Our Story
The Never Alone Project (TNAP) was founded by Ilze Lee in 2021, born from personal experiences of profound loss. Within a short span, Ilze lost her father and brother just nine days apart. As her family was still navigating this grief, her children’s father also passed away unexpectedly.
These successive tragedies exposed a significant gap in bereavement support within Northamptonshire, particularly for children. Determined to address this need, Ilze authored Upside Down, Downside Up, a story and workbook designed to help children communicate through various stages of grief.
What began as a simple initiative soon laid the foundation for The Never Alone Project. With the help of a small but mighty team, TNAP has since grown into Northamptonshire’s leading bereavement charity, dedicated to supporting individuals, families, and communities through their grief journeys.
Our Founder
As an Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist and Edu Grief Therapist, Ilze has poured her heart and soul into TNAP since its inception.
Working tirelessly on a voluntary basis, she has developed and delivered services that provide comfort, education, and healing for those facing loss.
Ilze continues to oversee TNAP’s strategic growth, service development, and training initiatives, ensuring that no one in Northamptonshire has to grieve alone.
Our Core Team
Our dedicated team brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds, each committed to supporting the bereaved:
Jodie Mortern-Davies
Bereavement Support Manager & Safeguarding Lead
Jodie is a qualified teacher and trainer, NLP practitioner, Grief Recovery Specialist, and Edu Grief Therapist and has a background in end-of-life social care. She brings a deep understanding of grief and its impact, leading support for adults and young people with warm, healing guidance through loss.
Sally Andrews
Bereavement Support Lead & Group Facilitator
With 28 years of experience as a primary school teacher, Sally specializes in supporting younger bereaved children, their families, and schools. As a trainer, Edu Grief Therapist, and Special Educational Needs expert, she ensures that TNAP’s services remain safe, informative, and welcoming for all.
Our Core Volunteers
We are fortunate to be supported by a passionate team of dedicated volunteers, who help us provide life-changing bereavement support to those who need it most. They bring a variety of skills and experience to The Never Alone Project, and receive training as part of their role with us. A big thank you to every volunteer who helps us run this service!
Our Trustees
Our trustees guide TNAP’s strategic direction, bringing a wealth of experience in business, finance, education, and community support:
Sally Edwards
Secretary
With vast experience in publishing and managing an international company, Sally’s business acumen plays a key role in TNAP’s growth and expansion.
Daniel Brewster
Treasurer
A long-term purchaser for Jaguar Land Rover with a deep commitment to mental health, Daniel ensures TNAP’s financial stability and sustainability.
Carol Fletcher
Trustee
An active member of the Women’s Institute and a passionate advocate for charity work, Carol provides valuable fundraising and networking expertise.
Interested in joining us as a Trustee?
Please get in touch with us via our contact form, we are currently recruiting for trustees, and would welcome your application.
Our Patron
Our patron plays a key role in supporting TNAP’s mission, using their platform to raise awareness and advocate for bereavement support:
Leona Burton – A powerhouse entrepreneur and mother, Leona balances an impactful international business and brings invaluable insight into family support and community resilience.
Our Ambassadors
Taz Thornton
Taz is an award-winning inspirational speaker and speaker trainer, author, business and personal empowerment coach known for her power-full work. Taz has been named LinkedIn Top Voice in 2024 and Most Inspirational Event Speaker and Coach in 2025. Taz now uses her voice to spark real, lasting change, supporting individuals to step into their truth, overcome adversity and live more authentically. Her clients range from entrepreneurs, celebrities and business leaders to public figures and corporate teams. Taz has been featured in major media outlets including the BBC, ITV, Sky, Metro, HuffPost, The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Telegraph and Kindred Spirit and is regularly booked to speak on stages across the UK and beyond. Why I Chose to Join The Never Alone Project I know what it’s like to feel lost and alone - and how much it can mean just to have someone there beside you. The Never Alone Project is doing vital work to support children and families through grief. Their mission speaks straight to the heart, rooted in compassion, community and connection. I believe in what they stand for, and I’m proud to stand with them as an ambassador - helping to make sure no one has to face loss on their own.
Tuesday Moroney
I am a Business Lecturer working with 16-19-year-old students, driven by a deep passion for supporting young people. I became involved with The Never Alone Project having seen the emotional challenges many of my students face after losing loved ones, I believe fostering a supportive environment is essential to their healing journey. What drew me to the Never Alone Project was not only the incredible work they do but also the way they give young people purpose through their activities and days out. Many of my students can relate to the cause, as they know someone who has experienced loss, and this shared experience creates a meaningful connection. I have great admiration for the compassionate ladies behind the project and wholeheartedly support their mission. I strive to incorporate their valuable work into the classroom, helping my students find purpose while learning vital skills for their future. Outside of work, I am a proud mum of two children, as well as a dog and a cat, who bring joy and balance to my family life. Their support and love continue to inspire my dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of others, particularly the young people I have the privilege of teaching.
