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Get to know us

We’re a friendly, understanding, and helpful team here at OTR; not only do we believe passionately in supporting young people, but we champion youth-led change and youth voice.

The work we do in supporting local young people is delivered collaboratively between volunteers, counsellors, a groupwork team and small crew of back office staff. Kate Glasby is our CEO, she has vast experience in the mental wellbeing and charity sector and has the support of our team of Trustees who each bring their own invaluable areas of expertise.

Kate Glasby

Kate’s leadership of OTR drives improvements to the service delivery, breadth of service, and clients’ experience. With a track record in delivering operational excellence within both the voluntary and private sectors, Kate is known for her passionate amplification of youth voice, inclusion, and improvement in young people’s mental health services. As a member of an autistic family, Kate is ardent in her advocacy of ensuring that OTR is accessible to all. Kate’s spare time is spent on things she loves; her family (including her pet chickens), the gym, and enjoying nice cheese!

Counsellors

We literally couldn’t run OTR without the dedication, professionalism and high-quality counsellors we are proud to have work with us. Some counsellors volunteer and others work sessionally. All counsellors working with young people aged 11-16 at OTR adhere to BACP regulatory standards and hold a diploma and degree level qualification, alongside experience and qualifications to work with young people aged 11 plus. Our student counsellors work with with 16 and 18 plus young people, and the parents/carers that access our service. If you would like to be a counsellor at OTR and you’re already a qualified counsellor or student counsellor with ‘fitness for practice status’ we’d love to hear from you.

Become a Counsellor

Volunteers

Without our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to deliver the quality service for which OTR is known and loved. Our Trustees, Support Workers, and some of our Counsellors are volunteers. The majority live locally, bringing their knowledge of the area, professional skills and life experience into their volunteering roles. We value the unique gift of time and knowledge that our pool of 40+ volunteers bring to their work with young people; their wisdom informs the development and delivery of our activities and projects.

Become a Volunteer

Groupwork

Our amazing Groupwork team work hard to devise, organise and run OTR’s workshops, courses and groupwork sessions at our centre in Leigh Park Community Centre and in outreach sessions at local schools and community centres. The team work directly with young people who feel that they would benefit from sessions alongside other young people. Those that have come to these groups before have said it has really helped them, and that it was a relief to feel like they are not alone with how they are feeling.

Register for Groupwork

Trustees

OTR is governed by our Board of Trustees, who have a raft of experience from a diverse set of industry sectors. We meet our volunteer Trustees each month to provide us with support and insight into continuing our purpose of supporting young people’s mental health to fulfil their potential for a brighter future. We are enormously grateful to them for their time, dedication and encouragement.

Become a Trustee

Howard Thompson

Howard has had responsibility for financial oversight at OTR as a trustee since 2018 and additionally has been Chair since 2019. Coming from Portsmouth he has occupied a number of corporate financial roles in Europe and Asia for medical/technology organisations before returning to the UK. Howard is interested in sailing, cooking, cycling and is also a patron/diver at the Mary Rose Museum.

Jackie Powell

Jackie feels privileged to have been with OTR since 2008 where she began as a support worker and then counsellor while working at Board Level for her local NHS. In 2014 Jackie was asked to become a Trustee at Off The Record and currently works as NHS Portsmouth’s Clinical Commissioning Group’s Patient Champion. The role of speaking up for vulnerable people is further enhanced by Jackie’s other voluntary work as a Mental Health Act Review Manager for two NHS organisations which began in 2005 and as with all her roles, especially that within OTR, Jackie ensures people are heard, supported, empowered and cared for. Not only is Jackie great a juggling all these roles and responsibilities, she can still do cartwheels!

Nick Glover

One of our newer members of the OTR team of Trustees (January 2022) Nick is a professionally qualified youth & community worker with multiple years’ experience in the voluntary sector and local authority. Nick’s specific area of expertise is in development of staff and volunteers as a facilitator to delivering a first-rate service. Nick was formerly a Director of a grassroots social enterprise which he built through collaboration with local communities and in co-production with young people. Youth participation and youth voice are areas that he is particularly passionate about through his experience in supporting young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. Nick is a fan of hiking, camping and generally being outdoors all key ingredients which helped him qualify as a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition leader!

