Trustees

HAZEL AZEL CHANDLER  MBE. MA

Hazel Chandler is WAYout Director who spends six months of the year in Sierra Leone running WAYout. She was awarded an MBE in 2022 for her work in Sierra Leone. She has over 25 years international experience as an award winning filmmaker for most major broadcasters. She is CEO of Wilderness Productions www.wildernessfilms.co.uk and co-founder of WAYout Arts.  She is a fellow of the RSA and a founder member of the Fellows Artists Network (FANs) and now it's Creative Director. Hazel has a long term interest in art, human rights and mental health, she trained as a psychiatric nurse before becoming a filmmaker. In Sierra Leone she has organised film festivals and workshops and her skills range from setting up the first independent broadcasting company in Romania to media adviser to the UNFAO during the Ebola crisis. Most recent broadcasts include After the Jungle for BBC, about an ex child soldier struggling to come to terms with his past,  Ebola Voices- News Night, Sky news, CNN, BBC News (2014). Corporations on Trial – Series for Al jazeera voted “amongst the network's top achievements”

NICHOLAS MCINERNY BA

CHAIR OF TRUSTEES: Nicholas is one of life’s enthusiasts. Passionate about the arts and how they can change lives, he brings to the Board an obsession with music first born in the dusty corridors of a boarding school where it became a passport to another world. He is a professional writer with over 75 credits to his name in TV, Radio, Film and Stage, in his teaching which has taken him to Universities up and down the Country, teaching on Youth Projects for Tara Arts and Masterclass at Theatre Royal Haymarket as well as designing Online Courses for Life Long Learning at Oxford University.
Experienced Board member of Writernet and Chair of Script; Arts Council funded Agencies dedicated to developing and promoting new writing.

ASHLEY MINTO

Ashley’s life-long passion for music is perfectly placed at WAYout.  He is one of the founders and directors of Music is Life PR, a team that supported and promoted many up-and-coming talents and UK musicians. With over 20 years as a professional DJ and presenter, working in clubs and on radio stations across the UK, Ashley’s love and good ear of a wide range of musical styles and genres is an asset to the WAYout team in supporting and promoting African youth to produce music. Ashley has worked in events management and promotion; marketing, managing sites and digital marketing and social media strategies to sales and distribution with national and international companies PIAS, Virgin and HMV. Ashley has been supporting WAYout’s work since its inception -marketing and fundraising. He brings his passion, belief and firsthand experience in the power of engaging in music and creative opportunities to the Board – as well as his excellent and critical ear for a good beat!

 JOHN MACARTNEY

John is currently a senior policy advisor at HM Treasury, where he works on financial services. He has joined to bring to the board some of his experience in strategy from this role and his previous work as a management consultant. Prior to his current job he worked for Dalberg, a consultancy focused on international development where he advised to NGOs, philanthropies, multilateral institutions and the private sector, with a focus on Africa and Europe. He has also worked in research at the consultancy McKinsey & Company.

HARRISON COLDRAY

Senior government policy adviser with a track record of designing and delivering extensive funding projects for the civil society sector, focusing on how to increase access to finance for charities across all areas. Has led complex research projects (professional and academic) in the UK and overseas in East Africa, with a real passion for getting to the root of evidence-led change. Experienced communicator with a background as a professional public speaker, and a passion for acting on stage in his spare time.