Our people

I grew up in a really tough time in Northern Ireland and I saw how hope helped our community get through this period. Hope encourages, hope inspires, hope dares to believe that tomorrow can be better.  We see hope in the heart of every young person, even when that hope only hangs by a thread. We fight for young people to have hope, because it will give them the confidence to believe they can make a difference.  When we empower young people to hope, we empower them to thrive, not just survive.

I feel immense pride to work for an organisation that put's people at the heart, whether that's our internal teams, our supporters or the children and young people we serve. Hope connects us. We all have times when we need hope in our lives. Our work is about nurturing and giving hope to children and young people especially those who need it the most. When we have hope, we can keep going and find our way. Everyone deserves that. 

Chris has over forty years’ experience working in international finance across commercial and investment banking, emerging markets, private equity investing and international development. His most recent role was as CIO of the UK Government’s development finance institution, CDC (now BII plc). He is now an active philanthropist, focussed on a diverse range of activities from combating human trafficking to early childhood development, micro credit and urban regeneration in the UK. He is also a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard, having completed this programme in 2023.

"The Children’s Society provides a crucial voice and platform for children and young people’s interests to be heard, respected and enhanced during what has become an unprecedented period of uncertainty and challenge for too many of them. I believe combating this uncertainty effectively and systemically is more important than ever-it is a major societal challenge.  I hope I can play some small part in supporting the organisation and its’ outstanding work in this critical endeavour. I also believe that hope is an essential ingredient in helping to build young people’s confidence and resilience, not just at an individual level but also in encouraging them to believe that uncertainty can in fact create opportunity."

Nerys Anthony is Executive Director of Youth Impact at The Children’s Society. With over 20 years’ senior leadership experience in the charity sector, she plays a key role in shaping national strategy to improve outcomes for young people.

Nerys holds a unique role in the sector, bringing together all aspects of the charity’s work relating to young people, including safeguarding, service delivery, research and impact, youth voice, and policy and political advocacy - aligning them to create meaningful, lasting change. She is committed to centring living experience in decision-making and to creating safe, equitable environments where young people can thrive.

Nerys focuses on driving systemic change to improve the wellbeing and future outcomes of young people.

Libby became the Church of England’s first female bishop at a service in York Minister in 2015, when she was appointed the Bishop of Stockport, she now serves as the Bishop of Derby. 

'Children and young people have always been at the heart of what I do. When Jesus was asked about what matters, he brought a child among them and said “of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Every day children and young people in our country are vulnerable and at risk. The issues they face are both intimately personal and deeply systematic. So being part of The Children’s Society, which works tirelessly to support such children and address these inequalities, is indeed working for the Kingdom.'

Throughout my 35 years working as a Nurse within the NHS, I have always strived to "make a difference" in everything I do. With that in mind, I am absolutely thrilled to join The Children's Society as a Trustee and be a part of the amazing and inspirational work they do supporting children and young people to have a safe and happy childhood. I believe that it is vital that the voices of children are heard and really listened to and The Children's Society provides a platform to make this happen.

The meaning of hope for me is having belief in the art of the possible. Hope gives us a reason to keep fighting while always trusting that better days will come, particularly during uncertain times in our lives and times that can feel really hard and sometimes impossible. The inspirational work of the children's Society supports children to hang onto the feeling of hope at some of the most challenging times in their lives.

My role as a the Digital Storytelling Producer is extremely rewarding and inspiring because I get to bring young peoples voices front and centre online. I want to see a future where children can get the help they need when they need it and this is what motivates me to do what I do every day.

To me hope is about connecting. If everybody has an equal voice we have the potential to solve anything. It is important we keep fighting for a fairer world.

Raj Cheema is a Partner at KPMG. He leads the Technology and Cyber Transformation practice for public sector clients, and is currently working with central government on policy reform, and the NHS on cyber transformation.

"To me personally, hope, compassion, and gratitude are the key to a fulfilled life; I look to live a life where I continue to be grateful for all that I have, show compassion in my actions, and give hope to others through my conduct."