Leadership
Senior Management Team
Youth First has a Senior Management Team with a track record in delivering youth services in Lewisham.
Chris Price
Chief Executive Officer
Chris joined Youth First in February 2024. He is passionate to see the end of poverty in the UK and has held leadership roles in social action and anti-poverty charities in south east London for over 30 years. His work has covered a range of issues including, food security, employability, women’s services, recycling, family support and HIV. Alongside working, he has spent 30 years as a volunteer youth worker and Scout leader. Chris believes that early intervention through engagement and positive activities helps young people to build confidence, resilience and self-belief all of which are key tools for adulthood. Chris wants to see Youth First grow as a charity that supports young people to have bright futures and become champions for neighbourhoods and communities, in so doing helping to tackle all forms of poverty, together. Outside of work Chris is a father, grandfather, community activist (this covers quite a lot of things!) and an avid Aston Villa fan, which means he is used to life’s ups and downs!
Aminata Swaray
Head of Operations, Targeted Team
Aminata has a degree in Youth and Community studies and has worked in Youth First and Lewisham Youth Services for over 11 years. She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people and is responsible for managing the Targeted provision within the organisation.
Muhammad Rahmani
Head of Operations, Open Access Team
Muhammad is a subject matter expert in the field of Youth & Community work, which he has dedicated his career to. He has been leading and delivering exciting, innovative youth activities and projects as a youth worker for over 25 years.
Youth First Board
The Youth First Board is created in a considered way to include those with experience in the social sector, third sector and commercial worlds. This has brought Non-Executive Directors who recognise and support the social mission of Youth First but are also aware of the organisation's need to grow and develop its business development capacity. It ensures Youth First has the best chance of sustaining and growing youth services in Lewisham. Meet our expert board:
Val Davison
Chair
Val joined the Youth First Board as Chair in May 2020. She has lived in South East London all her adult life having moved initially to Whitechapel to train as a nurse at the London Hospital whilst also studying at Goldsmiths College in Lewisham when it was part of the University of London. She is also a graduate of Brunel University and Henley Management College. After a successful career working in, and for, the NHS and other healthcare providers in the UK and abroad Val continues to support the NHS as a Non-Executive Director. Val currently lives in Dulwich and is Chair of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust where she has led the Board in the turnaround of the organisation’s performance and quality of service delivery. She is passionate about doing what she can to address the inequalities in life chances and health outcome that so often derive from economic or social disadvantage and also in supporting people to fulfil their potential in life whatever their circumstances.
Catriona Coleman
Non-executive Director
Catriona chairs the Risk & Audit sub-committee. She is a solicitor with over 10 years’ experience with a specialism in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. Catriona is currently employed by a leading City law firm.
Adam Barrett
Non-executive Director
Nicola Lambell
Employee Representative