Our Team

Operational Team

Dave Cooke
Founder

I founded Teams4U in 2006, following the Beslan tragedy where I led a team to support the healing process and saw first hand the impact that they had.

Having previously founded Operation Christmas Child and then worked with Samaritans Purse, I felt I needed a new challenge and this was the perfect opportunity.

Away from work I love to spend time with my 9 grandchildren.

Steve Jones
Administrator

I have 20 years experience working as a teacher and Deputy Headteacher.

I joined Teams4U inspired by one of my earliest experiences with the charity as part of an amazing team trip to Uganda on the Develop with Dignity program.

Away from work I love spending time with my wife and two grown up children. I also love sport (playing and watching), playing drums, reading, and studying theology.

Simon Cooke
Project Manager

I joined Teams4U in 2020 after working as an Advocate for adults with disabilities for 10 years. Prior to this I have worked for Shelter Cymru and Prince’s Trust. Having grown up with the shoebox project it is something I’ve always wanted to be involved. I love heading up this project.

I love spending time with my wife and 3 children, travelling and supporting Wrexham AFC, Up The Town!

Manasvi Nag
Fundraising and Communications officer

I joined Teams4U in 2023 after graduating from the LSE with a Msc in Media, Communications and Development. For over 6 years, I have worked in the development sector in multiple countries and capacities on issues of advocacy, youth leadership, education and child rights. I wear multiple hats – as a fundraiser, a communication designer, a facilitator. I love exploring different cultures, art galleries and eating food!

Lois Hornby
Project Manager

I joined Teams4U in 2022 after graduating in Global Sustainable Development. I’ve always wanted to work in the charity sector, especially projects involving poverty alleviation, so I am incredibly happy to be able to work for Teams4U. My role is managing the African projects, and fundraising.

I love being outdoors, camping and sports, especially climbing, swimming and running.

Luke Howson
Finance Manager

My first experience with Teams4U was a football trip to Uganda in 2007 but I only started working for Teams4U in 2022. I look after the day to day finances of Teams4U, balancing the books and hassling Dave for receipts.

I’m very family oriented, and spend most of my time with my wife, Stephanie, and our 4 children. I’m also a keen musician and love playing and following sports.

International Team

Ben Omoding
Uganda Project Director

A Certified Public Accountant by qualification, I have been involved with Teams4U for over twelve years, deputizing Dave in managing teams of volunteers, planning & preparing programmes and overseeing all Uganda projects.

I am married to Jemima Omoding and we have two amazing Children.

Christine Agwang
Lead Educator, Uganda

Christine is a deputy head teacher, with a Diploma in Primary Education and currently pursuing Bachelor of Education in Primary Education. She is married with three children and has been involved with T4U since 2015

Her focus is working with the community, teachers, pupils, nurses to reduce menstrual health absenteeism among school age going children.

Alice Acilo
Lead Educator, Uganda

Alice is an enrolled Nurse with a certificate in enrolled Nursing and is currently completing her diploma in comprehensive Nursing. She is widowed with two children and has been involved with T4U since 2017

Her focus is working with adolescents in prevention of STDs and teenage pregnancies so that they can complete their education uninterrupted.

Helga Sellu
Sierra Leone Project Director

Helga was born and lives in Sierra Leone. She graduated with an HR degree but her vision and passion was always to work with disadvantaged young people and so she now works full time for Teams4U overseeing the various in-country projects.

Helga lives in the capital Freetown with her daughter and sister.

OVERSEAS PARTNERS

Partnership Starts here

We believe that local organisations are best placed to understand the needs of the children they work with. Therefore we do not tell them what to do, but seek to support them in ways to help them to become more effective and realise their vision. Where appropriate, Teams4U opens opportunities for local organisations to link up and support one another. Over the next 3-5 years our focus is to develop long term integrated programmes for our partners and the projects in which we support them. Through this we aim to build the capacity and capability of our partners to improve the lives of vulnerable children.

DIMA AND KATYA NATCHYNA

LIFE FOR KIDS- MINSK, BELARUS

Katya and Dima work with children in care in Belarus. Dima grew up living on the streets without his parents so he can relate to many of the challenges that children living without their parents face. Katya is passionate about caring for children and young people. Their team helps children in orphanages, single mothers and foster families.

