Meet The Team!

We have a small but growing team of experienced professionals with backgrounds in regeneration, community development, community plans, fitness, healthy living and funding. Our Health Fitness and Activity Team include our trusted instructors who help deliver our classes and sessions! We are managed by a governing Board who ensure that we are achieving all our social objectives, whilst running a viable business!

Core Team

Tony has over 25 years of regeneration experience working for various local authorities and regeneration partnerships in the north of England, as a project and programme manager, and external fundraiser. He is also a qualified sports coach and fitness instructor, passionate about addressing health inequalities and helping people live healthier lives.

Tony Mullin- Director

Victoria is a placement student from the University of Leeds studying BA in Geography. Victoria is passionate about sustainability; finding feasible and creative solutions to the Climate Crisis and community generation to benefit marginalised social groups.

Victoria Norman - Project Development and Digital Inclusion Officer

Rob is an associate for 'Your Back Yard' and has nearly 25 years experience in private, public, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. He specialises in Community Engagement; Programme and Project Evaluation; Bid writing and Business Plan Development and Marketing

Rob Bilson - Associate and Board member

Ayisha has 13 years of experience working in the third sector in Ireland, India and the UK. Her educational background is in Journalism, International Development and International Politics. Ayisha is passionate about creating safe spaces and working with underrepresented communities in the areas of wellbeing. She has focussed on digital media & communications, mental health advocacy, victims of crime support, volunteer management, partnership working and community development.

Ayisha Hameed - Community Outreach and Volunteers Manager

Health, Fitness and Activity Team

I am passionate about yoga and the benefits it brings for both the body and mind, and Im a strong believer that yoga is for EVERYONE. I aim to produce classes that increase flexibility and strength, improve balance, and calm the mind. I am a 300-hour accredited yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance, completing my initial training in India, and have been practicing yoga myself for over 20 years. I have trained in ashtanga, vinyasa, and hatha yoga styles, and also specialise in yoga therapy, having taught yoga classes for over-50s, specialised chair yoga, yoga for mental health, yoga for people living with dementia, yoga for carers, and kids yoga. I like to incorporate techniques from a mixture of yoga styles in my classes.

Jenny Oates - Seated and Standing Yoga Instructor

I have been teaching Pilates for over 20 years and practising for a lot longer than that. My background is fitness based and I started Pilates when I sustained a back injury and Pilates helped me greatly in my recovery. I initially trained and started teaching Mat classes then continued to study to specialise in rehabilitation on the Pilates Equipment which is what I mainly teach on a day-to-day basis dealing with clients with specific injuries and conditions. I believe anyone can benefit from Pilates regardless of age or fitness there is always an alternative and the ability to improve your mobility and posture to make your everyday activities easier, and I feel very lucky to be able to help people with this.

Sarah Stonier - Pilates Instructor

I have always loved playing sport and qualified as a football coach a few years ago. But it was only when Covid hit, and I had a bit more time on my hands that I thought it would be great to take this to the next level. I did a level 2 in fitness training and followed it up with a level 3 in specialising in delivering exercise and fitness programmes for older adults. The more I read and study about the huge, positive benefits of exercise and activity on our health and wellbeing, particularly as we get older, the more passionate I become about my new line of work! Really enjoying coaching our mixed and womens walking football teams and doing the cardio online class. I am currently offering 1-1 programmes for anyone over 40 wanting to boost their fitness levels, with a particular emphasis on strength training. Just one tip for now, if you do nothing else, sit down less, and move more!

Tony Mullin - Cardio Class Instructor, Walking Football Coach & 1-2-1 Fitness Assessment Instructor

Arun has been instructing Daoist Tai Chi for the past 15 years, following the advice of the Master Moy Lin-Shin to help people to heal and recover their highest potentials. He brings in a 30year meditation practice, and chi gong training, to refine this practice. The beauty of it is in its simplicity, to re-align the body and mind according to natural principles of innate harmony. We simply be as nature intended by stripping away all that distorts us. We learn how to stand up and move about in ways that feel good. We become stronger, flexible, and full of energy and focus. This is joyful health and happiness.

Arun Gujaran - Tai Chi Instructor

Hi, Im Sydney. I have been practicing yoga for 7 years and qualified as a teacher in 2022. To me, yoga is WD-40 for the mind, body and soul! My classes aim to have you feeling brighter and lighter through guided movement, breath and attention.

Sydney O'Connor - Yoga For Flexibility Instructor

Boxercise Instructor

Tayas

My yoga journey started with Ashtanga, 20 years ago in a most unexpected way. Believe it or not, I was first inspired by Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice's fabulous yoga body (embarrassing! but hey thats how my journey began) and joined a weekly yoga class, recommended by a friend. Before long I was practising yoga daily and feeling the incredible benefits of doing so. I was in love with Yoga and eager to learn more, so after university, I travelled to India and learned Sivananda at the first ashram I visited. After nearly twenty years of having yoga as part of my daily rhythm, I was ready to share with others, trained with Yoga Kula in Leeds & qualified in 2020. I love to teach Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Gentle Flow, Chakra Meditations, Chair & SUP Yoga (yes yoga on a paddle board!). I also run small, cosy Yoga Retreats in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales!

Katya Harington - Yoga Instructor at Woodhouse Community Centre

Our Board and Associates

Tabi is a councillor for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and a champion for fairness and justice, recently working nationally with the DWP.

Taiba Yasseen - Board Member

Abi is an undergraduate Psychology student from the University of Leeds who undertook a year in industry with 'Your Back Yard'. Interested in mental health, well-being and social research.

Abi Hart - Board Member

Lowri is a newly Biomedical Science graduate of Leeds Beckett University who undertook a summer internship with Your Back Yard in 2021. Lowris main focus is sustainability and helping communities to adapt to the fast-changing landscape surrounding renewable energy schemes and sustainable practices.

Our Team