Our people
Meet the team
Our team of dedicated trustees and staff are at the heart of what we do and are passionate about building a place of possibility for all.
Many are residents of Easton and Lawrence Hill and each person brings their own life experiences, culture and knowledge to their work.

Stacy Yelland
CEO
Stacy’s involvement with Eastside Community Trust extends back to 2005 when she joined Community at Heart as a Communications Officer. Through various communications roles and then as Director of Up Our Street, Stacy has developed strong relationships in the community and a deep understanding of the local area. She believes in the power of community and the central role of public spaces, play and connections between neighbours to make positive change.
Call: 07922 422156

Tom Williams
Business and Service Development Manager
Tom has played and worked on adventure playgrounds in Bristol, Cardiff and London and has a rich insight into their unique cultural heritage. He joined the team as Felix Road Adventure Playground’s Business Coordinator in 2016. He is passionate about children’s play, family friendly neighbourhoods and community development.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Tracy Parsons
Finance and HR Manager
A proud native of the Barton Hill neighbourhood, Tracy has been a part of Eastside Community Trust since 2005. She has moved through a number of roles over the years and continued to develop her skills to become our Finance and HR Manager. Tracy looks after our shops on Avonvale Road, manages our finances, looks after our team and keeps everything running smoothly at Easton Community Centre.
Call: 07922 422153

Abiir Shirdoon
Trainee Engagement Worker + Place Maker St Judes
Abiir has lived in Easton for 13 years and first became involved with Eastside Community Trust while volunteering in her neighbourhood. She began working with Up Our Street as a Community Researcher in 2019 and then became a Trainee Engagement Worker in 2020. Abiir is passionate about green spaces and is a trained cycle instructor. In her current role, she is involved in a number of activities helping residents to get involved in their community. She is the Place Maker for St Judes supporting residents to build connections.
Call: 07947 118109

Araceli Cabrera Cáceres
Playworker
Araceli first became involved with Eastside Community Trust in 2013 as an Invisible Youth volunteer art and circus skills facilitator at Felix Road. In 2017 she joined our team as a playworker and continues to brighten the playground with puppetry, dance, face painting and endless curiosity and love for the people who visit the playground
Call: 0117 954 1409

Becky Whitmore
Communications Coordinator
Becky has worked for Eastside Community Trust since 2020. She is a Barton Hill resident and passionate about her community and connecting people within it. Becky manages our communications, keeping residents up to date with all that’s happening in Easton and Lawrence Hill via Up Our Street magazine, social media, website, noticeboards, ebulletin and BCfm radio presence.
Call: 07903 089002

Eddie Nuttall
Playground Coordinator
Eddie joined the team in 2014 as the Playground Coordinator at Felix Road. He brings 25 years of experience as a playworker, youth worker, trainer and advocate for children’s rights. He is passionate about creating environments for all children where they have a creative stake in what is happening there and the power to shape their own reality. He has a vast knowledge and love for the adventure play movement, but and Felix Road and the neighbouring community hold a special place in his heart.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Emily Fifield
Business Development Coordinator
Call: 07986 949430

Melissa Derricourt
The Dings Place Maker
Melissa joined the Eastside Community Trust team in 2019 as Up Our Street’s Place Maker for The Dings, where she is also a resident. Her aim as a Place Maker has been to extend the warm welcome and community spirit she has experienced since moving there throughout the whole area. She works alongside all residents, young and old, to make The Dings an even better place to live through projects like the community library, monthly gardening days and befriending.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Nirmal Singh
Kitchen Coodinator
Nirmal began serving meals in the Felix Road Kitchen in 2012, and has filled various roles since then as a volunteer and later as a member of staff. Nirmal grew up just down the street from the playground, and her grandkids are now the third generation of her family to play at Felix Road. Whether she’s leading play sessions, or serving up delicious meals from the kitchen, Nirmal applies the same principles of hard work, dedication and care to all that she does. Nirmal is a fluent Hindi and Punjabi speaker.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Ollie Fournier
Senior Playworker
Ollie has been working with the team at Felix Road Adventure Playground since 2018. He is responsible for ensuring the playground has a wide range of stimulating play opportunities, maintaining the equipment and resources, and helping children to feel welcome, safe and included. Ollie has been a playworker since the age of 18 and feels privileged to have settled into such an amazing adventure playground.
Call: 07810 506980

Patrycja Pinkowska
Community Engagement Officer
Pat joined Eastside Community Trust in 2016. Pat’s work focusses on bringing together people living in Easton and Lawrence Hill and supporting them in making changes they want to see. Pat is passionate about equality and working with local people and grassroots organisations to develop their projects. Before joining the organisation she worked with people seeking asylum in the UK and volunteered for anti-detention campaigns. She is interested in the transformative power of engaged research. Pat holds a PhD in Human Geography. Polish is her first language.
Call: 07986 949493

Rob Warren
Facilities Coordinator
Rob joined the team as Facilities Coordinator in 2020. He makes sure Eastside Community Trust’s buildings and facilities are tip top and in the best working order so that people can meet, work and play in spaces that lift their spirits. Rob has a passion for health and safety, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise in supervisory, consultancy and management roles as well expertise in as carrying out repairs and maintenance.
Call: 07922 422154

