Our Team
Kate Nation
Managing Director
Kate has been involved in children and youth work since she was 18 both at a local and an international level where she has worked with at risk young people and children in a variety of settings. On returning to Cambridge she worked with a charity called Romsey Mill where, as a Young Women’s Worker, she saw first-hand the unique challenges that affect this demographic.
With one of the most obvious problems being a lack of confidence, Kate piloted a one-off event: a “Cambridge meets Brazil” family fun day involving young women through the youth support programme she was running. The event’s success and its positive affect on the young women gave birth to the idea of Turtle Dove.
Kate feels most alive when riding a motorbike, horse riding, dancing or in the favelas of Brazil.
Miriam Storey
Team and Comms Support
miriam@turtledovecambridge.com
Miriam has worked with children and young people in a variety of capacities.
She has a background in Psychology and Mental Health and is trained as a Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioner. Most recently Miriam worked overseas in Greece supporting young asylum seekers and refugees with a focus on child protection and welfare.
Miriam is a vehement advocate of children’s rights and seeks to work in a sector where she can empower and support vulnerable young people.
In her free time, Miriam enjoys baking and visiting coffee shops with a good book.
Stephanie Jack
Events Coordinator
Stephanie originally started her career in the luxury car market in customer service, dealing with high profile clients. She then took her well-honed organisational and people skills and started project managing renovations and new build ventures. While project managing, she decided to extend into event planning and thoroughly enjoyed her role organising weddings, christenings and birthdays. She prides herself in problem solving, giving meticulous attention to detail and likes to go the extra mile. She has a proven ability to be able to prioritise and work under pressure. In her leisure time Stephanie enjoys interior design, a hobby that has led to her being featured in several UK magazines and newspapers.
Paula Bishop
Alternative Education Lead
Paula has been working with children and young people for over 30 years. She started out as a sessional youth worker, working for both the Cambridgeshire County Council and within the voluntary sector.
She then went on to work for Cambridge City Council in their community development team, taking a lead for children and young people’s services where she supported the delivery of discretionary play and youth projects as well as providing safeguarding training.
More recently she has become a foster parent offering short term and respite care for young people which is proving to be highly rewarding.
Paula is passionate about listening to and involving young people in the decisions that affect them and is a keen advocate for putting them at the heart of service provision.
Paula is looking forward to working with Turtle Dove on their Alternative Education programme.
In her leisure time she enjoys writing, travel and dancing!
Kate Shore
Alternative Education Youth Support Worker
Kate has 20 years’ experience in advice and information giving roles. She worked at Cambridgeshire County Council for 11 years, providing support to unemployed and at-risk young people regarding training, learning and employment opportunities.
Kate is social-minded and is a passionate advocate for young people. She believes in active listening, and respectful, clear communication. She feels privileged to contribute to the positive well-being and self-esteem of young people.
She has assisted in the support and training of college students with SEND at fundraising music nights and performing arts workshops as a Music Mentor, encouraging students to participate, celebrate their talents, work together and grow in confidence. She feels her own experience as a neurodivergent person enables her to think creatively and is very useful in working with young people.
Kate is proud and excited to be supporting young women as part of the Turtle Dove team, in the role of Alternative Education Youth Support Worker.
Kate loves music and performs in an all-female band. She also enjoys drawing, socialising, cooking global veggie food (and eating it!), vintage fashion and going to gigs.
Event and Casual Staff
We have a bank of experienced youth workers, trainers and teaching staff who often also have hospitality experience. By working alongside the young women at the events and workshops they provide invaluable skills, support and encouragement that helps us get the job done!
We are always looking to add to this section of our team - do drop us an email if you would like to find out more at hello@turtledovecambridge.com.
Volunteers
From ironing our uniform to helping with events and administrative tasks we have an amazing team of volunteers! If you would like to know more about how you might be able to get involved do contact us here.
