Kitty Nabarro, Chair
Kitty co-founded Nip in the Bud together with her husband Daniel in 2015 and is the Chair and administrator of the charity. Previously Kitty worked as a teacher of modern languages in secondary schools and adult education. After retiring from the classroom she became an active volunteer for OCD Action, with particular focus on the OCD at School programme, giving awareness talks prepared by the Maudsley Hospital.
In 2023 Kitty’s outstanding voluntary work and commitment to promoting a greater awareness of Children’s Mental Health was recognised by the Prime Minister with a Points of Light Award.
Dr Gordana Milavić, Trustee
Dr Milavić is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. Dr Milavić specialized in child and adolescent psychiatry at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospitals in London. She has been a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London, UK since 1980 and Fellow since 1996. She has near 40 years’ experience of clinical practice.
From 2006 to 2012 she was the Clinical Director for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Milavić’s interest in the organisation of child and adolescent psychiatry services led to her post of Co – Chair of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association (2011 to 2017). She has been a member of the Psychiatry Council of the Royal Society of Medicine in the UK from 2014 to date and will be taking over the presidency of the Psychiatry Section from October 2022. She is currently Chair of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, UK.
Michael Caro, Trustee
Michael is a retired corporate lawyer who was a partner at Baker McKenzie. He became a Trustee of OCD Action in 2012 and was responsible for ‘converting’ OCD Action from an unincorporated association into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Michael was responsible for setting up Nip in the Bud and registering it with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Dr. Lisanne Stock, Trustee
Lisanne is a doctor who is currently working in North Central London. She has previously worked in a variety of London hospitals including Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College Hospital and The Royal Free Hospital. She has an interest in medical education and as a student, was President of the Oxford Society of Medicine and the Oxford Society for Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
Nick Winters, Trustee
Nick is a chartered accountant and is currently a partner at Blick Rothenberg where he heads their Technology Sector Group. Nick is heavily involved in mentoring – he mentors candidates at a London based charity helping people back into employment and also provides mentoring and advice on strategy to individuals at both Virgin StartUp and London & Partners Business Growth Programme. He has an Economics degree from the London School of Economics.
Denman Rooke, Trustee
Denman is a television producer. He spent 25 years at one of the UK’s leading TV production companies, October Films, based in London and New York. He was the company’s managing director for ten years and the executive chairman for five. As director, producer and executive producer he has produced hundreds of hours of factual programmes, mainly domestic and international documentaries, including programmes about disability and mental health. During Denman’s time at October Films the company was the winner of over 100 major awards, including Emmys, Royal Television Society, BAFTA and Broadcast Awards.
Michelle Blunt, Trustee
Michelle is an intellectual property lawyer with Baker McKenzie. Michelle recently stepped down as a partner and head of the IP team to make space to enrol in an undergraduate degree in psychology and neuroscience to enable her to embark on a second career. Michelle is the mother of two school-aged boys and is active in parent communities for neurodiverse children. Michelle has a longstanding passion for promoting better understanding and support of mental health and has been active in the legal sector for many years, including participating in the “This is Me” campaign.
Julie Eyres, Trustee
Julie Eyres is a Head Teacher of a small primary school in Barnet. After spending 15 years working as a contract negotiator for IT and telecommunications, she made the decision to move into education, retraining as a primary school teacher – and has never looked back.
For Julie, education is all about the individual child. Enabling them to fulfil their potential, no matter the hurdles they face. She takes time with children and families to understand the whole picture so they can work together to identify the challenges and find solutions.
She believes all children have the potential to become creative thinkers, lifelong problem solvers and social advocates. To achieve this, she believes it is imperative for every child to learn how to look after themselves physically, emotionally and psychologically. This takes time, care, thought and support.
Her ultimate goal is for her children to leave school equipped with a “tool kit” of skills, including emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy and social connectedness.
Samantha Wrightson, Executive Film Producer
Samantha Wrightson is an Executive Producer of film and television. She has produced and directed over 100 hours of documentaries and factual entertainment for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, The History Channel and UKTV. As an Executive Producer, she has developed and sold formats around the world. Samantha’s short films have been shown in over 50 countries, winning Official Selection for Sundance, Best Film awards at Paris, San Francisco, Austin and Palm Springs.
In addition to her roles in film and television, Samantha has worked in the arts, producing educational films for Senate House Library, World Monument Fund and Stowe House, as well as producing for BBC New Talent, and The Birds Eye View Comedy Lab.
Samantha is very interested in the topic of mental health in primary school children and is currently governor of a primary school.
Alis Rocca, Educational Consultant
Alis is an education consultant and leadership coach working with school leaders nationally to develop their leadership skills and pedagogy in order to provide a high quality education which meets the needs of all children. Alis has worked in education for over 25 years as a class teacher and then as a Head Teacher of two primary schools.
Alis is also involved in nurturing good mental health and wellbeing in her capacity as a coach, and a yoga and meditation teacher. She helps parents, teachers and children learn tools that will build a sense of mindfulness, happiness and calm, enabling them to reach their full potential individually and to make a positive impact on those around them.
Alis is passionate about teaching children and young people the skills to become effective, life-long learners. She believes that children should continue to love the process of learning with curiosity and excitement in the way they did when very young. Her work helps provide opportunities, in schools and at home, for children to see themselves as capable learners, and for the adults who care for them to understand each child’s own unique place in the world and be with them collaboratively on their learning journey.
