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 young people who are 16 years plus 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.
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.
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.
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.
Ambassadors
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
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.
Volunteer
There are several ways you can volunteer; as a counsellor, support worker or supporting our groupwork services.
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.
