In March the GFS Board of Trustees appointed five new brilliant women to help guide and support our organisation in to build a better more equal world for girls and young women.
We are pleased to share with you a little about each of them:
Sabrina is a feminist advocate specialising in policy, advocacy, campaigning and strategic communications.
She brings more than 14 years of experience in influencing change across civil society, philanthropy and purpose-led creative agencies, with a strong focus on advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls.
In her current role at Project Everyone, she leads global initiatives to drive political will, shape narratives, and mobilise action in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prior to this, she served as Director of National and Regional Advocacy at Malala Fund, working with partners and governments to advance girls’ education.
Sabrina de Souza,
Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Project Everyone
Sabrina’s work spans global campaigns, coalition-building, and high-level engagement with governments, multilaterals and philanthropic institutions. She is particularly passionate about shifting power, amplifying underrepresented voices, and supporting girls and young women to lead change in their communities.
Emma Hardy,
Communications Director at the Internet Watch Foundation
Emma has has been part of the senior leadership team at the Internet Watch Foundation for over 15 years, helping to guide the organisation through significant growth and increasing global influence in tackling online child sexual abuse.
A Chartered PR professional with more than 20 years’ experience across policing, local government, journalism and the third sector, Emma specialises in strategic communications, safeguarding, and organisational reputation in complex and sensitive environments.
She has led high-impact national and international campaigns, built influential partnerships across technology, government and civil society, and played a key role in shaping public policy and awareness around online harms affecting children and young people.
Emma also serves as Co-Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, a national collaboration reaching millions of children, parents and professionals each year with education, support and advice to help young people navigate the online world safely and confidently.
Within her leadership role, Emma works collaboratively across her organisation to support strategy, governance, risk management and cross-cutting initiatives, bringing a whole-organisation perspective to decision-making. She is particularly motivated by creating environments where children and young people – especially girls – feel safe, heard and able to thrive, and is passionate about supporting organisations that build confidence, resilience and opportunity for every child.
Kay is a people and culture leader passionate about creating a society where every girl and young woman feels safe, valued and able to fulfil her potential and bring her true authentic self to the table.
She leads strategic work on people, culture and organisational development, championing inclusive environments where children, families and colleagues can thrive.
With 25 years experience in HR leadership across a variety of sectors in purpose and founder led organisations. Kay brings a deep commitment to supporting girls and young women to build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging.
Kay Cavender,
Chief People Officer at Family First Nurseries
Her work focuses on shaping cultures and systems that prioritise wellbeing, equity and opportunity are values that closely align with our organisation’s mission. Throughout her career, Kay has been passionate about enabling others to grow and lead, and loves to create pathways for young people to have their voices heard and their ambitions realised.
She is particularly motivated by the opportunity to support the Girls’ Friendly Society in empowering girls to overcome barriers, build positive futures and lead change within their communities.
Lorna Bloom,
Tesco Retail Media Finance Director
Lorna is an experienced finance professional, having held a number of leadership roles across data, media and grocery retail.
She has extensive experience in financial stewardship, governance and strategic decision making.
Lorna is passionate about empowering girls to reach their full potential and believes in the importance of safe, supportive environments to help girls thrive.
Hannah is a trained Social Worker with more than ten years’ experience in safeguarding.
Hannah is an advocate for girls’ safe participation and has worked in safeguarding within UK and international contexts, supporting Survivors and managing risk.
Hannah is currently a Senior Safeguarding Specialist within the Civil Service. In previous roles she has worked in safeguarding at Oxfam, Girls Not Brides and within Local Authority.
She holds a Master’s in Social Work Research and in Violence, Conflict and Development.