Directors & Advisors
Edwina Mullins
Director
edwina@turtledovecambridge.com
Edwina started her first events business in 1997, with an aim to provide a platform to promote her school friends’ bands. With a degree in Hospitality Business Management, she has worked in events and marketing for a range of companies and currently leads a marketing team within a Cambridge technology company.
Edwina brings her marketing and events experience to Turtle Dove as well as knowledge of the local Cambridge business landscape for corporate partnerships and fundraising opportunities.
At the weekends, she plays taxi to her kids and has a passion for food so is usually found cooking up something in her kitchen.
Laura Atkin
Director
Laura has been a teacher for over 8 years, and for the majority of those years has worked in a pastoral role. Laura really enjoys supporting young people and enabling them to create brighter futures for themselves.
Laura decided to start working with Turtle Dove to be able to support young women in a different way to how schools are able to work.
Laura enjoys weight training at the gym, travelling and hanging out with her friends (largely eating food with the occasional spa day).
Sarah Hewett
Advisor
Sarah is a finance professional by training and a social entrepreneur at heart. She has worked for Innocent Drinks and Abcam in financial business planning roles, but also founded her own social enterprise Monthlies, a subscription service for environmentally friendly menstrual products, with a strong campaigning ethos, working to improve access to menstrual products for women globally. She is highly passionate about gender equality and environmental issues. Before becoming an Advisor, Sarah volunteered with Turtle Dove for three years and continues to do so.
Ali Rice
Advisor
Ali has held various senior positions throughout her career including 12 years as Managing Director in the Childcare & Leisure sectors leading a company which is now the UK’s largest and most successful operator of activity day camps. Since 2016 Ali has run her own consultancy business working with a variety of small business owners to help them grow their business with a range of services aimed at increasing brand awareness, attracting new customers, transforming customer experiences and revising systems. Over the past 15 years Ali has contributed to a number of boards and committees and in her spare time she enjoys a very happy (& busy!) family life with her husband and 3 children.
Monika Jerszynska
Advisor
monika@turtledovecambridge.com
Monika is a project manager with 15 years of experience across various industries. She has played a leading role in full product life-cycles, as both: operations lead and product lead. Currently supports business model replication at People Powered Retrofit.
Previous work has included leadership roles at Bridgemark Education and before that at the Oxford Prospects and Global Development Centre (OPGDC) which is an interdisciplinary centre that aims to promote discussion and inspire new ideas among students, scholars, academics, policy makers and industrial leaders.
Before that she was dividing her time between being a full-time graphic designer and working as a Project Development Manager at a Community Interest Company in Manchester. In 2013 they received an award from the Manchester City Council: “The International Women’s Day Women’s Award: Women Protecting Our Environment”.
As an Advisor Monika hopes to utilise her skills and network in a way that benefits Turtle Dove and its cause.
Yannick Auckland
Advisor
yannick@turtledovecambridge.com
Yannick has supported voluntary organisations, cross sector partnerships and asset sharing as a corporate fundraiser, youth and community worker, trainer, facilitator and network lead. She has promoted children’s rights and potential as an advocate, youth worker and supported housing manager. Turtle Dove were one of the first partners in the Time Credit Network she manages (with 150 community, council and business partners). She is a freelance participation specialist and in her spare time loves countryside walks, choreographed step and singing badly but loudly in the car.
Safeguarding Support
We work closely with Safeguarding consultants and experts to support the work of Turtle Dove Cambridge. If you would like to know more or are interested in supporting us in this way, please do get in touch with us via hello@turtledovecambridge.com. We are currently working with Kim Mabbutt.
Kim Mabbutt
Kim is an experienced practitioner, leader, and manager who has dedicated her career to children and families within the NHS and Local Authorities.
Kim has a particular interest in supporting organisations within the third sector who have an interest in supporting children, families, and the most marginalised and vulnerable in our society.
Kim offers safeguarding and operational consultancy support to Turtle Dove Cambridge.
