Our staff
-
Paula Harriott
Chief Executive
Paula has a vast experience in the criminal justice sector. As a nationally known lived experience leader her work has always been centred in principles of equity, inclusion, diversity and removal of stigma.
-
Dr Jo Easton
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Jo leads Unlock’s policy and influencing work with a focus on reforming legislation and government policy, as well as advocating for better practice in key sectors in relation to the disclosure of criminal records.
-
Sue Kent
Operations and Finance Manager
To support the team daily, Sue provides training and recruitment support, finance processing and reconciliations, and system support.
-
Debbie Sadler
Head of Advice
Debbie is responsible for delivering the core support that the charity provides to people with convictions. This includes overseeing the helpline, as well as our online support. She also manages our volunteer programme.
-
Anna Roberts
Communications and Digital Manager (Maternity cover)
Anna joined Unlock in February 2024 as maternity cover. She leads on communications and digital development to raise awareness of Unlock’s support, advice, campaigning and advocacy work.
-
Brendan Shepherd
Policy officer
Brendan joined Unlock in January 2023 and is responsible for working on policy issues, campaigning and advocating for systemic change.
-
Ellie Grudgings
Policy officer (projects)
Ellie is responsible for leading and developing Unlock’s project work, increasing access to employment and higher education for people with criminal records.
-
Martin Houghton
Fundraising Manager
Martin joined Unlock in October 2023 and has a background in fundraising for charities whose work he believes passionately in.
-
Doug Yarnton
Helpline coordinator
Doug is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the helpline, supporting our volunteers and maintaining the charity’s position as the go to place online for people with convictions.
-
Chris Hoile
Helpline advisor
Chris deals with people who contact our helpline, assisting them to overcome the barriers of having a criminal record.
-
Ruth Davies
Digital and communications manager
Currently on maternity leave.
Ruth implements Unlock’s digital strategy to ensure that we reach as many people as possible and help them to self-serve digitally. She also leads on communications.
Our President
-
Judge John Samuels KC
Vice-president Judge John Samuels KC sat in the Crown Court for some 27 years, and was later a judicial member of the Parole Board for his maximum tenure of 10 years. He is President of Prisoners’ Education Trust; ...
Our trustees
-
Faye Goldman
Chair Faye is Head of Communications at The Health Foundation, where she works on an initiative to improve health and care in the UK. She has a background in charity communications, digital and campaigning, ...
-
Leigh Hardy
Vice-Chair Leigh is a consultant specializing in Board assurance, compliance and governance. Before becoming self-employed Leigh worked for 25 years in the NHS in roles relating to governance, compliance and ris ...
-
Carolyn Braby
Trustee Carolyn Braby has worked in arts and education charities for more than thirty years. She is currently Director of Finance and Operations at Central School of Ballet in London, a vocational dance schoo ...
-
Trevor Dighton
Treasurer trustee Trevor is a qualified accountant with a 40 year career in various financial and general management positions both in business and the finance profession, in this country and overseas. For the 18 years ...
-
Steve Lorber
Trustee Steve is a solicitor specialising in employment law and workplace data privacy together with advice on charity law and governance. He believes recent data protection law can be used both to limit and ...
-
Hamish MacLellan
Trustee Hamish has had a long career in financial services, specialising in European Equities, and has held senior positions at several US investment banks. He is currently in a senior role at an alternative ...
-
Mandy Mahil
Trustee Mandy’s personal experience of the criminal justice system convinced her of the need to support prisoners with greater access to information and opportunities for self-improvement. Upon her rele ...
-
Tom Wheatley
Trustee
Tom started his career in the Prison Service in 1994 as a Prison Officer and became a Prison Governor in 2006. Since then, he has managed a range of different prisons in both the public and private sectors and has led the outsourcing of critical services in policing.
Our patrons
-
Bob Turney
“As one of the founders of Unlock, I was delighted when I was asked to be a Patron of the Charity. It is doing splendid work in helping people to move beyond their pasts and create different lives.”
-
Professor Nick Hardwick
“I am really pleased to have this opportunity to support Unlock whose work I have admired for a long time.
-
Kate Adie CBE DL
“Unlock recognises that helping ex-prisoners lead normal and fulfilling lives, is beneficial for all. I’m particularly impressed by its practical and supportive approach.”
-
Professor Andrew Coyle CMG
“Congratulations on the excellent work which you and your colleagues in Unlock continue to do. I have been a firm supporter since the early days when, what was then the National Association of Ex-offenders, was set up.
-
Flo Krause LLB
“I wholly support Unlock’s aims and values. The work that Unlock has done so far in pushing for social rehabilitation of people coming out of prison is invaluable.
-
Dr Silvia Casale CMG
“I am constantly impressed by the practical help a small but energetic organisation like Unlock has been able to provide to people in a wide variety of circumstances. Over the years it has been ...
-
Dr Deborah Cheney
“What can I say? There is SO much to comment upon about those in prison and those who have been in prison and are trying to recover their lives. Prison, by the very nature of how it operates, both undermines and ‘reduces’ people.
-
Dr Shadd Maruna
“It is an honour to be associated with Unlock — you are doing great work”
-
Jill Stevens
“The real strength of Unlock is that it is not only run by people who understand the huge challenges faced by those with past convictions, but also that as an organisation it knows how to effectively bring those challenges to the attention of decision makers who can help.
-
Matt Hyde FRSA
“People with convictions face so many obstacles to rebuild their lives – whether that be discrimination or lack of practical support. This does them a disservice and is damaging for wider ...
-
The Rt Hon. the Lord Garnier KC
“Prisons are a secret world known only to those who work or are imprisoned within them. To the public on the outside it is far too often a matter of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Unlock is one of the vital metaphorical windows through which the public can see into the closed world of the prisoner and learn what is being done in their name,
-
Baroness Helena Kennedy KC
“I am so proud to be associated with Unlock. It is a terrific organisation. It does such important work supporting prisoners rebuild their lives on release from prison.
-
Dexter Dias KC
Dexter Dias KC is a human rights barrister (King’s Counsel) who played a pivotal role in public inquiries including the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry.