Janet founded ESCAPE Family Support following the death of 16 year old daughter Jennie from drug poisoning in March 1994 and became CEO of the charity in 1998; she has a Diploma in Voluntary Sector Studies.

Janet was made an MBE in 2007 for services to disadvantaged people in Northumberland. Janet took voluntary redundancy in April 2016 to preserve front line services and re-joined the board of Trustees in October 2016. She continues as CEO on a full time voluntary basis

After joining the board in 2015 and becoming chair in 2016, Jackie will soon be completing her full term as a trustee at ESCAPE. She is able to look back on 30+ years of experience in NHS management and on the board of other charities in the learning and skills, and social housing sectors, which made her invaluable to ESCAPE. She is now a full-time carer and enjoys spending time with friends and family and having holidays in England.

Holly is an Accountancy graduate from Northumbria University and a Chartered Accountant. She has a number of years experience in public sector external audit Mazars LLP and the National Audit Office. She also has external audit experience in charities, acadamies and corporate clients and has internal audit experience with housing associations. Holly is currently a Public Sector Audit Quality Support Manager at Forvis Mazars LLP who supports public sector audit teams who hold a range of clients local authorities, NHS, central government and colleges. Holly has volunteered for Oxfam in various roles over the years.

Outside of ESCAPE, Laura is an External Communications and Engagement Manager at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Specialising in marketing, Laura has a real passion for using her skills to effect behaviour change in the public to improve health outcomes in the local population. Using her creative marketing skills, she aims to engage as many people as possible with the health trust to empower individuals to take control of their own health, whatever their socio-economic background.

Stephen blends a strong academic background with practical experience. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Information Technology and possesses deep expertise in information systems, security, and their diverse applications to business needs.

 

Currently, he thrives as a Product Lead at a leading IT management solutions platform, where he spearheads product vision, roadmap development, and feature prioritization, ensuring seamless product development and successful launches.

 

Stephen provides invaluable support to ESCAPE, contributing both as a trustee and a volunteer. His involvement ranges from offering guidance and advice to actively participating in practical projects that address the charity’s technological needs and enhance its processes.

I am a social researcher and qualified social worker. My specialisms include social policy analysis and research, especially around mental health. I am interested in the governance of vulnerable groups of people and the ethics around this. 

I chair the OPS group which oversees policy and practice at ESCAPE. As well as having involvement with the development and reviewing of policy and practice, i have a role in considering the ethics surronding this.  Given my social work experience, I also have oversight of safeguarding incidents with are reviewed by a small working group. I have also been involved in some of the evaluation of the services offered at ESCAPE and am interested in developing more participatory approaches in future service development.

Outside of ESCAPE I have a very active lifestyle, i enjoy being outdoors especially hiking.  I love spending time with my family and friends, as well as travelling, culture and cooking.

Thomas has an undergraduate and masters degree in psychology. During the final year of his undergraduate, he interned with us as a data designer. He was keen to stay on and support the organisation further with data analysis and other operational support. Now studying a PhD at Northumbria University, his research specialises in cybersecurity and mental health.