About Us
The charity started in 2015 following the tragic death of Ashdon Muirhead who ended her own life at just the age of 14 years. As a teenager Ashdon struggled with peer pressure, peer aggression at school and lacking confidence about being herself in a society that pressurises young women to be and act a certain way.
Her mother Trisha Muirhead, continues to believe it is her life’s work to help as many girls faced with the same challenges as Ashdon. She set up Ashdon Jazz Academy in 2015 and has since supported over 300 vulnerable young women. The main work of the charity is to assign a mentor with a mentee on a 1:1 basis. They meet, or speak regularly and empower confidence, develop personal skills, deal with their challenges and be an listening ear. In addition, the charity continues to provide a weekly drop-in session, workshops, weekend retreats and other female only events. AJA works in partnership with local Councils, Youth Clubs, Schools, Children’s Social Care and other statutory and voluntary organisations. This enables them to target vulnerable young females who may benefit from being referred, or may wish to self-refer directly for mentoring, or to access one of the services.
Meet The Team
The AJA team is led by CEO and Founder Trisha Muirhead and all currently work part-time:
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Laura Pearson
Mentoring Support
Naga Sandhyu
Administrator/ Book Keeper
Trisha Muirhead
CEO and Founder
Athenna Fuller
Project Outreach Worker
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Beth Springer
Project Outreach Worker
Fabiah Fuller
Project Outreach
Worker
Kalliyah Kirlew
Social Media Administrator
The charity is governed by trustees who meet regularly to review charity finances, safeguarding and impact. Each trustee is responsible for overseeing key aspects of the charity:
Kevin Howell
Chairperson, Treasurer and Marketing
Michelle Nicholas
Charity Secretary
Linda Neal
Human Resources
Pauline Thomas
Safeguarding Trustee
Kate Wilson
Fundraising Trustee
The charity is indebted to its 30+ mentor volunteers, whom without their hard work and dedication the charity could not carry it’s mission. Before each volunteer begins working with AJA, they are asked to attend a interview to ensure they fully understand what is required of them and share their previous experience. Once they pass the interview stage, they undergo certified safeguarding training and Enhanced DBS and reference checks. Only once this process has been passed, they can start working with the girls, with monthly supervision meetings.
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The charity benefits from the time given by other volunteers who assist with fundraising events, bid writing and female only events.
Patron
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Rachel Dunford
Charity Patron
I’m Rachel, also known as The Impact Specialist, and it’s an honour to serve as Patron of the Ashdon Jazz Academy.
With a background as a strategic change consultant and nearly 13 years of entrepreneurial experience, I specialise in helping values-led individuals and organisations drive meaningful growth by focusing on their impact. My work centres on enabling clients to understand the difference they make, measure and evaluate their outcomes, communicate their impact clearly, and use this insight to create positive change.
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I’m especially passionate about supporting charities in building their confidence to demonstrate the value they bring—an essential part of sustaining their work and increasing their reach.
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Beyond my professional life, I’m an active gym enthusiast (boxing, weightlifting, and CrossFit keep me moving!), a dedicated embroiderer with multiple projects always on the go, and a proud traveller with my two children and my husband, a TV producer.
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Becoming Patron of Ashdon Jazz Academy was an easy and heartfelt decision. Their mission resonates deeply with my own: improving outcomes for young people, supporting those who may be vulnerable, and empowering young women to thrive. These values are at the core of everything I do.
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As Patron, my aim is to amplify the voice and visibility of the Academy—to help Ashdon Jazz Academy reach more young women, attract new supporters, and secure the resources they need to grow sustainably. If I can play a part in helping them showcase the life-changing impact of their work, I will consider it a privilege.