Meet Our Team
Katie Bristow
Katie is a passionate and dynamic professional with over 30 years’ experience across Health & Social Care, at times managing up to 8,000 hours of care per week. She has extensive experience developing and maintaining strategic partnerships with local authorities, such as London Borough Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Hackney, Waltham Forest, Essex County Council and Cambridge Country Council.
She has long been driven by a vision to create a nurturing, alternative space where young people feel safe, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves.
As Co-Founder of Ascension Alternative Provision, Katie leads a dedicated team who share her commitment to building something truly different for young people often overlooked by traditional education systems. Ascension is a youth-led, trauma-informed environment that centres on emotional regulation, creativity, fitness, self-care, and life skills. From sports-based confidence programmes to music production, podcasting, cookery, and personal development.
Throughout her career, Katie has led large-scale care services, launched impactful community initiatives, and developed innovative programmes that support young people’s mental health, self-worth, and social inclusion.
Barrie Laslett
Barrie has over 26 years experience in the Social Care Sector. As a Co-Founder of Ascension Alternative Provision, he brings a deep commitment to improving outcomes for young people facing complex challenges.
Before joining Ascension, Barrie spent nearly two decades at Barnardo’s, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities, and later served as CEO of The Wickers Charity for four years. At The Wickers, he played a key role in designing and delivering impactful services for young people at risk of exclusion, criminal exploitation, and a wide range of social and emotional challenges. Under his leadership, the charity significantly expanded its reach—engaging over 4,500 young people across London boroughs including Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest.
Barrie has also worked in close partnership with London’s Violence Reduction Unit, where he led a targeted programme in Hackney that contributed to a 15% reduction in youth violence over three years.
With his own lived experience, Barrie is a trusted mentor to young people navigating the criminal justice system. His work focuses on supporting high-risk individuals to make positive life choices and find a renewed sense of purpose and direction.