How we are governed
A student-led charity, run transparently
NSEMM is a student-led non-profit governed by a volunteer board of trustees. Founded in 2021 by co-founders Adrian Angol-Henry and Socks Ansell during their sixth form studies, we operate in line with the Charity Governance Code to ensure the highest standards of accountability and transparency.
6
Trustees on the board
100%
Student-led governance
2021
Founded during sixth form
Board of Trustees
Our trustees are responsible for setting our strategy, safeguarding our mission, and ensuring we meet all our legal, ethical, and financial obligations. Our Student and Parent Ambassadors provide valuable community insight but are not involved in the day-to-day running of the charity.
Trustee (Executive and Co-Chair) · Designated Safeguarding Lead
Adrian Angol-Henry
Co-founded NSEMM during sixth form and leads our safeguarding framework as a Medical Student and Emergency Medical Advisor within the Ambulance Service. Governance focus: healthcare innovation, emergency response protocols, and creating safe educational environments.
Trustee (Operations and Co-Chair) · Tutor
Socks Ansell
Co-founded NSEMM during sixth form and drives operational excellence and strategic partnerships as a PGCE Secondary Science student and BSc Zoology graduate. Governance focus: scientific education, environmental stewardship, and building sustainable partnerships.
Trustee (External Relations) · Tutor
Mahek Merchant
Leads external relations strategy with philosophical rigour as a final-year BA Philosophy student at the University of Nottingham. Governance focus: policy development, strategic partnership building, and ensuring NSEMM’s mission reaches key decision-makers.
External Trustee (Student Ambassador)
James Thomas
Ensures governance remains connected to the further education sector as a student at Nottingham College. Governance focus: further education advocacy, student representation, and inclusive access across all educational levels.
Trustee (Finance and Fundraising)
Shrutee Prusty
Brings rigorous analytical skills and fundraising experience as a third-year BSc Mathematics student at the University of Nottingham. Governance focus: financial strategy and sustainability, budget oversight, and transparent financial management.
External Trustee (Parent Ambassador)
Eniola Arimoro
An Integrated Urgent Care Health Advisor with the NHS, working with London Ambulance Service on assessment and triage, a member of the College of Paramedics studying Paramedic Science, and a mature student and mother bringing an authentic parent voice to governance. Governance focus: parent and family advocacy, healthcare accessibility, and supporting mature learners.
Trustee profiles in full
Academic Background: Medical Student at the University of Nottingham and graduate of Medical Physiology & Therapeutics, with a strong foundation in respiratory and cardiovascular medicine and practical experience in healthcare delivery. Professional Experience: Emergency Medical Advisor within the Ambulance Service, handling urgent calls across five counties and providing rapid triage. Previously served as 111/IUC Trainer at London Ambulance Service with no faults in call audits. Current and Previous Experience: President of the A Cappella Society and Lead Welcome Mentor at University of Nottingham Students' Union, providing first-responder support during Freshers events. Co-founded the East Midlands Community Education Network and partnered with Imperial College London for British Sign Language training. NSEMM Leadership: Co-founded NSEMM during sixth form and leads our safeguarding framework, ensuring robust protection for all beneficiaries through comprehensive oversight and policy development. Governance Focus: Healthcare innovation, emergency response protocols, and creating safe educational environments that prioritise student wellbeing and protection.
Academic Background: PGCE Secondary Science student specialising in Biology, and a BSc (Hons) Zoology graduate from the University of Nottingham. Previously served as a Course Representative and contributed to Royal Society of Biology accreditation through Student Review Panels. Current and Previous Experience: Science Outreach Ambassador at the University of Nottingham and Youth Representative for Nottinghamshire with the British Trust for Ornithology. Serves as Wollaton Park Ranger and Conservation Volunteer with Nottingham City Council, protecting Red Deer and educating visitors. Educational Advocacy: Events Co-ordinator and Photographer for University of Nottingham Students' Union, and Vice President of UoNSU A Cappella Society. Qualified in falconry and works as a wildlife photographer focusing on British birds. NSEMM Leadership: Co-founded NSEMM during sixth form, driving operational excellence and strategic partnerships that enhance educational accessibility and environmental awareness. Governance Focus: Scientific education advancement, environmental stewardship, and building sustainable partnerships that bridge academic research with community needs.
