawing from her own financial journey, Carmen’s book is a valuable resource for women worldwide, regardless of their current financial knowledge or resources. She believes that financial literacy is essential for every woman, no matter where they are on their financial path.
Advisors
Sinead is a lecturer in Literacy Education and works with the International Literacy Centre at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE). She works on literacy-related topics including language and communication, phonics, and Reading Recovery. She is interested in research on early writing development and early literacy interventions.
Karen is a thought leader in Character Development. An educator and school leader she has taught at both the secondary and university level. She is founder and Director Emerita of the LifeCompass Institute for Character and Leadership at Montrose School. Former Assistant Professor and Director of Boston University’s Centre for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (now CCSR), Dr. Bohlin is a Senior Scholar at BU’s Center for Character and Social Responsibility.
Marion Atieno Osieyo is currently the Head of Inclusive Conservation at WWF-UK. As a leader, she brings together strategy, storytelling, science and contemplative spirituality to create solutions that promote human and ecological wellbeing.
Over the past ten years, she has worked in nature conservation and sustainable development with NGOs, corporates and international organisations including World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Lush and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Marion has received numerous awards, including a WWF Legend Award for Integrity and ‘Future Leader of International Co-operation and Development’ by the European Commission. She is a University of Oxford alumna graduating with a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
Born and raised in Kenya, she currently lives in London, UK.
