With 22 years in the civil service and over 4 years in mental health charity work, Najla values the freedom of mind and body. Her journey has shaped her priorities, and she now finds purpose in letting her actions speak for themselves. Four years ago, an Employment Specialist transformed Najla’s life, guiding her from client to senior specialist, and highlighting the importance of positivity and human connection.

Najla chose this career to make a difference and finds joy in seeing others succeed, paying forward the kindness she received. She is drawn to Drive Forward Foundation’s vision of helping individuals affected by care to achieve happiness and self-fulfillment. Committed to fostering a world where everyone can thrive and be their true selves, Najla is honoured to support young people in reaching their full potential.

With a foundation in Film and Theatre from the University of Reading, Amy began her journey in the creative industries, volunteering in youth theatre and community productions. Over time, her passion for supporting people and making a difference led her to roles within the recruitment and Department for Work and Pensions sectors, before moving into the youth and charity sector.

Blending creativity with purpose, Amy is driven by opportunities to connect with others, empower young voices, and use her creative skills to inspire growth and build community.

Starting his career as an Apprentice Design Engineer, Marcus spent over three years developing a strong foundation in creativity, precision, and project delivery before transitioning into recruitment sales. In recruitment, he gained valuable experience supporting individuals into employment from a commercial perspective, building his understanding of career development and client relations.

After nearly two years in recruitment, Marcus then moved into the employability sector, joining Ingeus on the DWP’s JETS programme, where he supported individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in returning to sustainable employment. He later worked across the Working Health Programme, helping people who had been out of work long-term or faced health-related barriers to re-enter the workforce.

With nearly five years of combined experience in recruitment and employability, Marcus has developed a genuine passion for helping people rebuild their confidence, upskill, and achieve their career goals. He finds great satisfaction in making a positive impact on individuals’ lives through supporting them into employment, education, and training opportunities.

Felix has a background in advice and guidance with charitable organisations and believes passionately in supporting people to achieve their full potential and engage positively with the barriers that hold them back. He loves listening to jazz and can play a decent blues on the saxophone!

Shereen’s background in Journalism and Mass media has given her the privilege of working in some interesting places over the last 20 years and has met some high-profile people! In her most recent position, as a Senior Employment Specialist, Shereen worked closely with clients, helping them to find and maintain employment.

Shereen has always enjoyed working with people from all backgrounds, to the point where she was involved in campaigning, mentoring and supporting young people from ethnic minorities in London. Shereen enjoys going out, discovering new places, playing pool, cooking on the weekends, and trying out new restaurants. Her favourite place is Camden Town Markets, where she enjoys the historic buildings and walking down the canal.

Ahmed has been supporting vulnerable people such as mental health and learning disability into meaningful employment for just over 10 years. During this time, he has worked on several employability projects as well as being a Volunteer Coordinator for two charities and a Service Manager for another.

Ahmed is passionate about bringing the best out of people he supports. Previously worked in retail management so was able to bring his recruitment , training, and development experience to the Charity sector. Fun fact about Ahmed is that many moons ago he was a Gymnast who competed at national level and has the medals and bruises to prove it. Ahmed enjoys keeping fit by going to the gym as he believes it to be good for his physical and mental health.