Our Team

Ben Parkinson

Chrysalis School Director

After running his own business, known as Choice Music, Ben was appointed CEO of Jericho, a social enterprise, that supported disadvantaged people back into work, providing them with training, work experience and jobsearch. 

While there he expanded the operation threefold through judicious fundraising and developed partnerships with the Public Sector, including DWP, LSC and Birmingham City Council.  In 2007 he decided to travel to Nigeria to use his fundraising skills to develop an Africa-based project, working with an NGO in Kaduna.  While there he met a young boy in a village, who wanted to be a changemaker and formulated a project to help rural children develop the skills needed to create change, known as the Butterfly Project. The project was moved to Uganda, where it has expanded year on year to its present level.  Recent achievements have been the Uganda Village Boardgame Convention and the Platinum League Kids Athletics Programme, which started in 2019.  The Butterfly Project currently has 50 young changemakers working in village areas throughout Northern Uganda and a group working in Kampala.

Norton York

Chair of Foundation Patrons

Norton has been a pioneer in modernising music education around the globe. He is best known for founding RSL Awards, the leading U.K. awarding body for popular music and performing arts, receiving the Queen’s Award for Export in 2018. Norton has worked on projects for organisations as diverse as the 2012 London Olympics Cultural Olympiad, BBC Radio 1, the Universities of Westminster, New York and Victoria, as well the Princes Trust and the Musicians Union.

Norton and RSL’s alumni abound internationally in the music industry as artists, educators and business people, including stars like Ed Sheehan.

In addition to RSL, Norton is a chair of London music charity Sound Connections, and a board member of the Independent Schools Exam Board and of Ibstock Place School in London. He is a charter patron of the world’s oldest children’ s charity, Coram, as well as a supporter of the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. As a trombone player Norton performed with Billy Ocean, Paul Jones, Edwin Starr, Ruby Turner and, of course, Ben Parkinson of the Chrysalis School . For 18 years until 2019 Norton was also proprietor of a small family of private schools in West London.

“ I have known Ben Parkinson nearly all my life. I cannot think of someone better to lead this brilliant initiative to launch a creative, entrepreneurial and innovative school. I am sure that the pupils of the new Chrysalis school will be inspired to make the very best of themselves and to improve their community, society and economy. I can’t wait to welcome our first pupils to experience this wonderful new approach to education in Uganda.”

Grace Ayaa

Director - Chrysalis Uganda

Grace Ayaa is the Director of Chrysalis Uganda, responsible for the North Region.  She grew up in Kitgum town, becoming qualified in Hotel Management as a young woman.  She has always believed in supporting children throughout her career and has taken on more than 20 abandoned children and nurtured them as a family member, as well as nurturing her own children to be successful young adults. 

However, during the Kony War in Northern Uganda her life was very different. She protected children by hiding them overnight from the Rebel Lord's Resistance Army, who wanted to recruit them into their children's army.  Her actions were heroic and she saved the lives of many children during that period. 

After Kony fled, Grace started working on entrepreneurship work, supporting families who had been forced to come and live in one Kampala's worst slum areas, Acholi Quarters.  She founded Life in Africa, a Community Based Organisation that helped local mothers to sell Acholi beads internationally.  In 2009, Grace joined Chrysalis as a DIrector and has been involved in ensuring the welfare of the children participating in the project, as well as becoming involved in developing our activity in Omoro District since 2016.  She has guided the organisation in every area and ensured its success.

Christopher Foster

From managing global motorsport programmes to providing senior counsel to humanitarian NGOs in Europe and Africa, Christopher is a trusted advisor to businesses and individuals.

Christopher is a senior advisor to a number of international humanitarian projects including Aviation Without Borders and The Butterfly Project in Uganda and is a keen pilot and surfer.