Board members

The AYM board members meet every six weeks and are made up of representatives from across the country. It comprises the following people:

Charlie Spencer

My career in youth justice started in 1994 when I was employed as a bail support worker in Birmingham. Having spent 18 months in this role, I was successful in becoming a youth justice social worker; progressing to senior social worker within 13 months. I have predominately worked throughout my career in diversely populated deprived areas, that has fed my passions to address the over representation of blacxk youth within the criminal justice.

In 1999, I was successful in obtaining funding from the YJB to set up the Black Young Persons initiative across Birmingham to seek to address these issues in partnership with west midlands Police and the Association of black lawyers. I combined the role of project manager, with the Deputy team manager’s role within one of Birmingham’s 5 YOTS. I then subsequently progressed to become the Project Development Manager for Birmingham YOS, which was subsequently regarded to Preventions and Development Manager. I held a number of responsibilities within this role including; setting up and managing the Pilot youth inclusion and support panels, Anti-social behaviour, Gang related violence and gun crime, plus the YOTS diversionary activity programme.

I left my most recent role in Birmingham Youth Offending Service, as Prevention’s Development Manger in February 2006 to take up the role of Youth Offending Service Manager in Sandwell to improve the YOTs overall performance. I am an elected committee member of the National Association for Youth Justice, where we set up the Black Youth Justice forum, and a member of the Association of YOT managers. I still maintain links with the voluntary and community sector, assisting where I can to ensure that collectively as a community we can address the over-representation of black youth in the criminal justice system, and tackle the issues of guns and gangs in our community.

West Midlands Sandwell

Gareth Jones

Gareth started his career working with offenders in the early 80s, in the voluntary sector. He qualified as a Probation Officer in 1990 and worked in various locations across Manchester and Salford, particularly specialising in multi-agency crime prevention initiatives. He joined the fledgling Manchester YOT in February 2000 and developed Restorative Justice and Referral Panels across Manchester. He joined Lancashire YOT in 2003 as Deputy Head of Service before taking the helm at Halton and Warrington in 2005.

Outside of work, his passions are family, football and fast motorcycles. He also indulges his interest for travel and good food and wine. Extremely occasionally all those passions coincide!! Happy days!

Vice Chair - North West Halton & Warrington

John Hawkins

John Hawkins is the Treasurer of the AYM and one of its founder members, joining in 2001. John served as the Head of Youth Offending Services at East Sussex YOT for 11 years before retiring in April 2010. His professional background is in social work.

John believes that: “The AYM has a valuable role to play in informing the public and political leaders about effective ways to help young offenders stop offending”. Outside of work John enjoys the theatre, cinema, travel and good wine.

Treasurer - East Sussex

Lorna Hadley

Further details to follow

Chair - Newham YOT

Mike Rees

Mike has been the North Somerset YOS Manager since October 1999 – leading in the development of a multi-agency Service which encompasses statutory and early prevention targeted projects.

Mike has many years – and still counting ! – experience in management, practitioner and support worker roles in a variety of Probation, including Family Court Welfare, and youth justice settings. He has held branch/executive roles in trade union, professional associations and charities.

Mike is committed to the concept of YOTs holding the tension between child/family welfare and public protection, and contributing to a range of partnerships including the current development of integrated youth support services.

Mike is convinced of the value of AYM providing another significant voice in the market place of ideas and practice development.

Tel: 01275 888360

South West Representative

Mike Thomas

Mike has worked with troubled children and young people since 1982, more recently as Head of Youth Offending Services in Luton , when it was a pilot Youth Offending Team, and Head of Service for West Sussex from 2004 until 2009. He is currently seconded as Senior Responsible Owner for the development of the new YOT Case Management Service, a partnership between the Association of YOT Managers, YOT Managers Cymru and the YJB. Mike is a member of the National Criminal Justice Council and during 2008 was a member of the Ministerial Expert Group on Workforce Development and a member of the cross departmental Youth Crime Action Plan Implementation Group. In July 2008 he was invited to give evidence to the Justice Select Committee during their enquiry into Justice Reinvestment. He was Chair of the National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ) from its inception in 1994 until 2000. In 2000 he helped set up AYM, was an inaugural executive member and Chair from 2007 – 2010.
Mike has been a member of many advisory groups including the Justice Commission into indeterminate sentences for juveniles (Children and Homicide 1996) and in 2001 the Home Office review of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Breaking the Cycle). In 1999 he was appointed as an advisor to the South African Law Commission during the passage of South Africa’s first Child Justice Bill. During 2000 he was a member of a delegation to Beijing and Shanghai advising on Child Protection and Child Justice issues. He returned to China in 2002 to advise on Community Protection and Post Imprisonment Protection
Mike is currently a member of the Independent Commission into Youth Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour which is due to report in 2010.

Case Management Service SRO - West Sussex

Pat Jennings

Pat Jennings has worked within local authority youth/children services for the last twenty years and is currently the Head of Tameside Youth Offending Team, having moved there in February 2009 from his former post as Head of Walsall Youth Offending Service.


Previous to working within youth justice system, Pat was a Senior Youth and Community worker, who specialised in International Youth exchanges and the development of intercultural learning materials for European youth workers, sports, and youth crime diversion programmes.

Pat has also sat on the national executive of his former union the Community and Youth Workers Union as the black caucus representative and was an active local member.

Tel. No. 0161 342 7680

Membership Secretary - Head Of Tameside Youth Offending Team

Pete Dennis

Pete Dennis, is Assistant Secretary and South East Representative for the AYM and the ISSP Manager in Berkshire. Pete has been a social worker for over 25 years and spent the last 18-years specialising in youth justice. He has vast experience of working with children/young people and family services across the whole spectrum of social care in both the UK and Australia. He is especially interested in trying to reduce custodial sentences for young people, particularly amongst young women, minority ethnic groups and care leavers.

Pete is clear about the value of the Association’s role in youth justice. He says: “It provides a real opportunity to influence policy-making decisions and ensure the service views young offenders as young people first. It is important to help inform the public on all aspects of youth justice and the contribution communities can make locally.”

Away from his ISSP work Pete has plenty of interests including: classic cars, flying, sailing, walking, gardening, music and supporting Lincoln City FC as An ardent “Red Imp”.

pete.dennis@reading.gov.uk
Tel: 01628 777223

Assistant Secretary - Berkshire ISSP

Post Currently Vacant

Details to follow

Secretary