More about…
Our Directors
About Andy
Alongside being part of the delivery team, I am also a Director of Focusing Minds CIC. With extensive experience working alongside schools, families, and community organisations, I am passionate about creating opportunities for young people to build confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to thrive both in education and in everyday life.
Throughout my career, I have worked directly with children and young people facing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, emotional wellbeing difficulties, low self-esteem, school attendance concerns, behavioural challenges, and barriers to learning. My approach is centred on building positive, trusting relationships that enable young people to feel heard, valued, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives.
As Director at Focusing Minds CIC, I lead the development and delivery of tailored support, coaching, mentoring, and wellbeing interventions designed to meet the unique needs of each individual. I typically screen enquiries and relay referrals to the best placed member of our team.
Much goes on behind the scenes, so I also lead on managing Focusing Minds’ finances, working with our accounts team and accountants to ensure we retain financial transparency. I also lead on our marketing efforts, both in our local communities and further afield to schools and education settings, as well as looking after the general day-to-day running of the organisation.
I believe that every young person has strengths and potential that can be nurtured when they are provided with the right support, encouragement, and environment in which to grow. I remain as committed as ever to working collaboratively with schools, parents, carers, and partner organisations to ensure that support is holistic, accessible, and impactful. Through Focusing Minds CIC, I strive to make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people by helping them develop the confidence, resilience, and self-belief needed to achieve their goals and realise their potential.
About Drew
Hi, I’m Andrew (Drew), a Director at Focusing Minds CIC. I bring extensive experience in social research and public engagement, with a strong focus on understanding the experiences of children, young people, families, and communities to help inform better services and support.
Through my work as Research Director at Enventure Research, I have led multiple research projects exploring the experiences of parents, carers, and young people. This has included surveys with parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), analysing findings from surveys with school pupils, and facilitating focus groups and engagement activities with children and young people to ensure their voices are heard and reflected in research and decision-making. Earlier in my career, I worked with the Picker Institute, contributing to research focused on patient and service user experience.
I am passionate about the work of Focusing Minds and the difference it can make to young people’s lives. My professional experience has shown me how important it is to listen to young people and understand the challenges they face, particularly around wellbeing and mental health. I strongly believe that every young person who needs support should be able to access help that enables them to thrive both in school and within their wider community.
About Nick
Hi, I’m Nick, one of the Directors here at Focusing Minds. I am passionate about supporting children and young people to achieve positive outcomes and reach their full potential. As a Director at Focusing Minds, I am proud to contribute to a service that focuses on wellbeing and personal development.
Alongside this role, I work within a Local Authority and serve as a school governor, giving me valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing schools and families. I am committed to collaborative working, supporting wellbeing and helping to create environments where people feel supported, valued and able to succeed.
My experience across education, governance and public services has strengthened my passion for making a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others.
As part of my role at Focusing Minds, I support with the governance of safeguarding and act as the organisation’s Deputy DSL. This is alongside ensuring our team of associates are recruited using the relevant guidelines for safer recruitment and maintaining our safeguarding log.