Vision
To see communities standing together to relieve poverty so every individual can experience life in all its fullness.
Our vision is a just world where every vulnerable person is free from the crippling effects of poverty; a world where vulnerable people experience healing by participating in breaking the cycle of disadvantage in their world, creating a ripple effect.
Mission
Inspired by our Christian faith, Nicodemus’ rescues, restores, and revives marginalised and vulnerable people by equipping and empowering communities with the necessary skills and resources to overcome disadvantage and inspire positive change.
Our Story
Based in Oxhill, Warwickshire, and Guatemala, Latin America, Nicodemus began in 2012 with a commitment to supporting marginalised children, young people, and families. Our work has since grown through the delivery of bespoke training courses that equip churches and organisations with the necessary skills and resources to develop and deliver effective mentoring programs.
We provide organisations with relevant training and one-to-one support through our ‘Specialist Mentoring Training Series.’ We accompany you as you acquire learning, develop your strategy, and implement your mentor program initiative, enabling you to achieve growth and sustainability while making a lasting change in your community.
Nicodemus was founded by Alastair and Debbie Welford. During a visit to Latin America in 2012, they encountered young people whom Alastair had known were rescued from street life, cared for in child protection homes, and some returned to their families after leaving care. At the time of their visit, many had returned to street life. This deeply concerned them, and they felt a strong conviction to reach out to this group of young people, for whom there appeared to be a ‘gap in support’ as they transitioned from residential children’s homes to adulthood.
Driven by the enormous potential they see in marginalised young people, Alastair and Debbie are committed to doing all they can to help these young people realise their full potential. They aim to empower them to become community activators themselves, using their own experiences to reach out to others in similar circumstances.
Our Member Networks
Website: www.eauk.org
Website: www.cinnamonnetwork.co.uk
Recommended Organisations
Website: www.thirtyoneeight.org
Our Team
Jonnie Welford
CEO
Based in Guatemala, Jonnie supervises the charities programs and departments, leading the strategic growth and ongoing development of Nicodemus. He has a BA in International Development, a Master's in Social Development and an MBA in Coaching, Mentoring and Leadership. Jonnie also leads the development of our English and Spanish mentor training course series, facilitates workshops, and provides one-to-one support to equip and engage churches and organisations with relevant resources to develop and deliver their mentoring and community outreach programs.
Kimberly Welford
Mentor Training Manager, Latin America & the Caribbean
Based in Guatemala, Kim leads the strategic growth and development of our work into other Latin American countries managing our partnerships and collaborations with churches and projects in the continent. Kim provides one-to-one support to churches and organisations, workshops, and training in our three Spanish courses: Youth Mentoring, Skills for Youth in Transition, and Mentor Program Coordination. Kim also manages our marketing and social media platforms in Latin America and mentors a young adult as part of our Guatemala Youth Mentoring Program. Kim has a BA in Education specialising in Inclusive Education.
Ros Kelling
Finance & Resource Manager
In 2016, Ros joined Nicodemus as our Accounts Manager providing up to date management accounts and payroll. Since then, Ros' role has grown to also overseeing our charity grant fundraising. She has loved being part of a small team and seeing the difference each part of our work makes in the UK, Latin America and other parts of the world.
Saira De Prado
Youth Mentoring Program Coordinator, Guatemala
Saira holds a degree in Administrative Education. In her role as coordinator of our Youth Mentoring Program in Guatemala, Saira provides training and supervision to our team of Head Mentors and mentors, runs social activities and workshops for the program and with our partners, coordinates crisis support interventions through multi-organisational collaboration, supervises ministerial work placements, and delivers training workshops as part of our Skills for Youth in Transition course to youth from our partner projects.
Jenny Johnson
Transition Programme, Guatemala
Based in Guatemala since 2011, Jenny joined Nicodemus in 2022. Jenny has a degree in Mathematics. As part of our transition programme, Jenny helps develop and implement our Skills for Youth in Transition course for delivery to youth in our partner projects. She is also involved in weekly visits at a residential protection home for girls and is a trainer on our Youth Mentoring course.
Our Trustees
Alastair & Debbie Welford
Founders & Trustees
Nicodemus was founded in 2012 by Alastair and Debbie Welford. They have experience running businesses, however they now focus solely on advocating for and promoting Nicodemus' work. They have been involved in supporting marginalised young people for 25 years, both in the UK and in Guatemala. Alastair served as a board Trustee (chair for 6 of 10 years) of an international NGO working in Latin America before founding Nicodemus with Debbie. Alastair and Debbie recognise the importance of sharing their knowledge with others to maximise the positive impact on young people's lives. They believe that training and supporting others, especially those younger than themselves, is the best use of their time now, both in the UK and Latin America.
Chris Adlam
Trustee
Chris provides corporate finance and advisory services to a wide range of projects in the UK and worldwide. As our treasurer, Chris brings accountability and financial planning expertise to our operational budget and overall charity activities. With 12 months hands on experience of working with at-risk youth and street children in Guatemala, Chris combines his financial skills with valuable field experience.
Hannah Skaife
Trustee
Hannah is a Senior Children's Care teacher leading child development programs for families in the 0-10% most deprived areas of the UK. With three years of experience in Guatemala working on prevention programs for at-risk families, Hannah brings valuable expertise and guidance to Nicodemus' community-led initiatives.
Daniel Holden
Trustee