All our staff are qualified mentors and some hold youth work qualifications. All have suffered the consequences of youth crime and violence and are eager to deter others from making the same wrong choices. The combination of these insights provides our team with the necessary skills to engage and build an effective professional relationship with CYP, with this a position from which they can offer relevant advice and the experience needed to steer them onto the right path. We believe in our methods and have an extensive track record that demonstrates the positive results that can come by offering one-to-one support to at-risk CYP and delivering greater crime related awareness to others. The nature of CELLS support can be multifaceted and can relate to any subject a CYP may need help or advice with. The factors that lead to involvement with crime are complex, deep-rooted and there is no single catch-all solution. However, we believe that by educating and supporting children and young people in our community, we can help to prevent them from participating in crime and violence and
consequently make the community safer for all. The advancement of education of the public, particularly young people of Merseyside and surrounding areas about the serious consequences of crime and prevention of initial and
re offending behaviors within our communities, and by any other means as decided by the trustees of The CELLS Project. To further support children and young people at risk of crime and those effected by disadvantage, crime and exclusion. Providing awareness, support, behavioral intervention and mentoring,
enabling informed choices and positive futures, delivered by people with lived experience. Supporting people affected by crime and its related issues with positive training, inclusion, and employment routes, enhancing community cohesion and development.’
Meet the Team
Our expertise and leadership skills include our Project Manager, who founded CELLS in 2009 (Choices-Education-Lifelong-Learning-Skills-Charity), his background is 30+ years in logistical operations, BSI Quality standards auditing and business development, with 10-years extensive work with CYP managing CELLS.
CELLS governing board consists of 3 non-related directors who are professional people. The chair has 24-years’ experience of management in the third-sector and a business studies degree. Another is a third-year University social care student, with vast experience of working with challenging CYP. The remaining director is a manager in the construction industry and utilises his connections and expertise to secure placements, work-experience, training and employment for our beneficiaries.
Our Strengths and Resources:
Our strengths are innovative props and resources; however, our main asset is our CELLS team which consists of people who have been affected by crime, this includes reformed ex-offenders and also victims of crime and abuse. We help them turn their lives around, training them to deliver important messages to CYP, using their negative experiences to provide much needed informed choice on crime and ASB, and inspire positive futures.
Directors have extensive knowledge of local youth/crime strategies, referral protocols and data-management procedures. All directors have a passion for CELLS objectives and our beneficiaries because they have been affected by crime and are representative of our beneficiary groups.
CYP engaged by CELLS-Team tell us it is REAL people from similar backgrounds portraying the REAL implications that they relate to, trust and engage with. We value our team, so we have an obligation to help them too, empowering them with skills and experience to continue their social restitution and redevelopment.
Shaun
Project Manager and founder of CELLS.
Shaun founded The CELLS Project in 2010, with the aim of educating children and young people on the true consequences of crime. “I developed this charity because of the experience I had with crime in my own family. I firmly believe that through my lived experience I can empathise and help young people through support and education. My mantra is; Be the person you are meant to be, for you. Don't be the fool others want you to be.”
Che
Events manager and mentor outreach.
Che has been a part of The CELLS team since 2020 and since has progressed from volunteering to being a mentor, working with children at risk or involved with crime helping them turn their lives around, as he has done. “I went to prison for drug supply and firearm offences, after I left prison I got involved with CELLS, not only to better myself but to also help others and prevent young people from making the choices I once made. My mantra is; It's never too late to change your direction.”
Jemma
Mentor manager.
After graduating from Liverpool John Moores University with a BA (Hons) in Criminal Justice, Jemma got involved with The CELLS Project, hoping to inspire children from Liverpool and deter them from a life of crime. “Working with young people has always been a passion of mine. I can give them hope and inspire them to make positive changes and choices. My mantra is; children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” Alongside managing CELLS mentors, Jemma brings nothing but positive vibes to the office and Tuesday night youth club.
Craig
Qualified youth worker and mentor.
Craig began working for CELLS six years ago hoping to help children and young adults involved in crime or at risk or exploitation. Within the last six years Craig has not only helped change the lives of many children across the North West, he has also transformed his own life. Not only a valued member of The CELLS team but also of his local community, receiving an award from the Queen for outstanding community work. Craig has a foundation degree from Chester university in Criminal Justice and now studies community development at Bolton university alongside working for CELLS as a mentor and qualified youth worker. "I made bad choices when I was younger, my aim is to help you make the right ones".
Jay
Mentor and outreach.