Academic Background: Final-year BA (Hons) Philosophy student at the University of Nottingham, developing critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills essential for policy development. Professional Experience: Extensive background in policy research, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement, with proven success in government relations and advocacy work. NSEMM Leadership: Leads external relations strategy and brings philosophical rigor to governance decisions, with particular expertise in researching and addressing educational access barriers. Governance Focus: Policy development, strategic partnership building, and ensuring NSEMM's mission reaches key stakeholders and decision-makers effectively.
Academic Background: College student at Nottingham College, representing the vital further education sector that serves as a pathway for many students into higher education. Community Role: Serves as one of NSEMM's Student Ambassadors, providing authentic insight into the challenges and opportunities facing further education students. NSEMM Leadership: Ensures governance remains connected to the broader educational landscape beyond universities, bringing fresh perspectives on accessibility and inclusion. Governance Focus: Further education advocacy, student representation across all educational levels, and ensuring NSEMM serves learners from diverse academic backgrounds.
Academic Background: Third-year BSc (Hons) Mathematics student at the University of Nottingham, aiming for First Class Honours with strong analytical and quantitative skills. Financial Experience: President of the Maths Society and previously Treasurer, demonstrating financial management skills through budgeting and fundraising for events. Secured gold sponsorship enhancing the society's financial stability. Professional Development: Finance and Fundraising team member for Enactus Nottingham's Mint Personal Finance Project, conducting market research and identifying funding opportunities through cascade funding and sponsorships. NSEMM Leadership: Passionate about contributing to NSEMM's financial stability and growth, bringing analytical skills and fundraising experience to support the charity's mission. Governance Focus: Financial strategy and sustainability, fundraising development, budget oversight, and ensuring transparent financial management that supports NSEMM's educational objectives.
Healthcare Background: Integrated Urgent Care Health Advisor with the NHS, working with London Ambulance Service and other NHS trusts to carry out assessments and triage for safe patient outcomes. Care Experience: Previously worked as a domiciliary carer providing patient care and support, developing deep understanding of healthcare needs and family support systems. Parent Perspective: Mature student and mother bringing authentic parent voice to governance, understanding the challenges families face in accessing educational support and healthcare services. NSEMM Leadership: Member of the College of Paramedics, studying towards Paramedic Science, and passionate about making healthcare and education accessible to all families. Governance Focus: Parent and family advocacy, healthcare accessibility, supporting mature learners and parents, and ensuring NSEMM's services meet real family needs.
How decisions are made
Student-led innovation, collective decisions
Our unique governance model combines the energy and innovation of student leadership with responsible charity governance. Decisions are made collectively at quarterly board meetings, with our co-founders bringing years of experience running NSEMM alongside fresh trustee perspectives from diverse academic backgrounds. We hold board meetings throughout the year, conducting regular risk assessments and reviewing our performance to keep our governance robust and accountable.
Our governance principles
The principles below guide every decision the board makes. Expand each one to see what it means in practice.
Protecting all beneficiaries through policies, regular training, and expert oversight led by our NHS-qualified Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Responsible management of charitable funds with complete transparency, regular auditing, and public accountability to our community and stakeholders. Our financial overview and reinvestment strategy is included in our Impact Report.
Ensuring effective delivery of our charitable objectives through strategic planning, continuous improvement, and evidence-based decision making.
Rigorous monitoring and reporting of our social impact to demonstrate value, guide future development, and ensure maximum benefit for young people.
Regular risk assessments conducted during board meetings to evaluate NSEMM's performance and identify areas for improvement, ensuring robust governance oversight.
Annual board performance evaluation through our Impact Report, ensuring trustees remain effective and accountable in their governance responsibilities.
Maintaining genuine connection to current educational challenges through our student-led governance structure and diverse academic representation.
Representing learners across all educational levels from college through university, ensuring our governance reflects the diversity of those we serve.
Extensive data protection policies ensuring GDPR compliance and safeguarding of all personal information, detailed in our policy documentation.
Standards & commitments
We align ourselves with national standards and ethical frameworks that reflect our commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and integrity. Our accreditations and commitments demonstrate our dedication to best practice in charity governance and social responsibility.
Current accreditations
- Disability Confident Committed – committed to inclusive employment and recruitment practices.
