Julie Scott-Bryant – Chair of Trustees
Julie’s passion for coaching, mentoring and seeing people grow and develop is rooted in her own experiences, having discovered that she was dyslexic at university and overcome the challenges this posed to forge a successful corporate career. Julie brings 30 years of experience from senior corporate roles across the telecoms, banking and insurance industries working in the UK, US and France. Julie spent much of her career in Human Resources and is a trained coach. Most recently, Julie was Group Chief Procurement officer of AXA insurance. she is now a non-executive Director and the Chair of a company in Ireland, giving her more time to follow her passion for coaching, painting and being active in her local community. Originally from Bristol, Julie now lives in Devon with her wife Sally and two cocker spaniel dogs, where she enjoys walking in the south-west’s beautiful landscapes, body boarding and kayaking. Julie is particularly excited to join the Life Chance Trust and support young people through pivotal times in their lives.
Simon Almond
Founder & Managing Director of DCW, the South West’s leading independent waste management and recycling company. Establishing the business in 1989, Simon has built DCW into a respected, award-winning, family run and owned business. DCW was the first waste management company in the South West to offer a ‘Zero to Landfill’ solution and the only company processing waste to ensure all possible materials are recycled. It empties in excess of 16,000 containers each week from over 6,000 businesses across the region, operating 55 state-of-the-art vehicles. Simon is passionate about the environment and consults on a national level with DEFRA and other major regional waste management companies to shape the future of recycling in the UK. He helped start and develop two charities in Kenya & Uganda supporting waste collections in Kibera and a children’s home and School. Simon is also a trustee at Dartmoor Zoo, further expanding his passion for international conservation as well as the huge benefit the Zoo brings to support mental health in the local community. Simon has two grown-up daughters, Emily and Lucy, who both share his passions and are helping expand DCW’s charity work by adding their own ideas and initiatives.
Mark Escott
Mark Escott is the co-founder of Life Chance Group, committed to transforming the life chances of the people the organisation works with through a growing chain of independent therapeutic day schools – the School for Inspiring Talents – and through outreach work with the wider community. Life Chance Group offers a range of services to education and care professionals, young people and their families. This includes assessments for young people with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as consultation, supervision, training and coaching to professionals and parents in a variety of settings. Mark hopes to generate a more widespread understanding of ACEs and of the help available to those who have suffered trauma. His mission is to transform life chances for young people and communities by helping us heal our own and our collective trauma. A double best-selling author for his book ‘One More Life Chance’, Mark was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2023 for services to Education.
Alison Nettleship
Alison was born and raised in Plymouth, and has a background in business and finance, working in international banking prior to a career in teaching. Moving back to Plymouth to start a family, she trained as a teacher, specialising in Early Years & Maths. At Calstock School she completed her NPQH (Headship training), and subsequently was appointed non-teaching Deputy at North Prospect Community Primary School. After two years, she became head at Weston Mill, moving the school forward, particularly on standards. A trained Ofsted Inspector, she continues to work with other trusts and Plymouth Local Authority developing collaborative approaches to support children and families. This has led to the development of a city-wide nurture provision to support vulnerable and at-risk children. As CEO / Executive Headteacher of Discovery Multi Academy Trust, Alison works to improve outcomes and opportunities by leading school improvement across all academies. Developing links and working collaboratively across the city is also important to Alison. In her spare time, Alison enjoys gardening and spending time with her family.
Hannah Moon
Hannah has 25 years’ experience working across a number of different Industry sectors in senior roles. She has always aimed to channel her talents into directions that create social change for good and as such Hannah was instrumental in setting up the British Gas Energy Trust in 2004. In her role as Head of Social Responsibility at British Gas, Hannah worked collaboratively with a number of UK Charities to help tackle fuel poverty in the UK, specifically working with Save the Children. After living and working in London for 18 years, Hannah moved back to Devon to raise her children and be closer to her wider family. In 2015 Hannah took over as Director of Social and Commercial Enterprise for the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust, a local Devon Charity, which supported children and young adults with disabilities to live life to the full. Now as Chief Executive Officer, Hannah leads the Life Chance Group, and School for Inspiring Talents; an award-winning independent therapeutic education provider that specialises in supporting young people and families who have complex life histories and have experienced trauma. She says: “Setting up the Life Chance Trust to help support and guide young adults who have had difficult childhoods is something I feel very passionate about. I am excited to see how the Charity can help transform the life chances of young people in our communities.”
Hal Davidson
Originally from Somerset, Hal is a strategy consultant, trustee, fundraiser, and a personal development speaker. Having worked for, volunteered with, and consulted 25+ charities over the past seven years, Hal has amassed a great deal of experience in the sector across a range of roles in fundraising, communications, and project management. Away from his primary role as the Funding & Strategy Manager for You Press, Hal helps small and medium sized charities develop strategies to effect lasting change. He currently sits on London PLAY’s board of trustees and volunteers with Sported UK, the Jack Petchey Foundation, and the International Association for Strategic Professionals. Outside of the charity sector, Hal delivers personal development talks to young people, encouraging them to seek purpose and fulfilment in their own careers.
Denise Hawkins
East London born and raised, but now a self-proclaimed Devonian, Denise has lived in the county for 20 years . The first in her family to go onto higher education, Denise qualified as a Solicitor, having trained in a criminal legal aid office in East London and a West-end small corporate firm, then qualifying into a position in a top city law firm. Denise’s preference for practical problem-solving saw her move in-house, and under one of the few female FTSE 250 Board directors at the time, she became Legal Assistant to the largest building materials supplier in the country. In 2000, she became Director of Legal and Corporate Services, responsible for governance, compliance and a team of customer-focused legal advisors providing advice to their UK businesses and liaising with overseas lawyers. In Devon whilst raising her family, Denise took on a variety of volunteer roles as Chair of Preschool, then the PTA before training as a Citizens Advice Advisor. During the pandemic she trained and volunteered for St John’s Ambulance and at her local GP surgery, where she still works. With a strong desire to nurture and guide young people to achieve the best they can, Denise combines an inquisitive, analytical and governance mindset with a determination to help and support. Denise’s children are still at home so relaxation time tends to be active; playing tennis, out on the water, or enjoying coast path walks with Toby the border terrier.
Life Chance Trust 