Sammy gets the confidence boost she really needed.

31 January
An image of a woman with a straw hat, glasses and red hair

In her own words, Sammy has shared her story with us from the moment she referred herself to Live Well Kent and Medway.

\”I referred myself to Live Well Kent and Shaw Trust as I had been struggling for some time to get and keep work due to my autism and anxiety. After a particularly rotten year where I did eventually find work but couldn’t stay due to unfair working conditions, I felt more useless and depressed than I ever had been before. I felt as though I would never be able to hold a job.

I desperately wanted to work, and after I found out about Live Well Kent and its various services at a job fair in Faversham – I signed up that evening! It finally felt like someone could help me!

I have really appreciated and enjoyed my support with Kirtrin. It has felt like I had a friend who really understands who I am, what I’m good at, and what my strengths are – the confidence boost I really needed. She has helped me format my CV to look more professional and talked me through various interview questions that I struggle with. She also helped me perform job searches which was fantastic, as I was very specific about the sort of jobs I knew I could and couldn’t cope with. Kirtrina also helped me come up with answers for a document I had to write for work once I found something.

The hot jobs emails were particularly useful, as it was through one of these that I found the job that I now have as a part-time housekeeper. This works really well for me, as even though I want to move onto a career in animal care eventually; it keeps me motivated, gives me more confidence and experience for my CV, allows me to fund any more courses I might want to do, and as it is part time I can still volunteer on the side!

The service has been incredible, and I am really glad I signed up. I haven’t felt this confident in a long time, and I feel able to disclose my disability to employers without fear.

I am so grateful to Kirtrina for all her help, and to all from Live Well Kent and Shaw Trust who have spoken to me and helped me to get to a much better place mentally, and ultimately into employment! The advice and support has been invaluable to me. For the first time since I was diagnosed at 21, I feel that there are people who understand me and are there for me, and I don’t have to be on my own in my struggles. Thank you all so much!\”

A photo of a lady with red hair down over her shoulders. She is wearing a brown sun hat and glasses and smiling straight to the camera.

Live Well Kent and Medway information:

Live Well Kent and Medway provides free mental health support for people aged 17+. Whatever it is, we’re here to help you.

  • Improve your mental health, physical health and general wellbeing
  • Gain confidence and meet new people
  • Access free therapy and counselling services
  • Find work, volunteering and education opportunities
  • Access support for drug or alcohol dependency
  • Join activities and support groups run by people with similar experiences.   

You can refer yourself, refer someone else or ask somebody to refer you to us for help.  You can then choose to have support in person, online or over the phone. Our team will take time to understand your situation and help you access the right local support for you. They won’t judge you and are committed to your privacy. Visit www.livewellkent.org.uk.

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James Stewart OBE
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James became a Trustee in 2021 after a 30 year career spanning the public and private sectors. He started in the banking sector, led Partnerships UK and Infrastructure UK, and then spent ten years at KPMG finishing as a Vice Chair and member of the UK Board.

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Steve is passionate about using his extensive HR Leadership experience to make a positive difference to the lives of others. Throughout a career spent at the helm of global matrix organisations devising and implementing expansive change initiatives, Steve has utilised extensive HR experience to deliver substantial revenue, growth, and organisational development.

Steve has represented HR in Board positions for more 15 years, most recently as Chief HR Officer for the Apogee Corporation, leading on HR, real-estate, and environmental strategies.

Steve brings experience of working within the charity sector, having in the past managed and held leadership roles within National Citizens Advice Bureau for 6 years and performed non-executive director roles for Presentation Housing Association for four years, with a focus on the vulnerable and disadvantaged. Steve believes that the seamless blend and contribution of paid employees and volunteers providing valued and sought-after services can bring unique challenges to the workplace along with passion and devotion to the delivery of quality. This generates a unique culture, with people that have insights, motivation and experiences that utilised well, make an incredible difference to society. Steve believes in the importance of rigour and best use of available funds to maximise an organisation’s ability to facilitate this. Steve’s expertise in organisational consolidation following acquisitions, business transformation, continuous improvement and career pathing for employees will all support the delivery of Shaw Trust’s Vision 2030: Strategic Directive.

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Stephen is a career banker and has also been a board director of several institutions with a public interest including the National Centre for Work Experience, the Institute of Small Business Affairs and is a former chair of a charity founded by HRH the Prince of Wales supporting older people into economic activity.