ALEXANDRU SANDULEAC

CUPCINI,REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

History : Born in Ukraine to a missionary family in 1973, and when the family fled soviet persecution, moved to Moldova. Father was ordained as pastor, mother sang in church choir. Organized and conducted church brass orchestra with 35 participants and wrote arrangements. After graduating moved to Cupcini.

Involvement with Teams4u : Since autumn 2019, Christmas boxes distribution planning and coordination in Moldova.

BEN AND ANA BOINGEANU

HOME OF HOPE – BRAILA, ROMANIA

Ben and Ana Boingeanu Ben and Ana are one of 4 pairs of house parents in a private orphanage run by the Evergreen Foundation. They are parents to 12 children of all ages up to 18 but also have close contact with those who have left already. Many have succeeded in getting to university and that will help getting a good job.

In 2018 Ben and Ana partnered with Teams4u in distributing shoeboxes over a very large area in the county of Braila.

NICU AND ELIZABETHA
DINU

TULCEA, ROMANIA

Nicu and Elizabetha Dinu. Married to Elizabetha who helps in the kitchen preparing food for the children. Nicu and his wife run an after schools club where they receive a meal and help with homework and can enjoy the games area both inside and out. In the summer he runs several residential kids camps for poor children and those less able giving them a chance to take part in a wide range of crafts, games and even river boat trips on the Danube. In 2018 Nicu partnered with Teams4u in the distribution of shoeboxes in the Danube Delta including some small islands only accessible by boat.

RAUL GHERLE

FRIENDS HOPE FOR HUMANITY – ORADEA, ROMANIA

I was involved in the area of social care for the last 20 years in different forms, from volunteer to CEO of organisations. Most of the time I was a project manager for a variety of projects, fostering, school reintegration, adoption, homeless, families in needs, single parents support. I was born and grew up in the middle of a nation fighting with poverty, corruption and several other needs. I know very well the problems we faced because it was not stories I was told, but the fact that I lived through it here in Romania. During all of this time I learned from the people that to do this social work better I needed to involve my heart and my skills.

LUCIAN AND AURELIA PASCUT

STEPHAN CEL MARE UNIVERSITY- SUCEAVA, ROMANIA

I am currently a physics professor and researcher at Stefan Cel Mare University, Suceava (USV). Before returning to Romania for my full-time job at the University, I have been living in various countries like the USA, the UK and France, where I was studying and doing research. Since 2012, while I was in the US, I started sponsoring children in orphanages and since 2019, when I returned back to Romania, I got involved in helping/motivating children from orphanages to go to the university. Over the last few months, I got involved in helping the refugees of the Ukraine crisis through the “USV Refugees Counselling Centre” which was set up at the Stefan Cel Mare University (USV) in Suceava. In helping the refugees, we had help from the Teams4u charity. In addition, working together with Teams4u charity I manage to distribute a lot of humanitarian aid to the refugees inside Ukraine. time.

Vova Horelov

Mariupol 

Info Coming Soon

Trustees

Paul Jeanes
Chair of Trustees

I am a Horticultural Consultant at work and within the charity just one of the trustees. Having worked all my life in horticulture in the glasshouse business growing pot plants and bedding plants I ran my own business up until 2012 when I semi-retired.

Have been involved in shoeboxes for over 20 years now and joined Teams4U in 2017. Along with many amazing volunteers we help run an export warehouse in Evesham.

I am married to Alison and we have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

Debbie Parry
Trustee

I am a Speech and Language Therapist with extensive experience working with children and families with additional needs. I have held leadership roles in both school and NHS settings, and have a strong background in training and development.

I am married to Nick and we have 4 children. I am passionate about improving outcomes for all and believe that effective communication is crucial to achieving this. I joined the Teams4U Board of Trustees in May 2021 and am eager to contribute to the organisation’s mission.

Dr Susanna Enongene
Trustee

I am a Foundation Doctor with a passion for accessible healthcare and medical education. I have studied medical education and been recognised by Advance HE for my dedication to teaching and learning.

