Meet The Team
This is our wonderful and highly trained team responsible for the development and implementation of the projects and programmes Creating Positive Opportunity provide. Our team members work very closely with the community and support the progress of individuals throughout their journey. We are here to make a positive difference in the community and give people the means they need to achieve their ambitions and improve their lives.
Stephen has a background in both education and journalism and became the Managing Director of Creating Positive Opportunity in April 2006. Stephen’s daily responsibilities include managing the organisation and business development. His passion for education as a way of reducing disadvantage and poverty to our local communities runs through everything that he and his team at Creating Positive Opportunity do, ensuring every child and family is supported in the whole.
Stephen’s additional responsibilities include Chairing the Mental Health Alliance. VCSE Lead on the Children, Young People & Families Strategic Board, including Chairing the Developing Well and Living Well Board; VCSE Lead on the Mental Health Sector Network (HCP) and the Children’s, Staying Well Board; VCSE lead on the Youth Partnership Board, and the Youth Justice Steering Group, NEL Skills Board. Trustee of Lincolnshire Community Foundation, Vice Chair of the NEL VCSE Alliance & the NEL VCSE Forum, and being a Governor at John Whitgift Academy.
Stephen Ryder
Managing Director
Director of projects and organisational governac/ DSL
Claire started in September 2023. Claire has worked for over 2 decades on the Social Emotional Mental Health/ safeguarding agenda within schools and other organisations. Claire has worked with all age ranges from early years up to post 16 education. She has extensive professional and academic qualifications, focusing on therapeutic approaches and leadership in working with children and young people. Claire is also a school governor for a local primary school with a key focus on safeguarding and SEMH.
Claire Wong
Director of Projects & Organisational Governace/ DSL
Company Secretary
Tracey is also fully-qualified and has over ten years’ experience of teaching Functional Skills maths and English and Employability subjects to a diverse range of learners. Her nurturing, composed delivery style enables many of our learners to gain confidence, and enjoy their learning experience with us.
Tracey Rodgers-Gibbs
Tutor
Stevie Evardson
Director of projects & Human resources
Stevie has extensive experience in business management, operational leadership, and community support. She delivers a range of Creating Positive Opportunity projects that empower individuals, build confidence, and promote resilience. As a qualified Mental Health First Aider, Stevie is deeply committed to improving mental health and wellbeing, embedding this focus into all aspects of her work. With a strong track record in strategic growth and relationship-building, she ensures projects run smoothly and deliver meaningful, lasting impact for the communities she serves.
Stevie Evardson
Director of Projects & Human Resources
Sharon Mountain
Tutor
Sharon comes with a wealth of experience in education and training, and the learner is at the heart of all of her delivery. She is responsible for our accredited maths and English courses, and has a particular
affinity with our young people, inspiring them through humour and a friendly delivery style to motivate them to achieve their potential.
Emma Jackson
Young Person's Practitioner
Emma joined the team in 2024 as a dedicated Young Person’s Practitioner, bringing a wealth of experience in youth justice, housing, and supporting individuals with learning difficulties, mental health challenges, and educational needs. She holds extensive professional and academic qualifications in the health and social care sector, including a PGCE in Lifelong Learning. Emma is passionate about engaging and empowering people, offering her expertise to build meaningful connections to help create positive change. She is actively involved in the Full Families Project and Children in Need programs, where her work demonstrates a deep commitment to helping young people grow, build resilience, and feel supported as they navigate their journey toward a brighter future.
Having previously been a project participant, Katie works as a delivery officer and project co-ordinator on our CBO project. Her role includes assisting, teaching and supporting our clients with ‘soft skills’ such as confidence building, computer skills, and vocational training, and has responsibility for the CBO budget and reports.
Katie Fytche
CBO Project Co-ordinator
Young Person's Practitioner
Emma Jackson
Samantha Chester
Project Delivery Officer and Volunteer Co-ordinator
Sam joined the team in April 2023 and has many years’ experience of working with young people and adults. She offers one-to-one learning to our clients with SEND and Educational, Health and Care Plans. Sam has been passionate about working to support our local community since she left school, and has since gone on to gain her PGCE to enable herself to teach others. Sam has an array of knowledge of the Health and Social Care Sector and experience of working within housing and homelessness.
Nicki Fulton
In-House Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Nicki is a counsellor and psychotherapist, whose approach tends to be relational, humanistic, and trauma-informed. She has worked in specialist therapeutic settings that include sexual violence and domestic abuse services, occupational health, and bereavement support. Her earlier career was in education, supporting autistic learners in a residential college provision. Nicki is passionate about progressive approaches to mental health and wellbeing, and believes that empathy and relationship is key in helping people to empower themselves.
Darlene Linford
SEND Support Worker
Paul Hardy
Business Administrator
Paul’s duties include administrating the Grimsby Full Families project, preparing publication orders, maintaining and updating company documents, and assisting with media and IT training. Paul started at Creating Positive Opportunity as a regular volunteer, and much of his time is spent supporting our delivery staff and Operations Manager in their day-to-day tasks.
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Ryan Page
Physical Activity Lead
Ryan is our newest physical activity lead. He takes weekly group classes, one-to-one gym sessions and well-being walks at the beach. With a background in sports anatomy and physiology, whilst having competed in national level sport, he brings experience, passion and enthusiasm to his work. Ryan creates a positive environment within all his activities, aiming to improve confidence, social skills, knowledge and most importantly a more positive outlook on the health and well being sector.
