The Team

YUMI's team is made up of really hard working volunteers. We have two groups of people who get together in different ways:

YUMI Management Committee

This consists of a Chair (Linda Close), Secretary (Mike Barnard) and Treasurer (Muzammel Haq), who are voted in annually at our Annual General Meeting (AGM), as well as Sasiki Hubberstey, Ben Pugh, Simon Town and Chris Barrett who are are all co-opted advisers. This group manages YUMI's strategic development, based on feedback and advice from our participants, volunteers, project managers and advisers, making sure that we follow our legal and financial requirements and responsibilities, as well as our strategic and organisational development.

YUMI Projects Forum

This is the place where reps from our projects keep up to date with what's going on throughout our projects, share and coordinate ideas and resources, and make sure that our core values live in everything we do. Our volunteers' and project participants' feedback is always central to these meetings. 

Linda Close, Chair

Managing Director of the famous Bettys Cafe Tea rooms organisation which has been successfully trading in York and across Yorkshire for over 90 years.

As a great Yorkshire business we believe strongly that businesses can and should exist for the wider benefit of society , the environment, and supporting the local communities in which we work and live.

One of my great passions: Bettys cookery school is dedicated to sharing our love of fresh garden produce and cooking with local schools and with adults from across the UK and the wider global community.

Joining YUMI in November 2012 as Chair of the Organisation, I am keen to support the organisations activities and the management committee with the longer term strategic activities which ensure the sustainability of the organisation for our community for the future.

I spent much of my early early life out in Singapore, and have had the opportunity to experience an exciting hospitality career as a Director with Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and travel to London and Paris as Retail Director for the PAUL French patisserie brand.

Mike Barnard, Secretary

I spent 24 years in IT, as a technician, team leader and independent consultant. As well as my technical skills, I know how to manage projects effectively, and I’ve learnt some useful communication skills along the way. I retired in 2004.

I have backpacked in many countries in my 20’s and 50’s, meeting people, walking and appreciating the many different cultures in the world. I believe everyone has something to offer their community and should have the opportunity to do so.

As Secretary of YUMI I have responsibility for ensuring we comply with legal requirements and that we follow our governance documents.

Muzammel Haq, Treasurer

Before coming in the UK in 2010 I worked for 7 years in charity audit and accounting including Friends In Village Development Bangladesh and ActionAid, both leading in working against poverty, illiteracy and discrimination in Bangladesh. I travelled all over Bangladesh and gained grass root experience in working for the rights of minority and excluded communities.

After coming to the UK I was looking to get involved in a charity organization and found YUMI’s activities interesting as it works for minority communities. I participated YUMI's Fun Day in 2011 and learnt people from different cultures are together under the umbrella of YUMI which helps people to learn each other that cherish mutual respect.

As a Treasurer I am responsible for establishing proper internal control of financial management to ensure organisational resources are managed economically, effectively and efficiently for the purpose of the organisation and as per the guidelines of the governing documents that comply with statutory requirements.

Sasiki Hubberstey, YUMI project founder and coordinator

I've lived in York for over 20 years, and been involved in education, difference and diversity for all of my working life. After gaining an English degree, I trained as a teacher and worked in secondary and language schools, trained English teachers as a VSO in Sri Lanka, and worked alongside the British Council writing course books for secondary schools there. I worked in India in two rural projects and at Mother Teresa's centres in Calcutta. My kids are English/Sri Lankan.

For several years I worked with international students at a local school as personal tutor and language coach, organising international festivals and supporting staff in classroom management of overseas students. I've also worked extensively with overseas doctors in the NHS.

I'm interested in how we adjust to new environments and how we can transform ourselves through this process, especially working out collaboratively how to do this in non-hierarchical relationships.

Advisers

Simon Town

Ben Pugh

In my work I provide cross-sector, management infrastructure and consultation for projects, festivals, and events in the creative and cultural industries. My work takes me across disciplines in theatre, music, visual-arts, film, community and education.

As a cultural sector practitioner, I have produced events from the huge Bradford Mela to the York Mystery Plays. From a young people’s carnival parade in Sri Lanka to the Illuminating York Festival.

I have commissioned and delivered work in a wide range of settings – from the Mumbai slums to New York; encompassing public parks, heritage sites, theatres, museums, galleries, town squares, botanical gardens; everything from rugged moors to NCP car-parks.

I also provide strategic support and development to a number of cultural sector organisations.

Questions about how business engages with the community; how the arts can influence and feed regeneration; and what the sectors can offer to or learn from each other, permeate my approach to each individual project.

Chris Barrett

I know everyone in York, or so I am regularly told; oddly, most often by my daughters who seem to know way more people than me! If I don’t know you yet, I’d be happy to talk to you about YUMI as it is my job to spread the word about the aims of YUMI and about what YUMI is doing.

In my time in York, I have worked in wholefoods retailing (at Alligator - still York’s best and friendliest wholefood shop), independent music distribution (Red Rhino and Rough Trade), telemarketing (The Sales House) software development (RedBlack Software) and Politics teaching at the University of York. Before I came to York from London I built cars for Ford at Dagenham. I don’t do that anymore; but nor does anybody else.

Currently I help YUMI by managing events, advising on Marketing, Press, Publicity and Public Relations and looking after this website. Outside YUMI, I work as an event organiser, telemarketer and web developer specialising in online registration systems and badging for events.