Chief Executive
Amanda Naylor OBE, who joined Volunteering Matters in 2024, has 27 years’ experience in the third sector, international development and statutory social care and criminal justice sector. Her work has focused on supporting and safeguarding child victims, disabled children, looked after children, young people subject to safeguarding procedures and young people in youth justice system. At Volunteering Matters she leads an organisation that has over 150 projects across England, Scotland and Wales delivering impactful change in communities through place-based volunteering programmes.
Formerly Amanda was CEO at Manchester Youth Zone based in Harpurhey. A vibrant youth and community provision with world class facilities, working with over 1,000 children and young people aged 8 -25 years and families per week in North Manchester. Prior to this Amanda headed up the national DFE funded COVID-19 response Barnardo’s service ‘See, Hear Respond’ coordinating across over 84 VCSE partner organisations to get immediate support to over 100,000 children who were identified as most in need, and prior to this held the UK child sexual abuse and exploitation portfolio at Barnardo’s who delivered almost 100 CSA services.
Amanda is a Co-Chair at Vision for Volunteering. A collaborative initiative looking at developing a volunteering landscape that meets the needs of volunteers, organisations and communities.
She is also the Co-Chair at Respond (an organisation specialising in psychotherapy for children and adults with learning disabilities who have experienced trauma and abuse), has sat on the Centre for Expertise (CSA), NPCC child sexual exploitation by gangs, and National Contextual Safeguarding advisory boards and NOTA Advisory Board, and NWG policy forum. She also sits on the England National Advisory Board at Action for Children.