Employability and Budgeting Coach/Finance Officer
Nicola Robinson
Nicola joined us in May 2023 after 37 years working in the public sector, supporting working-age customers with barriers to employment. During this time, she coached, encouraged & supported people into work, or closer to being work-ready as well as working with Self Employed people, already working, to help increase their earnings. Her skill lies in being able to engage with people from all walks of life, becoming a trusted source of information and support to all her customers. Her roles include CPO finance duties, to administrate our adult maths programme, 'Multiply', ensuring that our tutors can get on with the business of teaching. Nicola has also written an 8-hour budgeting course, where she has taught people various budgeting techniques & a shortened version of this course is delivered as part of the Careershift programme. She delivers our Employability sessions where our clients learn about job search & interview tips and about having a quality CV. Her experience has enabled her to deliver lively and quality employability sessions and has coached & encouraged many of our clients too.
Ashley Draper
Ashley has over nine years of experience teaching in secondary schools and post-16 provisions and now works as a Tutor at CPO. He delivers English and Maths to a diverse range of learners through both small group and 1:1 sessions, tailoring support to meet each student’s needs.
Ashley is passionate about giving young people the opportunity to thrive - especially those who may have struggled in mainstream education. He focuses on building confidence and helping learners gain their Functional Skills qualifications, opening doors to further education, training, or employment.
Drawing on his background in music, Ashley brings creativity and energy into the classroom, using hands-on techniques to make learning accessible and enjoyable. His approach is learner-centred, flexible, and focused on positive progress, no matter where a student starts from.
Tutor
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Having worked in Primary Schools for 12 years, Bev now works supporting learners who may find it difficult coping in mainstream education. Bev supports our young people in both one to one and in small groups working on English and Maths qualifications, enabling young people to once again enjoy their learning experience.
Beverley Blendell
Teaching Assistant/ Learning Support
Penny Thomas
Dementia Officer
Penny is our newest Dementia Officer, supporting individuals at various stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. She leads weekly group walks, one-to-one sessions, and gentle chair-based exercises to promote wellbeing and connection. With a warm, compassionate approach, Penny offers support through friendly conversation and meaningful engagement. She brings valuable experience from working with adults with learning and physical disabilities and is passionate about mental health and person-centred care.
Board of Directors
Janette Russon -Chair of Board
As a consultant Janette specialises in helping organisations to develop effective systems and processes to support their achievement of industry relevant accreditations and standards, and win business. Utilising her extensive knowledge in Supply Chain Management and Performance Strategies she helps organisations to work effectively together.
Lauren King - Director
Lauren has worked in North East Lincolnshire for over 17 years, leading and supporting a range of transformational programmes including Healthy Weight, Early Years, Active Travel, CYP Mental Health, and Neurodiversity. She now works within the NEL Health and Care Partnership, focusing on improving outcomes for children and young people by working across organisations to reduce inequalities and ensure services meet local needs. Outside of work, Lauren is a parent governor with a strong interest in SEND and enjoys family life with her two young daughters.
Stephen Ryder - Director
Stephen Ryder joined Community Press Office in September 2004 and became Managing Director in 2006. In 2011/12 he made the strategic changes which saw Creating Positive Opportunity become primarily an organisation that focused on education, training and employability.
Stevie Evardson - Director
Stevie is a passionate and dedicated leader with extensive experience in business management and community support. Possessing a deep understanding of operational leadership, strategic growth, and fostering meaningful relationships. Beyond the corporate world, Stevie has made a significant impact in the community by supporting children and families through various initiatives. Her commitment to social change is evident in her leadership of successful projects that have uplifted and empowered local communities, creating lasting, positive outcomes.
Hazel Stevens - Director
Hazel has worked in Public Health for over 18 years and specialises in Public Health Intelligence. Hazel’s main areas of work focus on child and maternal health, adolescent health and well-being and suicide prevention.
Millie Carr - Director
Millie is a Participation and Engagement Worker on the Resilience Project at Compass Go, which aims to explore resilience in relation to mental health and well-being from a holistic approach. This will help give young people the knowledge they need to feel confident in managing life’s challenges as they arise, and the skills to do so.
Abbie Pomfret - Director
Abbie is a Relationship Manager at Kooth Digital Health who aim to build mentally healthier, happier populations. Kooth is available from the first moment of need focusing on prevention and early intervention by providing low barrier accessible support. Abbie's experience and portfolio covers both CYP & Adults and the wider Yorkshire & North East area including NE Lincolnshire. Abbie's prior experience was in the workplace mental health and wider wellbeing sector.
Josie Taylor - Director
Josie joined us as a client, but has a wealth of experience in the advice and guidance sector. Her valuable perspective means that our client voice is heard at board meetings and Annual General Meetings.
Ginene Anderton - Director
Ginene is a Practitioner Supervisor for Young People’s Support Services in North East Lincolnshire.
She has over 20 years’ experience of working with young people, ranging from administration roles to her current role as a practitioner supervisor, working with young people aged 16-19 not in education, employment or training. Her responsibilities include strategic work for the local authority, directly supporting young people, and signposting to support services. Ginene has worked closely with us to support young people, and to build strong, supportive working relationships
with like-minded organisations for the benefit of our local families.