The YWCA of Great Britain is overseen by an intergenerational board of trustees whom provide thought leadership and handle operations for the organisation in accordance with its policies, strategic direction and budget.
The current Board plays a key role in strengthening YWCA GB’s presence in advocacy spaces and ensures that the diverse voices of young women in the UK are heard. The Board also holds the accountability and implementation of the She Leads fund.
The Board is committed to the amplification and representation of young feminist leaders.
Board of Trustees
Josie Young - Co Chair
Josie has been part of the YWCA movement for over ten years. Starting as a volunteer for her local YWCA in Australia, Josie represented YWCA Australia at World Council in 2012. Josie has experience as a Trustee for YWCA Victoria (Australia) and joined YWCA Great Britain when she moved to London in 2015. At World Council in 2016, Josie worked closely with young women from across the movement to amplify young women's voices throughout the Council.
Outside of the YWCA, Josie Young works at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, ethics and innovation. She was recently named Young Leader of the Year at the 2020 Women in IT Awards (London) and moved to Seattle (USA) mid-2020 to take up a role with Microsoft's Ethics & Society team.
Dr. Erica Lewis - Co Chair
Dr. Erica Lewis has been an active member for the YWCA for over 20 years. In that time Erica has been a board member of the YWCAs of Canberra and Australia; Treasurer of the YWCA of Canberra and Vice-Chair of the YWCA of Australia. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the YWCA of Great Britain and on the board of the World YWCA.
Outside of the YWCA, Erica is the elected leader of Lancaster City Council and a lecturer in Leadership at the University of Cumbria. Erica’s PhD looked at strengthening young women’s leadership in the YWCA and she is working with the World YWCA to build practice from that research. Erica also holds a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and degrees in both law and political science from the Australian National University.
Erica is a life member of both the YWCA of Canberra and the YWCA of Australia.
Ilona Brannen
Hiya, I’m Ilona and my passion in life is helping people to develop their abilities and realise their goals. I do this by helping them to learn and grow in the way that works best for them. I specialise in using digital technology to spark and enhance learning. I joined the YWCA as a trustee to use my skills to help young women all over the world develop their leadership skills so that we have a better world! I’ve been a diplomat, teacher, coach and now a consultant and I am using that wide skillset as a trustee for the YWCA and help empower the new generation of young female leaders.
A 90s kid, with over 15 years learning experience, learning isn’t about fads it's about a commitment to pushing boundaries, taking controlled risks backed by data and providing digital intimacy to provide safe places for ongoing improvement and to design inclusive experiences using technology and the virtual and IRL world. I love hearing stories about growth through learning, and how in the most difficult situations we often find the monumental courage to learn things we didn't think we could.
I'd love to hear your story.
Anna Lee
Anna is an experienced political organiser and equal rights activists, specialising in women's, mental health and trans rights. As a student, Anna became a leading trans rights activist which culminated in giving oral evidence to the Women and Equality Parliamentary Select Committee's first enquiry - the transgender enquiry. She then went on to win NUS Lgbt+ student of the year. After finishing her Maths degree, she worked as a political staffer, first for Cat Smith MP, the shadow minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs; then working for the Labour Party itself as a political organiser running different election campaigns up and down the country. She is now studying an MSc in Psychology online at the University of Derby.
Melissa Wills
Melissa has curated and executed on a number of projects and events including one of the most influential urban shows in the UK and the annual Artificial Intelligence Conference held at the Institute of Engineering and Technology. She has produced broadcast interviews and online content for the Cyber Security Research Institute and Future Intelligence podcasts reporting on the ramifications of technology for Resonance FM She is the founder of Women Like Me, a collective curated as a result of the lack of representation, support and progression for underrepresented groups within tech. Her passion, energy and drive for building communities has enabled safe spaces to exist where progressive conversation about race and gender equality can take place. She has worked with a number of start-up, private and public body organisations including curating and hosting an event at the House of Commons with the APPG for Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. She also sits on the IET Healthcare committee advising on cross-stakeholder engagement and issues regarding socio-spatial design, inclusion and diversity in engineering.
Photograph by Anita Skaber-Lee
Kirsty Kelly
I am Kirsty. Having grown up in the YWCA, I can definitely say I am who I am today because of the opportunities the YWCA has given me. Having served as president of YWCA Scotland, a board member of the European YWCA’s and as Vice President of the world YWCA, I have travelled the world learning, supporting and advocating the work of young women’s leadership through the work of the Y and continue to be a champion as we continue to empower children, young women and women throughout the world.
Music and Drama are my passions and as a Performing Arts teacher, I get to channel those passions with young people from many diversities and cultures. I am driven by building communities and using Music, I am able to do this through the inter-generational approach of connecting our older and youngest generations together through song.
I am passionate about the work that YWCA of Great Britain is engaging in and excited to see how we can continue to empower women all over the world.