He is part of the senior executive team of UK Finance, the leading financial trade association and leads on commercial finance, sustainability, dispute resolution and international trade. He chairs an advisory group for the UK government on creative industries and is part of a minister led boards on business finance and promoting female and black and ethnic minority entrepreneurship. Stephen is a director of the UK Business Angels Association, the trade association dedicated to promoting angel investing and supporting early-stage investment in the UK. He is also a director of the Business Banking Resolution Service, a voluntary ombudsman scheme for larger SMEs.

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Kalm Paul-Christian
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Kalm is an investment banker working in the Financial Institutions Advisory Team at NatWest Markets. There he advises executive management teams to execute strategic and corporate finance decisions for sustainable growth.

He began his career with Rothschild & Co in the Global Financial Advisory division before joining The Social Investment Consultancy where he advised charities, social enterprises, corporates and investment funds on revenue diversification, social business models and impact evaluation.

As an advocate for Social Mobility, Financial Inclusion and Disability Rights, Kalm has been working in the field of accessibility since 2013, delivering projects from DFID, the Commonwealth Youth Council and National Lottery Community Fund.

He is a graduate of the University of Oxford, Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a member of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers. He is also trustee of the Turn2Us and Switchback, a former school governor, and a junior adviser to Chatham House.

Lara Oyesanya
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Lara joined Shaw Trust in April 2021. Lara is a trustee of Plan International UK and a co-opted Member, Committee on Benefactions, External and Legal Affairs, the University of Cambridge advising the Vice-Chancellor.

The vision of Shaw Trust of a future where good employment is accessible to all in society irrespective of life circumstances resonates with Lara. Growing up in Nigeria, Lara was raised with strong values that included a great sense of social justice, responsibility, accountability, respect, and care for everyone in the community. Shaw Trust’s outlined outcomes for education and skills, children and young people’s services, and health and well-being are areas that Lara believes are essential for a fair and equitable society. This vision is a big draw for Lara as a Shaw Trust trustee and she hopes that the work of Shaw Trust will continue to promote social justice and mobility to address the causes and consequences of poverty in society.

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Mike Nussbaum
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Mike joined Shaw Trust in February 2016. Mike sits on the boards of RNIB, Guide Dogs, Vision UK, the Equality and Diversity Forum and supports numerous other charitable organisations.

Mike’s passion for social justice started young when he was involved in a wide range of social action programmes including chairing national youth organisations. Now, following more than 50 years of public service, Mike brings his blind lived experience to Shaw Trust. An active and committed volunteer Mike previously sat on the boards of RNIB, Vision UK, and the Equality and Diversity Forum. Mike is still an active member of the board for Guide Dogs and continues to support numerous other charitable organisations.

Mike is passionate about the added value which volunteers can bring to an organisation as well as the personal benefits of volunteering. Supporting Shaw Trust’s 1,000 person strong volunteer programme, Mike received a national ‘Year of the Volunteer’ Award for services to volunteering in 2005, and in 2008 The Open University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate.

Annamarie Hassall MBE
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To find out more about Annamarie connect on LinkedIn.

Deborah Dorman
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Audrey Coutinho
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The Trust’s focus on education and training one of the core enablers for an individual’s success in their lives aligns closely with Audrey’s beliefs, so when the opportunity to be involved in supporting this mission was available it was an easy decision to make.

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Diane Côté
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Paul Baldwin
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After two decades working in the banking and finance industry, in 2009 Paul decided he would rather spend his time working on the causes that he is passionate about.

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Olly Benzecry
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Olly became our Chair of Trustees in February 2023. He is passionate about helping those with disadvantages to achieve their potential in employment.

In addition to being the Chair of Shaw Trust, Olly is a Trustee of Movement to Work and advises WithYouWithMe, an international provider of skills-based talent management solutions. He is Chair of the Corporate Development Board of the Natural History Museum (NHM) and a member of the Corporate Partnership Board of Cancer Research UK. Olly advises Faculty, a world leading AI provider, as well as being a CEO advisor more broadly.

Previously, Olly was Chair and CEO of Accenture, UK & Ireland

Chris Luck CB MBE DL
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Chris joined the Trust in May 2019, after a distinguished career in the armed forces.

Chris had not planned to move into the voluntary sector, however, his life experiences, personal values and strong sense of purpose made him the perfect fit to lead Shaw Trust. Ensuring those we support are at the heart of everything we do, Chris has implemented a new organisational structure, reviewed our strategic direction and championed new initiatives, including the Shaw Trust Foundation and Shaw Trust Policy Institute supporting and advocating for social mobility through opportunity.

To find out more about Chris follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.