THE TEAM
Laura Smyth
Laura has been working with children and young people with disabilities for the last ten years. She started by volunteering for her local special needs play scheme as a teenager. Throughout University she ran Saturday projects for young people with disabilities and after finishing her degree in
Communication and Culture decided to pursue a career working with children and young people.
Her previous roles include Deputy Manager of Family Support for the Team for Disabled Children in Social Services. As well as gaining experience in operational duties such as co-ordinating staff in large team's and running play schemes for this service Laura learnt about the severity of need amongst the families that Yorda Adventures was set up to help.
Laura oversees the operation of all our projects as well as still being involved in the direct work. She has recently finished her 'Train to Train' qualification which allows Yorda Adventures to offer a variety of outreach services to the local community.
Megan Naylor
Megan started work as a relational youth worker, based in secondary schools across North Surrey. As part of this role she managed a team of 20 volunteers. She has experience managing large scale residential camps as well as providing intense emotional support to young people, with the aim of keeping them engaged in education and training.
Subsequently she managed a fundraising and donor care team at an international child advocacy charity, after which became the Parent Partnership Officer for Kingston-upon-Thames. This role, based at the Disabled Children's Information Service allowed her to provide support to families with disabled children when making decisions about their child's education.
Her role within Yorda Adventures is extensive, ranging from all marketing and promotional information, the website, operational planning and fundraising responsibilities as well as direct work with the children and young people.
Matthew Naylor
Matthew has been a play worker since leaving school. He has extensive experience working with children and young people with disabilities, especially those who also present highly challenging behaviour. He started working for the Team for Disabled Children as a Family Support Worker and has worked in a variety of primary and secondary schools as a Learning Support Assistant.
Matthew's current role is at Dysart School where he is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and a Speech & Language Therapy Assistant. He is currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in working with Children's Special Educational Needs.
Matthew's skills in behaviour management are an invaluable contribution to our staff team and he takes an active role within the when we are planning new projects or evaluating our work.
Charlotte Amison
Charlotte Amison came to Yorda Adventures in 2006 with a wealth of play work experience behind her and an aspiration to work with children and young people with disabilities. Once Charlotte finished her fine art degree at Kingston University she became a deputy play leader.
Charlotte's passion and interest in Yorda Adventures inspired her to come on board the mnagement team as a director in 2008. Along with this passion Charlotte quickly increased her knowledge of working with children and young people and after passing her Level 3 Play Work NVQ with flying colours, became after school club's joint play leader in 2009. The children and young people have a great relationship with her as she works hard to get to know each of their needs and personalities.
Charlotte's role within the Yorda Adventures Team is to play lead a range of projects as well as undertake staff management, operational planning and direct work with children and young people. Charlotte is soon to start her Makaton 'Train to Train' course to further enhance our external training on offer as well as being able to strengthen our own staff team skills.
Rick Smyth
From school Richard pursued a career in accountancy and spent most of his working life in the computer industry, his last position being the Director of Finance for a subsidiary company of a major UK insurance group, which provided hardware and software computer solutions and support to businesses. For the last 15 years Richard and his wife have owned and managed a small residential care home for the elderly.
Two years ago wishing to help his daughter Laura's devotion and enthusiasm towards helping disadvantaged children with disabilities Richard was able to draw on his financial and commercial experience and together they formed Yorda Adventures CIC.
As company secretary, Richard provides commercial advice and guidance to Laura and her team.
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Laura has been working with children and young people with disabilities for the last ten years. She started by volunteering for her local special needs play scheme as a teenager. Throughout University she ran Saturday projects for young people with disabilities and after finishing her degree in
Communication and Culture decided to pursue a career working with children and young people.
Her previous roles include Deputy Manager of Family Support for the Team for Disabled Children in Social Services. As well as gaining experience in operational duties such as co-ordinating staff in large team's and running play schemes for this service Laura learnt about the severity of need amongst the families that Yorda Adventures was set up to help.
Laura oversees the operation of all our projects as well as still being involved in the direct work. She has recently finished her 'Train to Train' qualification which allows Yorda Adventures to offer a variety of outreach services to the local community.
