Staff & Trustees

I am currently supporting the Clinical Team as Clinical Director as well as Joint Tutor on the No5 Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Young People.

I joined No5 as Clinical Manager on the staff team, having previously worked as a supervisor running two groups at No5 for two years. My experiences of working with young people have been gained Counselling young people aged 14 to 25 in school/colleges and with a local agency. I was involved in setting up and gaining CPCAB accreditation for the Counselling Young People Diploma and moved on to be Programme Manager for the training in 2018.

I also work in private practise from home, providing supervision and work as a group supervisor with an adult counselling agency.

After having counselling at No5 when I was 15, I spent 4 years as a Young Ambassador before joining the staff team as No5’s first Lived Experience Young Leader in 2018.

My role includes supporting No5’s strategy and development, building and maintaining our corporate and community partnerships, fundraising, as well as being the Programme Manager on our Diploma in Counselling Young People programme.

It is an absolute honour to bring, promote and amplify young voices – ensuring we are reaching young people who need to be heard, and who need support that is accessible to them.

Hello, my name is David, and I am a qualified psychotherapist. I have been the Clinical Lead at No5 since August 2023. Before this I had worked as the Counselling Coordinator since April 2018, and prior to that, I spent five years volunteering and working as a counsellor here, as well as supporting the agency in a clinical administration role.

I have also worked as a therapist and supervisor for other agencies, as well as continuing to run a private practice in Wokingham and Reading seeing both young people and adults, individuals and couples.

I’m really pleased and proud to be a clinical staff member at No5, which provides me the opportunity to support and help young people in our area: a client group I strongly believe should have access to mental health services and every opportunity for early intervention in their concerns.

Hi, I’m Emma and I’m a Counsellor specialising in working with Young People who believes strongly in the power of early counselling intervention to deliver meaningful change for future generations. 

I’m a BACP Accredited Integrative Psychotherapist & Supervisor who’s been with No5 since 2016, initially counselling at No5 offices, and then becoming a Schools Counsellor in a local secondary school. Alongside my counselling work, I oversee the No5 School Counselling Service supporting schools in the Berkshire West area in delivering a whole-school approach to young people’s mental wellbeing.

Hello, my name is Jo and I joined No5 Young People in October 2019 in the role of Receptionist. Prior to this I taught Food Technology in a local Special Needs School for 19 years. When I left I still wanted to work with young people, so was excited to join the team.

I attended counselling at No5 when I was 14 years old and 2 years later, joined the Young Ambassador team after reconnecting with No5 through NCS. In 2018, I became the Lead Young Ambassador, where I continued to tell my story while working alongside the other Young Ambassadors to raise awareness, fundraise and support other young people to understand their mental health.

I joined the staff team in 2021, helping to support and coordinate our Outreach Projects and Young Ambassador programme, create content for our website, social media channels and newsletters, and deliver mental health workshops in schools. I also support our Diploma in Counselling Young People programme as Training Admin Support.

I have been a proud Trustee of No5 since January 2014 and took on the role of Chair in 2016. My background is in hospitality and my work experience includes stints on cruise ships, bars, restaurants and managing the catering for the world’s media at London 2012. I currently work with corporate catering and reception services business Lexington, growing their client base in the UK.

I became a trustee and treasurer in 2016. I am a chartered accountant (ICAEW) qualifying in 1971. Most of my professional career was spent at EY in London (1972 to 1975) and The Netherlands (1975 to 1988) in audit and Business Services. I returned to the UK in 1988 establishing a Business Services department for BDO Stoy Hayward in Reading. In 2002 I joined a client to gain further experience in international business. Following retirement in 2013, I made the decision to play a part in helping the local charity sector and as well as my role at No5 I am also a trustee and treasurer of another Reading charity. My professional career means that I have a wealth of accounting and business management and advisory experience ranging from major corporations to the smaller owner-managed businesses. For No5, I am responsible for maintaining the accounting records and producing monthly management accounts, operating Budgets and the Annual Accounts.

Hello I am Debs Edwards. Since I was 15, I have worked not only in the community sector but also in the public and private sector. I have worked in a number and variety of jobs, kennel maid, shop worker, PA, waitress, welder, Civil servant for the MOD, Finance and Network Manager, with lots of other jobs in between these experiences. I have been Labour Southcote Councillor since 2006.I was honoured to be the Worshipful Mayor of Reading for the 2011/2012 and 2018/19 terms. I attended 13 schools and colleges before I was 18. I was a Forces child so we moved around very frequently. I returned to Reading with my family in 1981. I have 5 children and am a grandmother of 8. My husband, Alun, and I also sponsor a child in Honduras. I volunteer as a school governor and support a number of community facilities and charities. I am a Trustee for Launchpad. I am passionate about getting the best possible support and future for our young people so that they can lead a fulfilling and happy life. I believe in life-long learning and personal development for all. In my free time, I swim, walk, am an avid reader of detective novels and do crosswords to relax.

I worked in London as a Civil Servant before I had my family. I have four grown up children and five grandchildren. After the birth of my youngest child I became a Magistrate and worked as a volunteer with a local school and pre-school.

I found from my work as a youth Magistrate and School Governor with responsibility for Special Needs that there was a huge gap in the provision of help for young people. I was very inspired by the work of those in No5 who are trying to fill this gap by providing free counselling for children and young people. This is why I decided to become a Trustee and I am very pleased to be involved in the organisation.

After my retiring from my 25 year career, working at governor grade in the prison service and secure mental health facilities, I was honoured to be invited to be a Trustee at No5.

I had seen the impact of young people not having access to counselling services when needed, and how poor decision making or the impact of mental health issues, can effect future lives.

I feel passionate that every young person should have equal and timely access to services, to support their mental wellbeing.

No5 help young people to know their story is important, and that every life matters.

I joined No5 in the new role of young trustee in 2022. I came to Reading in 2018 for university and since graduating I have been working for a local children’s charity on it’s online hub as a Digital Content Creator. I studied History at university, ran the student TV society for two years, and took part in as much music as I possibly could (I play the saxophone). My close friend and I created a music focused podcast during the pandemic and when we spoke to our guests we always found a positive link between music and mental health which we loved sharing on the show.

I’m part of the trustees of No5 to make sure young voices are heard in our decision making and I will give my all to make sure I do the best I can in this role for you