A Bath charity that provides wellbeing support to young people in the West Country has appointed a new chief executive.
Rebecca Burton, who has worked for I Can & I Am for the last nine years, will lead the organisation into its second decade.
I Can & I Am was founded in 2015 by former teacher James Shone who was left partially sighted after a brain tumour. The charity has since helped more than 30,000 young people across the region.
Ms Burton will develop the charity’s wellbeing bus programme, which sees workshops delivered to students on a double-decker bus, and build on a strategy to support more teachers and parents across the South of England.
A team of I Can & I Am’s experts visit hundreds of primary, secondary, private and SEN schools in the West Country every year on the charity's two double-decker buses.
Sessions begin with cooking a pizza downstairs, followed by a workshop upstairs which is focused on boosting self-esteem. It is understood the charity is looking to acquire a third bus to cope with the rising demand for workshops.
Ms Burton said: “Every young person should be given the tools and support they need to believe in themselves so they can become who they want to be.
"That’s why we’re looking to enhance and expand our hugely successful bus programme to ensure an even greater impact and more reach. It has been a pleasure working alongside James since 2017 and I’m thrilled to be stepping into this position.”
Mr Shone said: “Since creating I Can & I Am 10 years ago, the charity’s work has never stopped growing and wherever we go, we are asked back. Now feels like the right time to take on a CEO to steer the ship.
“The board of trustees and I know that Rebecca is perfectly suited, having been at the forefront of the charity and all its achievements for so many years. Her direction will help us to grow in our mission and inflate thousands more balloons of self-belief!”
As the charity’s founder, Mr Shone will continue to dedicate his time to raising awareness of I Can & I Am through talks in schools and fundraising challenges.
Over the summer of 2025, he raised more than £44,000 through a 400km cycle ride around the circumference of Somerset on a tandem bicycle - enough to buy and refurbish a third bus - the charity said.
