Board and Staff

Board Members

Fatawu Yahaya – Chair

With a post graduate degree in Business Administration, and considerable experience working in the private sector both in UK & in Ghana, Fatawu has also worked as a teacher & is a former Chair of the Ghana Welfare Association in the West of Scotland. He has experience in marketing, fundraising, PR & the media. The newest member of the YCSA Board, Fatawu was elected at the AGM in May, 2019, & was subsequently appointed as Treasurer.

Anwari Din

A qualified Social Worker, Anwari also has postgraduate qualifications to Diploma & Masters level in a range of complementary therapies & counselling. During her career, in addition to many years as a Social Worker & Senior Social Worker, Anwari served as Race Equality Advisor to Strathclyde Regional Council, Training Officer for its Ethnic Minority Project & for 10 years until 2012 as CEO for the Youth Community Support Agency. Anwari has served on the Board of 4 Scottish charities, serving as Chair of 2 of these & has extensive experience of voluntary community work particularly with BME communities. Anwari joined the YCSA Board in Feb, 2017 to contribute her wide-ranging experience & commitment in the role of YCSA Board member, becoming Chair in Dec, 2017.

Shehla S. Ihsan

Educated to both Masters and Doctorate level, Shehla is a qualified & practicing prescribing pharmacist. She is also the CEO of an international trading company. Shehla is currently the Chair & Founder of a BME community health charity (SCIO) & has served
on the Boards of a number of other charities as well as having undertaken extensive community development work within the BME community for around 16 years. She previously chaired the Culturally Competent Planning Group of the GGCNHS Glasgow Diabetes Project & is also a current member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. A long term resident of Pollokshields, Shehla joined the YCSA Board in Feb, 2017 to bring her knowledge & experience of voluntary sector management to YCSA. Having served as an interim Treasurer for a period from Dec, 2017, Shehla served as Secretary of the Board from March 2018 until May 2019 & was appointed Vice Chair in June 2019.

Staff

Joe (Dip Youth & Community Work) – Programme Lead

Joe graduated in 1990, following years of community involvement addressing homelessness & addiction in his home town, setting up accommodation & counselling projects. Has worked across communities supporting young people with complex experiences of addiction & trauma related issues. Has supported various communities, youth organisations & national agencies (Princes Trust/Columba 1400) developing practice & engagements of hard to reach young people emphasising inclusion & employability. Has delivered training across a spectrum of youth & community development issues and he is currently working towards qualifications in applied psychology & counselling.

Natalie – Programme Lead (Safe to Grow)

Natalie completed her MA in Social Anthropology, then taught English in South East Asia, as well as completing some voluntary placements abroad doing community work and promoting equality across a range of issues. She then returned to the U.K. and completed her MEd in Community Development and Youth Work. Since doing so, she has worked in the community development and youth work sector, helping others with mental health, employability, and education. She is passionate about empowering others through creative projects, mind/ body work, and deepening connection with ones self and others. She loves being out in nature, practicing yoga & meditation, as well as writing and other creative endeavours.

Shameem – Counsellor & Wellbeing Co-ordinator

Shameem started her career in the civil service. During a career break whilst raising a family she was often occupied with either volunteering for charitable causes or learning new skills. One of her ambitions included sourcing organic fabrics, designing & creating bespoke, intricate pieces of clothing & scarves, which she displayed & sold in exhibitions. To keep active, she has accomplished a number of 10K walks & raised money for causes she holds dear to her heart. Her friends see her as a good listener & that is the reason she is doing the job she loves best! Her motto is everyone can help someone. Shameem is married with 2 children.

Paolo – Art Therapist (Healthy Young Minds Project)

Paolo comes from Italy, he used to live in London and he recently found a new home in Glasgow. Paolo is fine with the pronoun “he”, but he is also very happy with “they”. He spent his childhood drawing, and he thinks he is pretty good at it still today. Paolo loves reading, writing and learning from both books and people. Before training as an art therapist, he used to teach and to organise community activities in his neighbourhood. Paolo has worked as an art therapist in community centres, hospitals, schools, people’s homes, and with adults and children of many different backgrounds. As an art therapist he encourages people to use their creativity to explore the relationship with themselves and others. Paolo has also a passion for trees, vegetables and food, and he loves walking around Pollokshields to look at the neighbours’ plants and flowers. 

Misa – Art Psychotherapist (Safe to Grow)

Misa is an art psychotherapist from Tokyo, Japan who speaks English, Japanese and some Spanish. She has experience working as a trainee art psychotherapist both educationally and with the NHS. She has worked as an educational facilitator to provide creative workshops at schools, hospitals, Women’s Aids, galleries & community centres and enjoyed meeting people of all walks of life through the process of making paper folding objects. She is passionate about promoting equality & diversity as an activist & member of groups within schools & community. She holds MSc Art Psychotherapy from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh & MEd from Newcastle University where she studied as a Rotary ambassadorial scholar. In Japan, she worked as a teacher and enjoys working with young people to help them unlock their potential. She enjoys spending time with family, playing sports, reading, growing organic veges and of course creating art!