Joanna Mallinson
Managing Director and Founder of the BE project
Jo has worked with young people for over two decades. She cut her teeth in youth centres and as a street-based youth worker, and she remains committed to applying the youth work principles she learnt in training - inclusivity, participation and empowerment .
For the later half of Jo’s career she specialised in developing, delivering and evaluating interventions to support young people who are affected by various drug harms.
Jo’s big work buzz comes from developing new projects that reach large numbers of young people who need support the most.
Kath Talboys
Director- Governance, Safeguarding and Policy Lead
Kath was born in rural Gloucestershire. She left to study Social Science at Preston University for 3 years and returned 33 years later. During those 30 years she established and ran the substance use service Drugline, now rebranded as Renaissance UK and celebrating its 40th year in 2026.
Kath returned to the southwest in 2015 and used her CEO experience to join the Senior Leadership Team of Bristol Drugs Project as manager of the Community Team.
After semi retiring in 2025 Kath started her voluntary role with the BE project, where she uses her experience of senior leadership and charity governance to support policy, safeguarding and fundraising.
Kath combines her love of history and genealogy with various voluntary roles including Woodchester mansion. Her biggest loves, however, are her two rescue Pomeranians Auroura and Malachy, and her Berlingo micro camper Dolly Belle .
image by Cairo Sealey
Kate Beetham
Chair of Directors
Kate is a TV Producer with over 30 years’ experience in broadcasting. She has held senior leadership roles at various companies including the BBC, overseeing major productions and managing significant budgets. For the past decade, Kate has served on the board of Plimsoll Productions in Bristol. She is deeply committed to ethical standards in the media, with strong expertise in Duty of Care, and has mentored emerging talent through both national and local initiatives.
As well as chairing our board of directors, Kate’s role with the BE project involves consultancy and support for our projects that provide opportunities for young people to build skills, experience and employability potential in media roles.
Savannah Ritchie
Filmmaker
Born in England but raised in South Africa, Savannah grew up in a vibrant environment which nurtured her deep love of storytelling. As a Deaf person, she found that she could really connect and express herself through storytelling.
Ever since then, she has thrown herself into the world of filmmaking. She is inspired by the human condition and exploring what makes people react and tick. She has explored this theme extensively throughout the short films which she has written and directed.
Not just proficient in writing scripts, she is also competent and efficient in managing her team. She has a strong grasp on set management skills such as planning and time management, and encourages clear, respectful communication on set. She is able to meet challenges such as problem solving and fostering a positive work environment with adaptability and empathy. She seeks to ensure that every project is valuable, productive, and enjoyable.
Confident in the skills she has developed over her years of studying, Savannah is keen to embrace new learning opportunities and develop herself further in the wider world of filmmaking especially as a new graduate.