We are really pleased to welcome Bev Townsend to our team in the role of Young People’s Services Manager. Bev joined us on 4th October and found herself at Global’s Make Some Noise at Heart radio recording an interview the very next day so certainly in at the deep end!

Bev is passionate about working with young carers and their families . “I have worked and supported young people in a variety of roles for the last 20 years or so,  both in and out of work, and as varied as supporting young carers in a hospice to running scouts.”

Her goal is to grow the existing young people’s services to support even more young and young adult carers, particularly those who may be unidentified. “Working closely with communities and health professionals is key to identifying young carers who are not getting currently being supported. Developing existing and building new and strong relationships across the county will be a priority for me and the teams.

“I see my main challenge as getting the necessary funding for all the great ideas we have to further develop our services. It can be really hard as there is not much money available and every charity is chasing a smaller pot” We will need to explore a variety of funding opportunities. It was great to join the team and get involved straightaway with Make Some Noise as we are one of their chosen charities for 2018″.

Outside of work Bev loves being outdoors and gets involved in lots of active pursuits such as diving, kayaking, sailing and this summer she  learnt to stand up paddleboard. She also crews for a youth sailing organisation called Adventures Offshore. Travel is also important to Bev and  top of her wishlist is diving on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Indian Ocean.

Great to have a daredevil on board! Bev has challenged us to find an abseil she can do as a fundraiser. Let us know if you could help with this. We would love to meet this challenge.