Meet the Team

Moya Woolven (she/her)

CEO (joined as Operations Manager in March 2016)

I am currently CEO at Basis Yorkshire, who have been working with sex working women, sexual exploitation survivors, and sexually exploited children for nearly 30 years. Basis is a GSK Kings Fund Award winning organisation for its positive impact on community health. In my current role, I lead for the third sector on the ‘Managed Approach’ to sex work in Leeds and the response to child sexual exploitation. My role involves work with staff and service users, partners and our Board of Trustees to promote the safety and wellbeing of the people we work with, tackling stigma and discrimination.

Amber Wilson

Business Development and Marketing Manager since 2014

My role is to identify new opportunities to further meet the needs of our service users and source funding for these, either on our own or through partnerships, raise awareness of and funds in the community for our work as well as advocate for our service users through social media, our website, newsletters etc. I also coordinate and promote our training and awareness raising program.

Melanie Bold

Administrator and Finance Assistant since May 2018

My job is to ensure the smooth running of the office and to assist my colleagues as and when required. This can mean anything from answering the phone, responding to online queries and ordering office supplies, to dealing with suppliers, preparing training packs and booking training sessions, hotels and train tickets, right through to assisting with the recruitment process and producing reports necessary for monitoring and evaluation purposes. I also work with our accountant helping with the financial administration of the organisation, which ranges from raising sales invoices for the services or resources we provide, to allocating payments to the correct invoices and dealing with payroll enquiries. I am also a Fire Warden.

Phoebe Thomas (she/her)

Project Assistant Since September 2020.

I am working here at Basis as the Project Assistant for the next year. My role involves supporting the team tasks and campaigns as well as supporting any comms related activities through a mixture of admin, creating resources for service users and also analysing research that has been published regarding sex work and the law.

Joan Coulton (she/her)

Interim Service Manager

As the interim service manager I support and work alongside the adult team and partner agencies to ensure the smooth running of the service on a day to day basis as well as supporting women in crisis. I also deliver training on working with women sexworkers on behalf of Basis (now online) nationally.

Nicky Pickup (she/her)

Housing First Support Worker

My role involves working with a small caseload of six women, where women with complex and multiple needs are offered a stable and suitable home, along with unconditional intensive support that is needs-based and client-led, in an area where they choose to live. The service provided by Basis is one of the only sex worker specific projects in the country and has met significant needs for women who were previously falling through the gaps of existing services. After a very successful pilot project in 2017 we have now secured further funding for three years to be able to continue to offer the Housing First scheme in collaboration with Turning Lives Around.

Caz Field (she/her)

Housing First Support Worker since Feb 2020

My role involves supporting a small caseload of women with complex and multiple needs, using the Housing First approach to find them a safe and stable home in an area of their choice. In collaboration with Turning Lives Around, we offer unconditional, intensive support from a person-centred approach to women who may otherwise be missed by other existing services.

Catherine Tottie (she/her)

Housing Influencing Change Worker since December 2020

I am a Housing Influencing Change Worker, meaning I work to push for change in the systems and pathways that support women sex workers to obtain or maintain permanent homes. I work with agencies across Leeds to challenge barriers into housing, working towards the wider goal of ending homelessness for good.

Catriona Craven-Matthews (she/her)

Health Influencing Change Worker since December 2020

As Health Influencing Change Worker, I work on a project focused on creating systems change to improve access and remove barriers to health care, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes for women sex workers in Leeds. This involves engaging with partner organizations to identify opportunities for change, provide healthy challenge, and establish best practice. The project aims to improve gender- and trauma-informed practice, centering sex workers' voices to ensure health systems work for them.

Gillian Collingwood (she/her)

Outreach Worker since September 2018

I work with street and indoor workers with specific focus on the running of the New Futures group for any women looking for more choice and control in their lives.

Gail Lewis

CLLD Outreach Worker since Feb 2020

I’m the Adult Outreach Worker CLLD with a particular focus on group and 1:1 work with women who are looking towards their future. We’ll be looking at goal setting, self esteem, confidence building as well as the more practical tools needed when thinking about entering employment, training and volunteering, like CV writing, IT skills and how to job search and make applications. We’ll be fitting in some activities like yoga, exercise sessions, arts and crafts and cooking on a budget with an emphasis on self care and wellness.

Izzy Kynoch (she/her)

Inclusion & Participation Worker Since Feb 2020

I work with sexworkers to ensure their voices are included in policy, strategy and practice development as part of Womens' Lives Leeds.

Nicola Hardman (she/her)

Mental Health Outreach Worker since May 2019

I am the Mental Health Outreach Worker within the Adult Team. I work 1:1 with women experiencing mental health issues in order to provide emotional and practical support. Together we prioritise issues to enable the women to stay safe and make informed positive choices.