- The Halo Code Signatory – supporting natural hair acceptance in education and the workplace.
- Fundraising Regulator – registered for ethical fundraising practices with the UK regulator.
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) Member – part of the national voluntary sector community.
Best practice commitments
- NSPCC Safeguarding Assessment – biannual self-evaluations against national safeguarding standards.
- Charity Governance Code – aligned with recommended sector best practice for trustee boards.
- Quality Standards – committed to continuous improvement across all services and programmes.
- Fair Employment Practices – paying tutors above minimum wage at the Real Living Wage.
Development goals
- NCVO Trusted Charity Standard – actively working towards full certification.
- Living Wage Employer Status – committed to achieving the formal accreditation.
- Disability Confident Level 2 – advancing inclusive recruitment beyond our current Level 1 status.
- Governance Excellence – continuous improvement across all governance standards.
- Diversity and Inclusion – enhanced practices across all operations and programmes.
Safeguarding & protection
Our safeguarding promise
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We conduct NSPCC safeguarding self-assessments every six months and maintain up-to-date policies that are regularly reviewed by our board. We are committed to creating safe environments for all beneficiaries, with robust procedures for reporting concerns and comprehensive training for all staff and volunteers. Every interaction with NSEMM should be positive, safe, and empowering for young people.
Our safeguarding framework
Full risk assessments across all activities with continuous monitoring, evaluation, and improvement of our safeguarding practices.
Detailed safeguarding procedures that are accessible, well-understood by all staff, and regularly updated to reflect best practice.
All staff and volunteers receive in-depth, personalised safeguarding training before engaging with beneficiaries, with regular refresher sessions.
Clear, confidential reporting procedures with immediate escalation protocols when concerns are raised about any aspect of safeguarding.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Adrian Angol-Henry · Level 3 Safeguarding Adults and Children (NHS)
Key responsibilities: leading policy development and review, coordinating comprehensive training programmes, managing incident reporting and response, and ensuring continuous assessment and improvement of all safeguarding practices across the organisation. If you have any safeguarding concerns, please visit our dedicated safeguarding page for immediate contact information and reporting procedures.
Governance documents
Access all our governance documents, policies, and transparency records. We believe in complete openness about our operations, decisions, and impact to ensure accountability to our community and stakeholders.
Our comprehensive policy documents include equality, privacy, and operational procedures that guide our daily operations and strategic decision-making. View our policies at /policies.
Our foundational governing document outlining our charitable objectives, governance structure, and operational framework as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. View the Constitution at https://airtable.com/appFZq2OVH2DJoc82/shrmArV2jstQMZZOq.
Our dedicated safeguarding policy and comprehensive procedures designed to protect all beneficiaries and maintain the highest safety standards. View it at /policies#safeguarding.
Complete transparency with public access to all board decisions, meeting minutes, and governance records ensuring full accountability to our community. View board resolutions at https://airtable.com/appFZq2OVH2DJoc82/shrmArV2jstQMZZOq.
Our comprehensive annual report including financial overview, reinvestment strategy, and board performance evaluation demonstrating our impact and accountability. View the Impact Report at /impact.
Official charity registration details, annual returns, and regulatory compliance information from the UK Charity Commission. View our entry at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1209673.
Charity registration
The National Society for Education, Mentoring and Media (NSEMM)
Registered charity in England and Wales. Charity Number: 1209673. The Charity Commission monitors NSEMM’s compliance with charity law and ensures we operate solely for charitable purposes.
NSEMM HQ: Suite 74, Unit 6 Sneinton Market, Gedling Street, Nottingham, NG1 1DS.
Transparency
Our complete transparency promise
We believe in full accountability to our community. All governance documents, financial decisions, and strategic planning records are publicly accessible, ensuring complete transparency in our operations. This commitment to openness empowers our stakeholders with the information they need to understand how NSEMM operates and makes decisions. We adhere to the highest standards of governance, diversity, and sustainability in all our operations.
Get in touch with our governance team
If you have questions about how NSEMM is governed, or would like further information about our trustees, policies, or governance procedures, we are here to help. Community feedback is essential to our governance: your input helps us maintain the highest standards and continuously improve how we serve young people across the UK. We welcome questions, suggestions, and constructive feedback.