Nik Harwood has worked within Children & Young People’s Services in Somerset for 29 years. His professional background is in Youth & Community Work and he has worked in both the voluntary and statutory sector in operational and leadership positions.

Nik rejoined Somerset Rural Youth Project as CEO in February 2014, and has led the organisation through a period of transformational change, expansion and growth – including its rebrand in 2018 to Young Somerset – and to a position of focused strength within the youth and mental health sectors in Somerset. Nik sits on a number of strategic boards and is the current national Chair of the Rural Services Partnership. He is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people, their families and communities – and loves the diversity of both staff and services in Young Somerset.

He is lucky (greedy?) to live between the sea and Exmoor in West Somerset, is a keen runner, guitarist and tabletop wargamer.

Lisa Farley has worked within education and the charity sector for 28 years. She began her career as a teacher which then led to her first leadership role in Children’s Centres and latterly as Headteacher in infant and primary schools across Somerset. She is an early year’s specialist who believes every child and young person’s mental health and wellbeing is important.

It was through her interest in mental health and wellbeing that Lisa was introduced to the work of Young Somerset. She grasped the opportunity of working with the charity to continue developing the work of the mental health and wellbeing teams across Somerset.

Lisa lives in Somerset and regularly takes advantage of living by the coast as a member of a gig rowing club, running and walking her dog on the beach.

Siobhan began working in post 16 specialist education in 2007, since then she has worked across young people and adult services in special education, social care and mainstream education.

Siobhan joined Young Somerset in 2022 and in that time has overseen Targeted Youth Services and Alternative Education and more recently Enterprise and Work-based Learning. She is passionate about providing appropriate support for young people to ensure that they are able to access education and employment opportunities and be prepared for their next steps in life.

In her free time, Siobhan can be found cycling and walking around the West Somerset coast and Countryside.