Spotlight on… Our CEO!

Sanchia stands behind the curved hollow of a tree

What do you do in your day job?

I am the CEO of The Juno Project, which means I am responsible for both the operations and the strategic direction of the charity. I report directly to the Trustee Board, who act as my bosses. We are a very small charity, so my role is very varied - I might be writing a funding bid in the morning and attending a facilitator, or board meeting, in the afternoon. It keeps me on my toes!

How did you come to join The Juno Project?

Prior to working for Juno, I had been managing a much larger project that worked with families, children and young people for some years, and felt like I was ready for change. The opportunity to work for Juno appeared during my notice period and I jumped at the chance to focus on working with girls and young women and to take on a new challenge.

What do you think are the biggest challenges our beneficiaries are facing?

Where do I start - there are SO many - some unique to this moment in history and some timeless and shared. Growing up has always been tough from the perspective of working out who you are, where you fit in and who you want to be, but now young women are trying to do that in a hall full of mirrors, with so much pressure and expectation.

The internet is basically an entire universe, which is full of differing perspectives on what it means to be a girl and a woman - it must feel utterly bewildering.

The primary cultural value of women in a patriarchy is their physicality or perceived beauty - and the advent of AI, and photo editing, makes it even easier for girls to compare themselves to unreachable, often fake, notions of how they 'should' look. It makes me unbelievably sad that in 2026 things like body shaming are still going on (they always have but now the internet gives them an even bigger platform) and dissatisfaction amongst young women around their bodies seems to be growing. So, how do young women like themselves, or see their unique value, in a world which tells them that they don't have value unless they fit a narrow, impossible, idea of beauty?

Misogyny is also growing amongst young people, and despite tighter legislation, and open dialogue, around consent, discrimination and the rights of girls and women, schools are still telling us that they are scared about the amount of misogyny they see from boys and even more scary is that they are telling us that girls feel unable, or unwilling, to call it out.

That's just for starters!

Sanchia is a singer songwriter

What are your passions and concerns about the world?

I love this question - it invites me to pull back and reflect on the fact that none of us, including the young women we serve, is living in a vacuum!

• Mental health

I am deeply concerned about rising rates of mental health concerns amongst young people: surely that statistic speaks to something very real, and very wrong, about the way we are all living. I believe that humans have a set of needs that must be met if we are to thrive - things like safety, community, intimacy, purpose and achievement. Despite advancements in technology, science and medicine, and an increasing openness in the dialogue around mental health and wellbeing, it is in some ways, it feels harder to get those needs met than ever before.

• Economic landscape

The current economic landscape is very difficult for families generally: rising costs mean that many parents face so much stress and pressure to cope that they are working more hours than ever before, just to survive. This has a huge impact on the time and resources they have to offer their relationships, wider family and dependent children.

I would love to see us develop a more equitable, community-focused, sustainable way of living, so that we can give young people the time and energy that they need to thrive and be happier and more fulfilled ourselves.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love nature, especially trees, and spend a lot of time wandering in woody places! I am an endless student and always studying something new - usually in the field of therapy or wellbeing. I like hanging out with my kids and extended family - nothing makes me happier than sitting around the dinner table with the youngest and oldest members of the family. I am also a singer and songwriter, and I have recently learned to play piano, so I am about to release my first live EP of original songs on the piano.