I have a strong interest in global health, having volunteered in Peru and interned with Christian Medical Fellowship. I am eager to contribute to improving healthcare access within diverse communities, both locally and internationally.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, learning languages, and staying active through various sports.

Nick Pengelly
Trustee

I lead The Community Church Wrexham with my wife Sue. I am the director of several charities that work both locally and overseas, including Erlas Gardens Project, Catch the Fire UK and Teams4U. I am also Director in the thriving online retail Seed Company, Just Seed Ltd. The setting up and running of my own company has been fulfilment of a long-held dream, not only to be a business owner but to have a place where people can be encouraged to fulfil their own dreams. My life is always busy with 5 children and continued attempts to grow a giant pumpkin!

John Harrison
Trustee

I joined Teams4U in 2008 and I still 100% enjoy working with amazing people who are making a real difference to the lives of children and their communities.

I am a trustee with Teams4U but describe myself as a general dogs body, happy to be involved where needed. I have a passion for our African projects and especially in seeing the improvements to educational opportunities there.

I am very happy to share my experiences and encourage others to become involved.

Helen Strange
Trustee

With 25 years of experience in corporate communications, I possess a strong foundation in PR, marketing, and executive communications. My background includes a Master’s in English, teaching in Greece, and an internship at the European Parliament. I’ve held senior roles in both agency and in-house settings, including 17 years at a global blue-chip company.

Beyond my professional career, I am passionate about sustainability and recently volunteered in Zambia and Malawi. I enjoy spending time with family and pursuing personal interests like writing, reading, and Pilates.

Sam Lauder
Trustee

I am an experienced public health professional with 15 years of experience in local government specializing in food hygiene and communicable disease control. I currently serve as Assistant Director for Health Protection at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.  

My career includes humanitarian work with the British Red Cross in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, responding to Ebola outbreaks. 

I am passionate about ethical and sustainable humanitarian practice and eager to contribute to Teams4U’s mission.

ADVISORY PANEL

Dr. Laura Calder

Laura’s background is in medicine, she has practiced as a GP and has a special interest in diabetes and obesity. Her main medical practice now is in managing obesity. She also runs a successful business in network marketing and mentors others in the business to be successful. She loves helping women to grow in confidence and is passionate about growth and empowerment.

She has been on one trip to Uganda helping to deliver the Develop with Dignity programme and is looking forward to getting more involved with this and other Teams4U projects.

Rachel Cooke

Rachel presently is a bereavement service manager and Joint manager of the child death helpline at Great Ormond Street children’s hospital. Prior to her nursing career Rachel trained in residential social care in Cheshire. Since qualifying in nursing, she has worked in health settings around the world.

Rachel continues to work in the field of bereavement and children’s palliative care, both here in the UK and on short term overseas trips to the Crimea, Russia and Romania; teaching about End of life Care for children. She currently is a member of the London paediatric palliative care network, Children’s Hospital Bereavement Network, and is also on the steering group of RCN CYP palliative care.

Sam Malinga

Samuel Malinga is the Founder and Managing Director of Sanitation Africa Limited, and a UN Young Leader for the SDGs. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University and is experienced in project planning, business management and construction.

He has earned several awards including, but not limited to; Yunus and Youth Fellow 2017; First runner up of Civil Society WASH Innovations, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia; Winner of Total StartUpper; Winner of Tony O. Elumelu Prize in Business; and was short-listed for Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. He was listed as one of the 30 under 30 African Entrepreneurs by Forbes in 2016.

Amanda Daniel

Amanda studied tropical nursing in London in 2005 and has worked in several countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Calcutta, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and more recently in 2023, a placement in Uganda with the Welsh Governments International Learning opportunity (ILO). She was matched with T4U to explore collaboration with partners in Kumi district in how to reduce infection in hospitals and use of antimicrobials. Her interest is in infection prevention and control and outbreak management with a career as a Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London and in Public Health in England and Wales and Research. She teaches on the Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing, London, and on the master’s in public health (MPH) Cardiff University with the aim of raising awareness of global infection control and patient safety.

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