Megan Naylor
Megan started work as a relational youth worker, based in secondary schools across North Surrey. As part of this role she managed a team of 20 volunteers. She has experience managing large scale residential camps as well as providing intense emotional support to young people, with the aim of keeping them engaged in education and training.
Subsequently she managed a fundraising and donor care team at an international child advocacy charity, after which became the Parent Partnership Officer for Kingston-upon-Thames. This role, based at the Disabled Children's Information Service allowed her to provide support to families with disabled children when making decisions about their child's education.
Her role within Yorda Adventures is extensive, ranging from all marketing and promotional information, the website, operational planning and fundraising responsibilities as well as direct work with the children and young people.
Matthew Naylor
Matthew has been a play worker since leaving school. He has extensive experience working with children and young people with disabilities, especially those who also present highly challenging behaviour. He started working for the Team for Disabled Children as a Family Support Worker and has worked in a variety of primary and secondary schools as a Learning Support Assistant.
Matthew's current role is at Dysart School where he is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and a Speech & Language Therapy Assistant. He is currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in working with Children's Special Educational Needs.
Matthew's skills in behaviour management are an invaluable contribution to our staff team and he takes an active role within the when we are planning new projects or evaluating our work.
Charlotte Amison
Charlotte Amison came to Yorda Adventures in 2006 with a wealth of play work experience behind her and an aspiration to work with children and young people with disabilities. Once Charlotte finished her fine art degree at Kingston University she became a deputy play leader.
Charlotte's passion and interest in Yorda Adventures inspired her to come on board the mnagement team as a director in 2008. Along with this passion Charlotte quickly increased her knowledge of working with children and young people and after passing her Level 3 Play Work NVQ with flying colours, became after school club's joint play leader in 2009. The children and young people have a great relationship with her as she works hard to get to know each of their needs and personalities.
Charlotte's role within the Yorda Adventures Team is to play lead a range of projects as well as undertake staff management, operational planning and direct work with children and young people. Charlotte is soon to start her Makaton 'Train to Train' course to further enhance our external training on offer as well as being able to strengthen our own staff team skills.
Rick Smyth
From school Richard pursued a career in accountancy and spent most of his working life in the computer industry, his last position being the Director of Finance for a subsidiary company of a major UK insurance group, which provided hardware and software computer solutions and support to businesses. For the last 15 years Richard and his wife have owned and managed a small residential care home for the elderly.
Two years ago wishing to help his daughter Laura's devotion and enthusiasm towards helping disadvantaged children with disabilities Richard was able to draw on his financial and commercial experience and together they formed Yorda Adventures CIC.
As company secretary, Richard provides commercial advice and guidance to Laura and her team.
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THE LEGAL BIT
POLICIES
Yorda Adventures is a form of social enterprise called a 'community interest company'. This form of company is limited by guarantee, and was introduced by the government in 2005.
We have been registered with 'community interest status' with Companies House and have pledged that the purpose of the company is to create play and leisure opportunities for children and young people with disabilities on a not for profit basis. In order to be approved for 'community interest status' we had to agree to an asset lock, which ensures that all money within the company must be used to support the aims and purpose of the company without exception.
Our CIC number is 5762334.
For more information about 'community interest' companies please look at the CIC Regulator website.
We have been registered with 'community interest status' with Companies House and have pledged that the purpose of the company is to create play and leisure opportunities for children and young people with disabilities on a not for profit basis. In order to be approved for 'community interest status' we had to agree to an asset lock, which ensures that all money within the company must be used to support the aims and purpose of the company without exception.
Our CIC number is 5762334.
For more information about 'community interest' companies please look at the CIC Regulator website.
Like any organisation, Yorda Adventures must have 'policies and procedures' to make sure things happen the way they should. Basically, these are documents that state how we are committing to do certain things.
Below are a selection of our 'policies and procedures', which you are welcome to download and read. If you have any questions about what you read or how we do things you are more than welcome to contact us. Please click on the links below to download.
Child Protection Policy and Procedures >|> Comments, Suggestions and Complaints Policy >|> Equal Opportunities Statement
DESIGNED AND BUILT BY STUDIO C DESIGN