Edward founded New Connections in 2018 and has spent many years working with men and women in prison with addiction and substance misuse challenges. He holds a BA in Sociology and Social Psychology and a Level 4 Addictions Counselling qualification (University of Bath, 2015). A qualified therapist with his own lived experience of addiction and recovery, he delivered clinical addiction programmes through RAPT (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) across several prisons before establishing New Connections. He attends Parole Board hearings as a registered expert witness and works directly with IPP and Lifer clients in custody and after release.

Registered witness expert

Christina is Director and Senior Lead  and CEO at New Connections, responsible for programme design, training development, and the organisation's partnerships with HMPPS, probation services, and statutory commissioners. She holds a Joint Honours degree in Psychology and Media and brings extensive experience in strategy, project design, and workshop facilitation. She leads the development of all New Connections training content, oversees the post-release support programme, and is the primary point of contact for HMPPS. She also coordinates New Connections' university placement programme and is developing a research project examining what post-release services work most effectively for this cohort, due to launch in late 2026.

Katie is Chief Operating Officer at New Connections, responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, referral management, and operational coordination across the team. She brings experience from both the education and charitable sectors and plays a central role in keeping the organisation running smoothly as it grows. Katie manages client intake, supports the director team, and ensures the administrative infrastructure is in place to deliver consistent, high-quality support to clients and their families. She is often the first point of contact for referrers and takes pride in making that process as straightforward as possible.

Emma holds a BSc in Sociology and an MSc in Psychology (Manchester Metropolitan University). Her career includes substance misuse triage at Turning Point, behaviour analysis specialising in sexual offences and child safeguarding at eSafe Global, Lead Mental Health Triage at Revolving Doors Housing Trust, and Prison Offender Manager at HMP Forest Bank. She has been with New Connections for over three years as Client Support Developer, working with IPP and Lifer clients in custody and in the community. She attends Parole Board hearings as a registered expert witness and communicates regularly with Community Offender Managers. She is also developing an in-custody psychoeducational programme and a post-release support model for clients with sexual offence convictions.

Bethany holds a degree in Criminology and Psychology (Canterbury Christ Church University, 2020) and a Masters in Criminology (University of Essex, 2021). She joined New Connections as a volunteer after spending time in custody as a young adult, an experience that gives her a direct, personal understanding of what meaningful support requires. Now 30 and with her licence complete, she has been with New Connections for four years, developing into a skilled practitioner and registered Parole Board expert witness. She works with IPP and Lifer clients in custody and in the community, and is working towards a CILEX qualification in legal advocacy.

Dean brings something that cannot be learned from a textbook: direct personal experience of an IPP sentence. He understands from the inside what it means to navigate the parole system, live on an indefinite licence, and build a life in the community under constant uncertainty. Dean started with New Connections as a volunteer and now works as Client Support Lead, primarily supporting our post-release clients. His knowledge of addiction recovery, combined with his lived experience of IPP, makes him an invaluable voice in both our client work and our professional training programme.

Louisa joined New Connections after completing a placement as part of her Forensic Psychology degree, during which she quickly demonstrated both the aptitude and the commitment the role required. She is now employed as Administrator and Client Support Assistant, managing referral administration, client records, and the day-to-day administrative functions that keep the organisation running. She brings a genuine passion for the work and for the people New Connections supports, alongside the academic grounding of a degree in Forensic Psychology. She is an important part of a small, close-knit team where everyone's contribution matters.