Eloise Staves (she/her)

Outreach Support Worker since April 2020

I am currently working as an Outreach Support Worker at Basis Yorkshire. My role is to provide both emotional and practical support to women with multiple and complex needs. I work 1:1 with women and offer intensive support which prioritises their safety and wellbeing. My role relies on multi-agency partnerships and I ensure women have access to any services relevant to their needs, supporting them effectively throughout.

Helina Majid (she/her)

Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA)

My role as an ISVA is focused around working with clients who have experienced sexual violence. In this role I can provide emotional and practical support, including exploring options regarding reporting if this is something the client wants to do. If the case is taken to court I can support throughout the process and act as a single point of contact when liaising with police and relevant organisations.

Julie Blake (she/her)

Young Person’s Outreach Worker since September 2020

I am a young person’s outreach worker, supporting girls and young women, boys and young men, aged 11-18, who are sexually exploited or at serious risk thereof in Hull. My role involves working with young people on a 1-1 basis, offering confidential and emotional support, building a trusting relationship and raising their awareness of the risks they are facing, in a place where they feel most comfortable.

Stacey Maher (she/her)

Young Person's Outreach Worker since July 2018

I am the young person’s outreach worker specifically for boys and young men at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation, in Leeds and Bradford. My role involves working 1:1 with boys and young men aged 11-18 offering them support on emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships, staying safe, minimising risk and empowering them to move forward positively in their lives.

Rebekah Vickers (she/her)

Interim Young People’s Team Leader / STAGE project outreach worker since 2019

I am currently leading the fantastic Young People’s CSE team at Basis. The service seeks to provide education and support to young people at medium to high risk of CSE. My role involves supporting the team in their work and attending local meetings regarding CSE.
I also work as a caseworker for the STAGE project, which is a partnership project across the North of England that aims to support women aged 16+ who have experienced or who are experiencing Sexual Exploitation. My role within this has involved supporting a varied caseload of women in a trauma informed way, providing education, a listening ear and supporting with access to services.

Carwen Jones (she/her)

Young Person's Outreach Worker since March 2014

As a Young Person's Outreach Worker I work 1:1 with girls and young women who are being sexually epxloited or significant risk thereof - building their trust, establishing a relationship, raising their awareness of the risks they are facing and how to reduce these through talking to them about CSE and related issues such as online safety, health relationships, sexual health etc. I also deliver training to other professionals in Leeds and elsewhere to other professionals and deliver awareness sessions in schools about CSE, online safety and consent.

Basis Yorkshire Team Member Devin

Devin Kelly (she/her)

Young Person's Outreach Worker since July 2015

As a Young Person's Outreach Worker I work 1:1 with all young people who are being sexually exploited or at significant risk thereof - building their trust, establishing a relationship, raising their awareness of the risks they are facing and how to reduce these through talking to them about CSE and related issues such as online safety, health relationships, sexual health etc. I also deliver training to other professionals in Leeds and elsewhere to other professionals and deliver awareness sessions in schools about CSE, online safety and consent.

Karen Chapman

Associate Trainer

Currently I am a freelance trainer specialising in CSE, Trauma and Attachment, Safeguarding and Improving Wellbeing In The Work Place. I am extremely passionate about training and increasing people’s knowledge and I ensure that my training is informative, real, whilst also enjoyable. I have my own private counselling practice in North Yorkshire, specialising in Trauma, Abuse, Loss and Couple Relationships. I also work in local schools providing a safe environment for young people aged 11 to 16 to explore their thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Michelle Stoops

Associate Trainer

I’m the service lead for the Red Umbrella @Changing Lives in Merseyside. The service works with anyone in the Sex/Adult industries who has been a victim of a crime because of their work. I manage a small team of staff and volunteers including a SWISVA (Sex Work ISVA) and a Migrancy worker. We are passionate advocates for our clients and work hard to ensure justice for them. I also am a trainer and love this part of my work.

Adele Gladman

Associate Trainer

I am an established independent safeguarding children trainer and consultant. My areas of expertise include Safeguarding Children, Child Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Neglect, and practice standards. My current work includes working with the Children’s Commissioner regarding a new online app for young people wanting advice on potential safeguarding issues; and work with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Judith Staff

Associate Trainer

I am a teacher with a background in early years, safeguarding and child trauma. I teach part-time, and deliver training across various sectors including education, police, social care and the voluntary sector. I deliver a range of Protective Behaviours courses, Voice of the Child training, basic safeguarding refreshers (for schools), and various conference workshops.

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