Meet The Washington Group

Deborah Terras

Deborah Terras

Director

I have been a Youthworker practitioner for approximately 25 years, having started my youth work journey in Scouts. I have an MA in Education from the University of Cumbria. I was part of The project Marginalisation and Co-created Education (MaCE), which is a response to youth unemployment rates within the EU area and concerns regarding young people who are “Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)”  I was part of the co research team, working alongside colleagues from University of Cumbria, Norway and Denmark. You can find my contribution to the MaCe project in the Journal of Youth Voices in Education: Methods theory practice  https://ojs.cumbria.ac.uk/index.php/Youth/index  Fylde Coast Living Libraries, Seaside Story Telling within a pedagogy framework

I have extensive experience in strategic development of projects and organisations,  as well as enjoying working within communities to develop capacity and innovation, through training and social action. I am thrilled to be part of the Washington Group because it gives more opportunities to develop people’s creativity and skills across all our communities such as International Women’s Day Festival and International Men’s Day and Blackpool Youth Pride.

In my spare time I dabble in Biathle, triathlons, cycling and open water swimming, as well as touring UK in my VW Van.

Shughie Morrison

Shughie Morrison

Director

I am a qualified tutor who has extensive experience in delivering a number of CPD training courses, including DANOS (Drug and Alcohol Industry National Occupational Standards), conflict resolution, confidence building and many more.

My experience is linked predominately in the community offering support services for people in recovery from addiction.

My role within he Washington Group as Director, enables me to act as a critical sounding board to the organisations, offering reflective practice and support where required as well as supporting the quality of the projects.

I am very proud to have written the first Level 3 LGBTQ qualification and deliver through The Washington Group.

I am an avid Kylie Minogue fan and in 2018 I was awarded Blackpool Local Hero’s award for Best Charity Worker

Jake Adams

Jake Adams

Director

Jake Adams is the CEO of Nationwide Workwear. Jake has always been an advocate for the VCFS sector providing support across the sector.

As a young person he set up his own business at the age of 14 and this has now progressed into a successful national workwear establishment, employing local people with a specific focus on supporting young people into employment.

Jake was instrumental in setting up Blackpool Young People’s council, he represented Blackpool as a Member of Youth Parliament visiting places such as Canada and the Houses of Parliament to ensure that young people in Blackpool had a voice.

Jake‘s company has supported The Washington Group throughout all its projects and is fully supported from a corporate social responsibility and the staff team as corporate volunteers. Jake is the recipient of BIBAs young person of the year award and his company are BIBAS finalist for 2021 and 2022.

Sue Littlefair

Sue Littlefair

Director

I have been around for over 36 years working as a Senior Manager across the North West for a number of companies working with young people. Having started out as a Careers Adviser in school then developing  apprenticeship programmes for a range of Government Organisations and then the 13 years with the Princes Trust enabled me to further develop my skills and in turn create innovative programmes and activities for many disadvantaged young people.

I was looking to take things a bit easier and I was approached by the Washington Group and I was given an opportunity that I could not turn down.  The company is very passionate about working with young people and communities and the ‘We Can’ attitude just said it all. I am therefore, very excited about being involved with this organisation and I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge to help and support young people who are just starting out.

I am very active and enjoy the gym and love many sports. My secret passion is working at Accrington Stanley on match days and it’s great fun.  

Youth Workers

Vicki Morgan-Gale

Vicki Morgan-Gale

Youth Worker

I have been involved with youth work for over 3o years, having started my youth work journey as a volunteer.  I have an MA in youth ministry and theology from Kings college London. I have coordinated church-based youth work, pioneering youth ministry and worked in formal and informal education. I am passionate about inclusion and working with young people who find themselves on the margins of society.

I am a part time secondary school teacher and I work part time for Frontier Youth Trust, getting alongside pioneering youth workers in the North of England, to support, inspire and encourage projects that are already happening and to encourage and facilitate others to set up in their own context. 