Sam Anders
Finance Administrator
Sam has been a part of the team since 2017, when she joined Felix Road as the Finance Administrator. She helps runs the day to day administration of Eastside Community Trust and assists with finances to keep the organisation ticking. Sam brings over 15 years of experience as a finance administrator and service coordinator in Bristol’s charity sector. She has an extensive knowledge of non-profits across the city and a passion for community-orientated work.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Sara Leyshon
Receptionist
Sara has been a part of the Eastside Community Trust team since 2012, when she began working on Easton Community Centre’s reception staff. Sara has lived and worked in Easton all her life and knows the community and the community centre like the back of her hand. In addition to managing bookings and running reception, Sara is an incredible resource on local history, services and what’s on, and cares deeply about our neighbourhood and everyone who comes through our doors.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Stephen Findlay
Playworker
Stephen has been a member of the team since 2014, when he began working as a playworker at Felix Road. He brings a wide range of experience in youth and play work, and his consistency and deep commitment over the years has placed him very much at the heart of the playground community. He channels his love of sport, live music and drums into his play work, often setting up games of table tennis and badminton and helping to start music sessions at the playground.
Call: 0117 954 1409

Tracy Edwards-Brown
Engagement and Research Coordinator + Place Maker for Newtown
Tracy joined the team in 2020. She has 19 years of experience working in Community Development as a volunteer and paid worker. She is passionate about people being involved in their local communities and having their voice heard. As the Place Maker for Newtown she supports local residents to develop projects and connect with other in the area
Call: 07947 830973
Meet the Trustees
Trustees are champions of Eastside Community Trust and help to guide and develop the organisation. Most of our trustees are local residents with a passion and knowledge of the area and its diverse community

Manu Maunganidze
Chair
Manu has lived in Easton for almost 10 years and joined our Board in September 2020. He has worked as a teacher in Bristol for 10 years and runs a CIC called Nature Youth Connection and Education which aims to provide creative outdoor education and mentoring to young people from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds. He also sits on advisory boards for Bristol Green Capital Partnership, and National Trust South West. “All three organisations feel like they are part of my home, and part of the identity of the area. My daughter plays at Felix Road, I have danced at the community centre, and Up Our Street represents a genuine attempt at community cohesion. It is an honour to be Chair of the trustee board.”

Amy Harrison
Deputy Chair

Noelle Rumball
Treasurer

Alice Ballantine Dykes
Trustee
Alice joined the Eastside Community Trust board in 2020, following four years as a trustee for Felix Road Adventure Playground. She began volunteering with Felix Road soon after moving to Easton with her family in 2015, excited to share her time with an organisation that needed people to take part and contribute during a time of growth and change. Alice has worked in education, coaching, facilitation and professional development and is the founder of a coaching business to support mothers, MAMA Coaching. She also volunteers with Forest School Camps, runs a children’s café and has experience producing music festivals and as a touring musician.

Amanda Watson
Trustee
Mandy is a resident of Barton Hill and has been a trustee of Eastside Community Trust since 2020. She first became involved with Felix Road as a local parent in 2013 when the playground was threatened with closure, and served as volunteer Chair from 2014 to 2020. In this role, Mandy worked tirelessly to turn the playground back into a vibrant, diverse hub of activity for local families, helping to secure a 30–year lease from Bristol City Council, developing the Children’s Kitchen, acting as volunteer centre manager and building partnerships locally, nationally and internationally.
Andy Burkitt
Trustee
Andy became a trustee of Eastside Community Trust in 2020, following six years on Felix Road Adventure Playground’s management committee. His involvement with Felix Road stretches back almost five decades to the 1970s, when he helped found the playground. Andy was also founding chair of ACH (Ashley Community Housing) and continues to serve as their Head of Finance and Investment. He is involved in a number of campaigns and community organisations across Bristol and has a wealth of experience in youth and community work, housing policy, local politics, education and the arts.

Damon Rand
Trustee
Damon joined our board in 2020 after serving for five years as a trustee for Easton Community Centre. Damon is the co-founder of CEPRO (Clean Energy Prospector), a local energy company, and Owen Square Community Energy and brings a wealth of technical experience around renewable energy, data analytics, electronics and web development to our team. He has applied this expertise across our two sites and continues to help us work towards greater sustainability through projects like Easton Community Centre’s on-site renewable heating system and rooftop solar panels.

Joyce Clarke
Trustee

Margaret Hickman
Trustee
Marg joined our board in 2020 after previously serving as a trustee of Felix Road Adventure Playground. She first became involved with the playground in 2013 when it was threatened with closure, feeling it was a precious resource in an area where so many people didn’t have gardens or other access to free play and green space. Marg has 25 years’ experience working with the NHS, primarily as a community worker, and is trained as a parenting coach. She has served as the local councillor of Lawrence Hill ward since 2011, and loves the energy, diversity and vitality of the people living in the area.

Ricardo Sharry
Trustee

Saed Ali
Trustee

Sally Caseley
Trustee

Zoe Sheriff
Trustee
Over the last 20 years, Zoe has worked within the benefits and employment sector advocating and supporting people with barriers to accessing employment. She specialises in supporting people with disabilities into employment and is passionate about advocating for employee rights and helping people to maximize their potential and fulfil their aspirations. Having recently become a mum to a baby boy and becoming a trustee for our newly merged organisation, she is more committed than ever to working with our community to help to promote equality and opportunities for everyone.