Jessica Pilkington
Jessica has extensive experience navigating the ever-changing charity landscape, advising leaders and organisations on how to communicate their impact and grow their reach. A trained journalist with more than 20 years of regional and national media experience, she has also worked in fundraising, philanthropy, and charity marketing, giving her a deep understanding of the sector from multiple perspectives. Jessica has written and spoken widely on charity communications, delivered training and mentoring, and developed strategic messaging to help organisations stand out. Through her leadership at Northamptonshire based PR and marketing company Pilkington Communications, she champions high-quality marketing and storytelling, ensuring the not-for-profit sector has access to the same level of expertise as leading commercial brands.
Darren Cook
I’m Darren, the Creative Director and Founder of Scruffy Bear Media. Over my 30+ year career in media production, I’ve worked both in front of and behind the camera, but directing and editing is what gets me up in the morning. I’ve been humbled to work on some amazing films, videos and projects, but none more so that my award-winning feature debut ‘Lucas and Albert’, short film ‘Broken Silence’, and documentary ‘Sing to Change’. I lost my dad very suddenly in 2024 and even at 53 I struggled to deal with that loss and still do. So thinking of a child going through that pain and grief that I felt, and not necessarily knowing how to work through it is just heartbreaking and where organisations like TNAP are vital. My good friend, Phil Hope, put us in touch with Ilze and that was the first sign that this was something special as he is a truly remarkable man. TNAP’s core values and empathy are key in helping people deal with grief and loss. Their passion for the charity is strong and always present whenever we meet up or chat. It’s been a blessing and an honour to be helping them and the work they are doing. I’m dedicated to giving my support and help wherever possible, with the skills, experience and equipment our team have from this point forward. I am proud to be an ambassador for The Never Alone Project.
Nicky Hagan
I am the Creative Producer and Executive Director for Scruffy Bear Media. Working on all elements of media production, from filming and editing, to writing and beyond, my passion lies in surfacing relatable stories that build connections. And this is what brought me to The Never Alone Project. When I met the team, there was an instant affinity between us all. Hearing Ilze’s story - why she started the charity, and then meeting Jodie and just feeling the warmth, care and understanding from them both made us connect in an innate way. I’ve been affected by loss many times over the years, but losing 3 of my grandparents at a young age and my father in my early 20s had a significant impact. It gave me an understanding of the complexities of trying to overcome the grief and emotion, or at least looking for a way to process and work around it because grief tends to stay with you. So any organisation that looks to help children and families dealing with loss was always going to strike a chord with me. So happy to be able to support TNAP in all the work they do and spread the word about their incredible initiatives as their ambassador.
Amanda Jansen
Hello, I’m Amanda Jansen - an experienced High Value Fundraiser, supporting HNW donors and businesses with their charitable aims and giving. I’m currently Head of Philanthropy for Hertfordshire Community Foundation 4 days a week raising vital funds for local charities and a specialist consultant 1 day a week for causes close to my heart. This is how I met Ilze and TNAP, supporting them last year with fundraising opportunities. I have worked for several national charities, one being Child Bereavement UK for 5 years. It was wonderful to see the amazing work TNAP do for bereaved children, young adults and families in Northamptonshire and I am delighted and honoured to have been asked to be an Ambassador and look forward to meeting you and supporting TNAP.
Vicki Head
Vicki Head is an award-winning photographer and image strategist who helps individuals and businesses share their stories through authentic, empowering imagery. With a focus on visibility and emotional connection, she brings warmth and compassion to her work. As an ambassador for TNAP Vicki is proud to support the charity’s mission to provide vital support for bereaved children and their families, helping to raise awareness and amplify the impact of their work.
Simon Cox
Simon Cox, co-founder of NNBN (The Northamptonshire Business Network), Head of Policy for the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and presenter on NLive Radio’s Open 4 Business Radio Show.
I chose to support The Never Alone Project to help support Ilze and the team in achieving their objectives.
I feel the charity plays a key role in Northamptonshire and it’s a pleasure to support as an Ambassador.
Our Youth Ambassadors
At TNAP, we believe that those who have experienced grief firsthand should help shape the services designed to support them.
Our Youth Ambassadors work closely with us to develop and improve TNAP’s programs for children and young people. Their voices ensure that our services remain relevant, impactful, and responsive to real needs.
Not only do they play a vital role in raising awareness, but they are also empowered as changemakers—helping peers, advocating for support, and creating a future where no young person has to face grief alone.