I facilitated the setting up of and am involved with mentoring young people at Synergy Youth club in Blackpool. The club is fully inclusive and open to all young people without prejudice or distinction of religion, race, culture, health, disability, gender, hair colour, sexuality, or politics. The only restrictions are of age: secondary school age up to 18 years old. We aim to treat everyone the way we want to be treated but sometimes we get this wrong …. And then we try and put it right.

In my spare time I try to “enjoy” Ironman triathlon which includes swimming, running, and cycling.

Helen Barnsley

Helen Barnsley

Youth Worker

I’m Helen and I have been involved with children and young people for most of my life.

I first did youth work as a volunteer, teaching young people, who would otherwise not have had the opportunity, to sail. I have led Duke of Edinburgh, St. John ambulance and various youth and children’s work groups and projects

I am a trained secondary school teacher and am involved with youth work in Blackpool.

I have a passion for working with young people, ‘encouraging and motivating them to fulfil their dreams

I am an advocate for inclusion, and whatever that means for our young people.  I am keen to work with young people to facilitate them in leading their own groups, owning those groups and having a voice for young people in the area.

Social action is important to me, and I have been instrumental in getting involved with projects at a local level.

Consultants

Julie Brotherton

Julie Brotherton

Consultant

Proudly Blackpool-born and bred, I have over 35 years’ experience of working in large multi-national organisations (CSC and BAE Systems) with knowledge of various sectors, including aerospace, IT and healthcare. Having held a wide variety of senior management/leadership roles, working with teams and clients across the world, I then set up my own consultancy business, delivering executive coaching, mentoring and leadership development.

I am a graduate of CSC’s Emerging Leaders and Exceptional Leaders programmes, and hold a certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. As former Chair of CSC’s Women in Leadership in the UK, I am a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and I am passionate about helping others to recognise and fulfil their true potential. I have coached and mentored at all levels from apprentice and graduate recruits to seasoned chief executives. In 2017, I was nominated for a We Are the City ‘Rising Star Champion’ Award and the NorthernPowerWomen Power List in 2018.

I want to use my experience to support my local community and have been involved with the Fylde Coast International Women’s Day Festival for the past 5 years, as a role model and as a volunteer. Now I have the opportunity to get even more involved as one of the organisers of the next event.

I am a member of the Association of Speakers Clubs, a STEM Ambassador and was a school governor in Blackpool for 5 years. My other passions are Zumba, reading and also dressmaking, which I learnt to do in lockdown!

Email: julie.brotherton@twguk.org

Steve Walker

Steve Walker

Youth & Community Worker

I have been a youth worker for many years with experience working alongside young people in urban, coastal, rural and european communities, developing an understanding of the important access to agency and participation for individuals and groups.  
Through practice to leadership roles within organisations in both the statutory and voluntary sector, i have strategic leadership experience and act in support of organisations to enhance the offer to young people.  I have substantial training and development experiences and am currently engaged in learning and teaching in Higher Education across a wide range of programmes to support the field. I am actively involved in detached youth work at present and value the privilege of listening to the lived experience of young people across the Fylde Coast.
My research focuses upon access, agency and participation and how the effects of contemporary society impact upon youth services and youth work.
I enjoy spoken work and a broad range of music to support my own health and wellbeing.

Volunteers

Social Action Projects

To work together with key stakeholders to support organisations and individuals to bring about social change for the benefit of their communites of need, interest and geography. We will provide opportunities in accessing capacity support, funding and training to support communities.

Research & Consultancy

Our research aims to apply mixed methodological approaches to evaluate, measure and review areas of community engagement, learning and development. Our approach intends to incorporate participatory research methods, developing a community of practice, alongside implementing evidence based praxis which supports our ethos of social mobility and co-production.

Education & Learning

To provide learning and training opportunities to all members of the community to improve their well-being. We will support growth, development and toolkits for continued success. This will include formal training opportunities with nationally recognised qualifications, voluntary or work based experience and employability skills inc confidence. We will provide self-help sessions to address specific needs.

Community Events

Evidence based research shows that targeted community events such as International Women’s Day and the Community Big Lunch create greater community cohesion and community sustainability through co design approaches.