Who we are
Ambassadors
YolanDa Brown OBE
YolanDa Brown OBE is a musician, broadcaster, author, entrepreneur, philanthropist.
She is Chair of BPI, Chair of Youth Music, sits on the Arts Council National Council, PRS Foundation trustee, an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and London Music Fund.
I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to become an ambassador for the Young Voices Foundation. Music has the incredible power to bring joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging to children’s lives. Young Voices has been at the forefront of inspiring young hearts through music, and I am excited to champion their remarkable work.
Together, we will continue to break down barriers and ensure that every child has access to the transformative experience of music and singing.
Let’s raise our voices and make a difference in the lives of our future generations!
Ruti Olajugbagbe
Musician, Songwriter and The Voice UK Season 7 winner
I didn’t realise how big of a thing Young Voices was in my life. I was 8 years old and in the Young Voices Choir at The 02, watching Beverley Knight perform on stage was inspirational and I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
Crazy but I didn’t think I’d end up here on that exact stage. Through The Young Voices Foundation, I aim to inspire more young individuals like myself.
Anna Phoebe
Violinist and composer working on cross-genre solo and collaborative projects and a board director for the Ivors Academy.
I’m thrilled to be working with Young Voices to ignite the spark of creativity in over 200,000 children across thousands of schools. By empowering them to express themselves through songwriting I hope we inspire the next Harry Styles, Stormzy, Dua Lipa or Tim Minchin.
Emma Bownes
Vice President Venue Programming, The 02 and Europe
As a venue I think it is incredibly important that we offer access and opportunity and give children a gateway to experience the joy and wonder of live music.
Tommy Blaize
Tommy Blaize is best known as the lead singer on Strictly Come Dancing for more than 20 years. Over his remarkable 50 year career Tommy has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists from Diana Ross to Queen; The Beach Boys to Amy Winehouse; Joe Cocker to Stevie Wonder.
‘Young Voices is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen or been a part of and I am more than proud to be an Ambassador for the Young Voices Foundation. This special organisation gives children a platform to come together from all backgrounds, build a connection through music and sing their hearts out as one. It has been truly inspiring joining the tour, and I am honoured to be part of the Young Voices family and to help bring this magical opportunity to as many children as possible from all walks of life.’
Trustees
Nicola Newby – Chair of Trustees
Nicola joins the Foundation at an exciting stage in its development, as it continues to widen access to music and singing for children and young people who might otherwise be unable to take part.
With more than two decades of leadership experience spanning global organisations, transformation, governance and strategic development, Nicola brings a strong commitment to helping organisations grow sustainably while staying true to their purpose.
I am delighted to take on the role of Chair of Trustees at Young Voices Foundation. The opportunity to help more children experience the confidence, connection and joy that music can bring is something I feel genuinely passionate about. Young Voices Foundation is making a real difference to young people, schools and communities, and I look forward to working with the board, Lisa and our partners to build on that impact and support the Foundation’s next stage of growth.
Abi D’Amore
Abi D’Amore is an evaluator, facilitator, strategist and director with more than 25 years experience in the music/arts education sector. She is lead evaluator for Arts Council England’s Creativity Collaboratives, Sandwell Council’s Holiday Activities and Food initiative, City of London Sinfonia’s Sound Young Minds and consults for multiple organisations. She was formerly Chief Executive of Musical Futures, which was recognised as one of the Finnish Hundred top global innovations in 2017.
She is a trustee of the YV Foundation due to her passion for addressing the inequities of access that children/young people face with being able to access high quality performance opportunities and experience live music.
Dej Mahoney
Dr Julia Jones
Neuroscientist, former Olympic psychologist, founder of health-tech startup, Holidity, author of ‘The Music Diet’, and lead guitarist in all-female rock band, ‘Pretty Crap’.
Julia has been working in the field of music for health, wellbeing, customer experience, and high performance, for 30 years.
I joined the Young Voices Foundation team as a Trustee in 2010. Young Voices is an immensely magical and inspiring experience for school children and I’m proud to play a small part in ensuring that these incredible opportunities are accessible to more children who will remember them for a lifetime.
Muhammad Naveed Idrees OBE, Principal at Lift Feversham
Naveed is a passionate educator and leader dedicated to empowering young people through creativity and the arts. His work focuses on fostering confidence and growth in children.
As a YV Foundation trustee, I’m driven by the belief that music transforms lives. Together, we’re inspiring a new generation to find their voice and build lasting connections through the power of song.
Grace Meadows
Grace is a passionate advocate for the power of music, having trained as a musician and a music therapist, and more recently having led a national music campaign. She is currently Head of Music Minds Matter, a charity putting mental health centre stage in music. Grace holds several trustees roles for music charities, including Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir and the Music Therapy Charity.
Young Voices offers extraordinary musical experiences for children and through the work of the Foundation, I hope we can continue to grow these incredible opportunities for more children so they can experience the power of music through unforgettable experiences.
Ben Lewis
Ben Lewis has led Young Voices as CEO for more than 20 years, and has played a fundamental role in expanding the organization’s reach within the United Kingdom and on the international stage. Ben has worked across all departments of Young Voices, which has given him a comprehensive understanding of the organisation’s culture and management, and equipped him with an integrated vision for programme development and collective music education. Throughout his career, Ben has collaborated with a large number of world-renowned artists, government bodies, and cultural initiatives, and has overseen projects at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and performance venues. In 2016, he was honoured on stage at The O2, one of London’s most prominent cultural landmarks, with recognition for his outstanding contributions to the development of the performing arts.
Dan Timms
As Chief Operating Officer at Young Voices, Dan has played a pivotal role in expanding the organization internationally and has established and launched dedicated grant schemes to support the Young Voices Foundation in assisting schools in need. He currently oversees all internal operations, including strategic planning, team management, business development, and resource oversight. Dan has led more than 300 Young Voices singing concerts across 15 global locations, including The O2 London, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Ireland, and the United States. Dan maintains active involvement in the performing arts as a singer, producer, director, and playwright, and holds an ABRSM Grade 6 qualification in piano performance.
The Team
YV Foundation Manager: Lisa Gagliani MBE
Lisa is a very experienced charity leader who has a deep commitment to youth and wellbeing charities, especially those connected to artistic expression. She’s helped scale and grow various organisations, including grant maker The Childhood Trust. More recently she was CEO of Independent Arts on the Isle of Wight, a creative health charity. As a freelance consultant she’s worked with London Youth Choir among others and was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to young people and small businesses. She lives with her husband, who is a landscape painter and they share a love of live music.