The CELLS Project’s very own Positive Mental Attitude King, Jay. Jay is a mentor for children who are at risk of or are already involved with crime as well as delivering awareness workshops on topics such as gangs, guns and knife crime and the reality of prison life.“My lifestyle, terrible decision making, bad choices and negative approach to dealing with situations resulted in me spending a lot of time in prison. If I can change my life around, anyone can. My past has brought me here and made me ready to help young people make the right choices.”
Tisha
Family support.
Tish, or best known as The CELLS Project Mum, has been working at CELLS for 7 years and has made a huge impact on victims of crime, families who have a loved one in prison and the children who hear her story at awareness days. “Hi, my name is Tisha. I am a victim of crime and having experienced what I have been through and come out the other side, I want to encourage young people to make the right choices that will lead them to good consequences, rather than down the path of crime. I enjoy working for The CELLS Project, it enables me to share my true experiences with young people, and offer support and listen to their needs. My hobbies are reading true stories, watching true movies and gardening. My mantra is: "Through every dark cloud, there's a brighter day ahead so...STAY FIGHTING, STAY BRAVE, STAY AMBITIOUS, STAY FOCUSED & STAY STRONG."
Taylor
Development manager.
Taylor got involved with The CELLS Project while studying Sociology and Criminology at the University of Liverpool and collaborating with the Interchange Project to research the impact that CELLS has on its primary and secondary beneficiaries. After completing this, Taylor proposed recommendations for the charity in order to strengthen the services. Bringing new ideas to the table, Taylor is The CELLS Project’s development manager and since taking on this role has set up the Youth Club, collaborated with Universities across Liverpool supplying placements for students and also partnered with Cobalt Housing and Edge Hill University running a Mock Trial to teach children from Liverpool about the process of court.
Tara
Volunteer administrator.
Tara began volunteering with The CELLS Project while undertaking her degree in Criminal Justice at LJMU, hoping to gain experience with reformed offenders and understand what effect crime has on its victims. Tara has progressed to the role of an assistant administrator, working on evaluations from awareness days and ensuring that the staff database is up to date, as well as being a valued youth worker at our youth club. Tara is also the only person in the office to work our printer, which is a skill not many people have.
Faye
Community volunteer coordinator.
Faye reached out to The CELLS Project hoping to gain experience with ex-offenders in order to understand how CELLS helps rehabilitate those who have left prison while studying for her BA degree in psychosocial analysis of offending behaviour at Edge Hill University. A dedicated placement student with a passion for helping the community and encouraging others to better themselves, Faye has progressed to the role of volunteer coordinator.
Cara
Mentor and outreach.
Running a workshop on controlling and exploitative relationships, as well as mentoring young children across Merseyside, Cara inspires young girls and makes a positive impact on children’s lives through sharing her own lived experience. “After a conviction for drug offences I tried to go back to university and they rejected me because of my conviction which led me to a great depression and a sense of “what do I do now, who is going to give me a chance when even a university won’t?” And along came CELLS. After having a conversation with a friend of mine who was lucky enough to come across CELLS during his imprisonment, he suggested that I meet with Shaun and see what they can offer me in terms of employment. The best thing I ever did. Not only has Shaun and the CELLS team believed in me and given me the chance of employment, but I feel this is where I should have been all along. The work the team does not only with the children but with the families as well makes me so proud to call myself a member of the CELLS team and I wish we had something like this when I was younger!”
Michael
Mentor and outreach.
Michael began volunteering for The CELLS Project in 2023, aiming to deter children and young people away from crime. Since, Michael has completed his Level 2 Mentoring qualification and is now mentoring children across Merseyside. Not only a mentor, Michael is also our very own author and has written a book; Prison to Stock Market, which takes you through his journey from his negative past to now, positive present and future. “CELLS has given me the chance to give back to my community and help others who might be going down the wrong path in life. CELLS has helped me with not only a job but they are also like a big family and I couldn’t thank them enough for giving me this chance.”
Lydia
KidsKast.
Lydia began working at The CELLS Project on an internship with Liverpool John Moores University, focusing specifically on the KidsKast initiative, finding guests from across Merseyside for children to interview as well as teaching the children how to use equipment for recording and uploading a podcast. Since, Lydia has also taken on her own projects at our Youth Club such as TikTok workshop. “The work CELLS does within Liverpool is truly inspiring, and every member of the team is dedicated to the CELLS mission. My experience working at CELLS has been incredible.”
Meet Our Youth Team
‘Fix This Mess’
