Our Team

Alex Stevens - Executive Officer

Alex is an experienced social work professional and a skilled Consultant, Counsellor and Groupworker, who practiced in the Childcare and Criminal Justice systems for 22 years before going on to set up his highly successful Consultancy operation in the spring of 1995. In 2007 he came back to Inverclyde, managing the council’s Working for Families project before accepting a post as Depute CEO (Operations) with Inverclyde Community Development Trust.

He is currently CEO of Youth Connections & Gibshill CC, having accepted a secondment in 2009 which he never returned from

When not gainfully employed in any of the above, he can be found with his wife, two daughters and three grandsons trying to contribute to and fathom out the complexities of harmonious family life…...a much more difficult life task than work!

Elizabeth O’Kane - Youth Work/Admin Support

I have been with Youth Connections since the project started.  I undertake all reception and administrative duties required by the organisation. 

Prior to joining Youth Connections I completed a full-time secretarial course at James Watt College.  While working at Youth Connections I have had the opportunity to do other courses in Computing, Customer Care and First Aid.  During my time here the project has constantly changed and is now a lively Community Hub used by all ages of residents of Inverclyde.

My duties include:

All incoming and outgoing mail.

Processing all invoices and orders.

Organising Sign-in sheets, Timesheets, Holiday Sheets.

Administering Wages

Completing Monthly Monitoring Information for Community Learning & Development.

Collating all information for monthly accounts.

Secretariate to the Board.

Claire Farr - Senior Development Worker

Hello – My name is Claire Farr - I am the Senior Development Worker who is responsible for the youth/adult development provision within Youth Connections and Gibshill Community Centre.

I started my time off volunteering as an assistant youth worker within Youth Connections 16 years ago and knew this was the career path I wanted to explore.

From there I gained youth/community work experience and took the plunge 10 years ago to go back to studying at Glasgow University for three years to gain a Bachelor Arts Degree in Community Development.

My main focus within youth connections is to work alongside group workers and staff to provide engagement and support activities for all age groups: ranging from social inclusion activities to formal and informal lifelong learning sessions within in a safe environment were young people and adults feel safe and valued.

I also support young people in having a say in decision making to create activity programmes that

happen within Youth Connections through the development of a “youth sub group” as they work jointly with the Board of Directors.

I have recently took on a new part time role within Gibshill Community Centre in partnership with Youth Connections to work on behave of the board of directors to facilitate and maintain the smooth and successful day to-day running of the centre. Working with staff building a welcoming, busy and vibrant community space and providing services and activities for the community.

My roles can be challenging at times - but it is most certainly rewarding.

Karenanne Pollock - Projects Coordinator

Hello, my name is Karenanne and I am a project coordinator for Youth Connections. I didn’t always have this title and in fact started off as a cleaner in the project before graduating to the current position.

I am a local person and have been involved with the project for almost 14 yrs, I find it exciting, never the same and always challenging, so much so I continue to hold my cleaners post as well as the project coordinator’ s role.

Having graduated from college and Open University, supported by Youth Connections, I was delighted to, in the first instance, become coordinator of “Connect Youth” (a group established to support Young People living with the realities of the Autistic Spectrum) and secondly as coordinator of Youth Connections Volunteer programme, funded by Impact Funding

 If you are interested in working with young people who live on the spectrum or any aspect of volunteering within our programme please do not hesitate to contact me at the project.

Kay Clark - Community Engagement Worker

Kay Clark is a community engagement worker with over 20 years’ experience of Voluntary Sector project management working in Inverclyde. Throughout her career she has worked her way up through the ranks of the voluntary sector working for most of her career with Inverclyde Community Development Trust. 

Kay has experience working with both younger and older people and using a wide range engagement tools to deliver and develop new projects

Previously Kay was the Heritage and Cultural Coordinator for Inverclyde Community Development Trust which she joined and remained in post for 15 years. Kay has a wide range of expertise and experience through delivering community development projects including-

  • Fund Raising

  • Volunteer Management

  • Community Engagement

  • Report Writing

  • Community Consultation

  • Project Management