KICKSTART TRUSTEES 2025

Alan Jones – Chair and Treasurer

Kickstart Trustee since 2004

Alan joined Kickstart as a Trustee and Treasurer in 2004 taking over as Chair in 2020.  He was a senior manager at the University of East Anglia with responsibilities including academic and financial planning and, following his retirement, he continues as a part-time administrative consultant at one of the University’s research institutes. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the University’s Retirement Association.  Alan has been a school governor since 2007 and is Trustee and Director of Unity Education Trust having served as chair of this multi-academy Trust 2017-2020 and 2022-2025.

Yvonne Hendry – Company Secretary

Kickstart Trustee since 2023

Yvonne has worked most of her life in the public and voluntary sectors– NHS, local government, the Civil Service and Equal Lives. She has worked as the Policy Manager for Disability at the Department for Work and Pensions and has had responsibility for all but two of the Jobcentres in Norfolk. As New Deal Manager and later Business Development Manager, Yvonne surveyed all the 18- to 24-year-olds who were unemployed and claiming benefits in the county to determine what prevented them from taking a job. Transport ranked high in the responses. She arranged free travel with Anglia Railways between Great Yarmouth and Norwich, and free bus travel with East Counties buses when a young person started work. Another solution was needed for the rural areas and together with Norfolk Careers Service, Kickstart was born.

Yvonne currently works for Age UK Norwich as an adviser. She has a long history of voluntary work with London 2012. The National Trust and the Tour de France.

Karen Hopkins

Kickstart Trustee since 2025

Karen is a Universal Credit work coach for the Department of Work and Pensions. Having spent 49 years in the Department, and its predecessors, she has developed a wide knowledge of the benefits system. Although she currently specialises in helping customers starting self-employment, she helps to support all types of customers into paid work. She has only recently become involved with Kickstart and is looking forward to contributing to its work.

Jan Jeffry

Kickstart Trustee since 2013

Jan is a retired Relationship Manager from DWP.   Having covered various roles throughout her career within DWP, primarily with Employers and recruitment.  Working at Dereham Jobcentre Plus for 17 years, Jan built a good relationship with Kickstart, and continued to work with the charity when she moved to Norwich Jobcentre Plus and accepted a Trustee position during this time.  

Having retired from DWP 10 years ago, her current interests include her family, gardening, caravanning, and 5  ‘rescue cats’.

Martin Torpey

Kickstart Trustee since 2020

Martin was employed at Kickstart in the workshop from 2008-2020 with responsibility for repairs and servicing on the fleet mopeds and scooters, also training young people in motorcycle mechanics on short term placements and apprenticeships.

Since then he has taken on a role as a trustee of Kickstart, also working for the Mancroft Advice Project and Future Education.

Carole White

Kickstart Trustee since 2003

Carole is a retired Partnership Manager with Department of Work and Pensions. As a former Jobcentre Manager of Norwich and North Walsham, she first became involved with the work of Kickstart over 25 years ago. Carole also headed up the ministerial led “Working Neighbourhoods” programme in the Great Yarmouth area. Living in the Aylsham area Carole currently works as a volunteer at the library and MIND’s Bereavement Café. She also chairs the local Patients Participation Group at her Surgery.