ABOUT US
We are based in a unique location in East London, the River Lea in Hackney. Leaside delivers inspiring and engaging outdoor activities to young people.
We offer choices to young people: encouraging them to stay in education, develop their confidence, leadership skills and ambition.
Operating within an educational framework, activities include canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, mountain biking, nordic walking, offsite trips orienteering and expeditions.
12,000 young people use Leaside each year
39 schools and youth groups in the local area
4 of these schools are for children with Special Needs
Our activities see us engage with families, adults and local community groups in a recreational manner. We strive to encourages the building of lifelong friendships, confidence-building and opportunities to become an active volunteer gain professional qualifications to enhance the community spirit of what we aim to deliver.
MEET THE TEAM
He is passionate and dedicated about using outdoor sports as a tool to inspire personal and social development through formal and informal education.
Using his skills as a fully qualified youth and community worker and an outdoor coach educator. Terry firmly believes that outdoor sports should be accessible to all. He is instrumental in making changes to overcome cultural and economic barriers that can sometimes restrict individuals or groups from experiencing outdoor and adventurous activities.
Thoroughly enjoying outdoor pursuits, he is keen to hone his paddling and surfing skills on rivers and the coastline along the UK and abroad.
Since joining Leaside as a member in the 1990s, he has been a volunteer instructor and organised excursions. As a trustee and Chair of the Trust, he is committed to ensuring Leaside continues to develop and engage with the local community.
Derek has other interests in his local community, and plays the bass guitar.
Retired Assistant Head Teacher. Chair of The Phoenix Autism Trust, The Phoenix School Autism Charitable Trust, The Mary Baker Trust, and trustee of the Christ Church Foundation.
His interest in kayaking came from his time in France where he navigated French rivers and coastlines with a Nautiraid 500 foldable kayak. He spent some time on the water with Leaside’s adult group before the arrival of his
2 girls, and now takes them on Leaside’s family Sundays. He is hoping to learn SUP paddling.
He loves Hackney and is fully behind efforts to improve the waterways and the local environment.
He is a lawyer who has worked for stock exchanges in London and Paris.
• He is an enthusiastic amateur in many outdoor pursuits but is especially fond of Stand-Up Paddleboarding on a warm sunny day – even more so if there’s an ice cream waiting at the end! • Steve is a Senior Manager within the Group Strategy function at Bupa, a multinational health insurer and healthcare provider.
After leaving the office she spent five years walking dogs in and around Clapton. It was during this time that she began kayaking again and reintroduced herself to Leaside. After witnessing firsthand the demise of the river through pollution and neglect, Jackie started volunteering locally on litter picks, tree planting and recently as a kayaking volunteer at Leaside. She has recently agreed to act as Leaside’s Environmental Advocate and has been working with us to build a five-year Environmental Strategic Plan.
Jackie is also a trustee of a Charity based in N. Ireland that works with people with profound learning and physical difficulties and their carers.
As a youth worker in clubs, schools, colleges, on community estates and as CEO of Central London Connexions, Chris has helped young people thrive. He also helped a group of young men set-up the ground-breaking London Gay Teenage group in 1978, trained male youth workers in work-with-boys, was an Associate Ofsted Inspector of Connexions services, has been a trustee of the Partnership for Young London since 2007, and proudly received an OBE for work with young people in London.
He’s keen to help Leaside develop an even smarter, vibrant future where young people and others continue to really enjoy themselves!