Meet the Team

The staff at Hessle road Network are all dedicated to providing a superb provision for the local community.

Julie Robinson

Chief Officer (CO)

Julie has worked at Hessle Road Network (HRN) since 2002, gaining her youth worker "knowledge" on the streets of Newcastle years prior.  Dedicated to getting the best outcome for her community and passionate about HRN, Julie leads the team with a generous heart and fantastic sense of humour. 

An avid tweeter, Julie loves to share HRN's achievements and opportunities on social media in hopes of reaching out to more of our local community. 
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Michelle Wilson

Deputy CO/Finance Director

Michelle has also worked at HRN since 2002, starting just a few months after Julie. Michelle is proudly Hessle Road born and bred and has made getting the best she can for this area her main priority.  Both Julie and Michelle make a dynamic senior management team, in tune with each other and what the community needs.  

The Mary Berry of HRN, Michelle can make a statement cake for any occasion. And believe me, they taste divine!    

Kirsty Smith

Project Manager

Kirsty Joined us in 2009, a qualified social worker who has specialised in youth work. As our newly instated Project Manager she is in her element no matter the situation and always full of helpful advice and reassurance. Her years of experience makes her a fountain of knowledge and ideas. 

Obsessed with her daughter's fat little cat, watching good horror films and binge-watching TV series, Kirsty is up for a laugh 24/7. 

Harriet Smith

Administrator 

A self-professed Jack-of-all-trades, Harry has gone from Youth Worker to Admin at HRN, picking up the necessary skills along the way. 
 
With artistic talent and the patience to teach, she's the go-to person when it comes to arts & crafts and bringing fantastic ideas to life that the young people and service users enjoy creating! 

Ayisja Smith 

Senior Youth & Community Worker

After joining us as a university student in 2018, Ayisja quickly proved herself to be what we think is one of the top Youth Workers in Hull - and so far, we've had no disputes against the claim. 

Now our sole Senior Worker, she provides excellent support to the staff, great insight to sessions, and has brought incredible understanding of Voice and Influence to the team. 

She's a lover of reading, cats, and her daily horoscope. 

Jo Cobley 

Part-time Community Worker

Full of life and ideas, Jo brings an excitement and energy never before seen in our Community sessions. 

It's never a dull moment with Jo around and the service users know her 1-2-1 support work is stellar, with her knowledge and experience being irreplaceable. 
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She loves gardening ,football, and plays for a darts team in her own time - though she's willing to admit she's not ready for the professional league just  yet.  

Janet Snell 

Part-time Community Worker 

Janet has spent years volunteering at Network, lending her amazing craft skills and enthusiasm to both Youth and Community sessions. She now runs the bustling  and ever-popular Monday morning session with Jo! 

Janet's skills and ideas don't end at crafts however, as she can often be seen busy in the allotment year round as well as helping the service users improve their basic skills in the kitchen; always encouraging everyone to get involved and try something new. 

Tanya Walker  

Part-time Youth & Community Worker and Volunteers Project Leader 

Tanya is a qualified nursery worker, and officially joined the team in 2020 after working as a family worker for the local church and working in partnership with HRN on the Community Coffee Morning sessions. 

She has recently showed her flexibility and strength as a Youth Worker, as well as a Community Worker. 

She loves nothing more than spending time with her family and enjoys evenings out at the theatre. 

Rebecca Pexton

Part-time Youth & Community Worker

Born and bred in West Hull, Becky is enthusiastic and full of laughter.

​She adds character and life to Network with her singing and hilarious antics, and is loved in both the Youth and Community sessions as a dedicated and hard-worker. 

Francois Ndumbi 

Sessional Trainee Youth & Community Worker

Francois has always wanted to work with young people in order to support and encourage them in their passions, while helping them with any pitfalls they may face on their journey. We think his own experiences, love for teaching, and eagerness to learn from others will be a great asset for those accessing the project!  

The young people love Francois' easy-going nature and willingness to engage in any activity they suggest, making him an invaluable asset to the team. 

With a love for anime, games and movies; Francois is always up for a good chat about pretty much anything and everything. 

Rachael Brown 

Sessional Youth & Community Worker 

Rachael started her career in Care work and loved the face-to-face aspect as well as getting to assist those in need. She left her role in 2018 in order to start a family, and from it found that working with young people and new parents could be an ideal way to get back into work again. 

Now you'll find her chatting up a storm in our Parents & Toddlers group or getting stuck in with the young people on an evening. It hasn't taken her long to fit right in and get along great with all of our service users! 

In her own time, Rachael likes to hang out with her family and go on long country walks - whatever the weather!