Dee Holmes

Dee has been a trustee at OTR since August 2021, she is a highly qualified couples, family, young persons and children counsellor and has worked at Relate since 1997 where she is currently a Senior Practice Consultant. Dee’s primary area of expertise is within the realm of ensuring the highest standards for clinical processes and safeguarding and after years within the mental wellbeing sector Dee brings with her a real wealth of experience to OTR. Dee has 2 adult daughters and one granddaughter whom she loves to spend time with. Dee’s favourite pass time is walking in the Lake District.

Anais Honeychurch-Kyle

With extensive background in Business Process Improvement, Anais began her trusteeship at OTR in January 2022, she brings with her experience a diversity in skillset. Anais, will be looking to create efficiencies and streamline business functionality throughout the charity to release resources and realise opportunities. Originally from the North of England Anais is a big fan of Lego and loves to spend time with her son and walking her dog.

Andrew Carter

Andrew joined the Board of Trustees in October 2019, having retired that year from the Royal Air Force following almost 37 years’ service. During his time in the RAF he was involved with supporting service personnel and their families, was mental health first aid and suicide awareness trained, and is where his interest for welfare among young people was ignited. Andrew is now a HR consultant, specialising in the reward and benefits spectrum of HR and brings this specialisation and knowledge of HR operations into the Board of Trustees. Andrew is married with 1 son and is a avid Arsenal fan but will watch any football match being televised!

Lisa Sherlock

Lisa joined the OTR team of Trustees, along with Nick and Anais in January 2022. Lisa has over 20 years’ experience within the Engineering Sector, the last 10 years within the Defence sector. Lisa is an experienced senior leader with a diverse experience encompassing commercial, business management and project management. Lisa is also a STEM ambassador and provides external Coaching and Mentoring supporting via the “Be the Business” mentoring programme. Lisa is a passionate about the importance of mental health, particularly the impact it has on the younger generation and their families. Lisa is a mother of two young adult daughters (who keep her on her toes) and adoptive mum to “Griffin” the Kerry Blue Terrier. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys sailing, paddle boarding and anything outdoors.

Ambassadors

Our ambassadors champion the OTR’s work within the local community and support our charity’s goals and objectives.

Steve Frampton MBE

Dorset (Weymouth) born, with a lifelong passion for Post 16 education, sport, music and environmental issues. The first in his family to enter Post 16 education, Steve gained a 1st Class Hons BSC in Geography, Geology, and Archaeology at Leicester University in 1979 and later obtained PGCE Distinction at Keele University.

From 2005 until August 2018 Steve was Principal of Portsmouth College, a very rapidly growing and innovative stand-alone community SFC and winner of the AoC Beacon for Collaboration (2010) and the Use of Technology to Improve Learning (2017). 2017 also saw Steve’s extensive career being recognised at the highest level, with the awarding of a MBE for Services to Education in the Queen’s New Year Honours.

In August 2018 after retiring from Portsmouth College Steve was appointed President of Association of Colleges and then re-elected for a second term. He is now FE/HE Climate Commissioner and Chair of AoC Services Board, and on the AoC Sport Board and AoC Charitable Trust Board. As well as Ambassador for OTR Steve works internationally as an educational consultant, his work includes Leadership and Cultural Change , Values -led Education, Technology for Learning , Timetable reform for positive well-being and improved educational outcomes, Student engagement and governance, and Environmental Sustainability in Education.

How you can Help

Volunteer

There are several ways you can volunteer; as a counsellor, support worker or supporting our groupwork services.

Learn more

Donate

As a small grassroots charity we rely on a mix of funding streams and donations to deliver our counselling and groupwork services. Your donation really does help to keep our doors open and supporting as many young people as we can. Thank you.

Learn more

Be a corporate donor/ support Us as part of your CSR

Whether you’d like to partner with us for employee fundraising and engagement, commercial donations, volunteering or one-off activities, we can work with you to create a partnership that leaves your employees inspired and knowing they’ve helped young people within their community.

Learn more