Grants, Programmes and Projects
Please find below all members of the Living Well Grants, Programmes and Projects Team.
Jana Cotton
Grants & Programmes Manager
Jana moved from the Czech Republic to the UK in 2005 and speaks several languages.
Jana’s qualifications and background are in education, but since 2016 she has been working in the 3rd sector gaining experience and knowledge working with young people as well as in conferencing, events, hospitality, and Grants and Programmes.
Jana has a passion for the great outdoors and together with her husband owns a woodland.
Jana is the happiest when she is splitting logs, sitting by the campfire watching the stars in the night sky, and walking the hills and mountains of Wales with her husband and her dog Jessie.
Zakariya Rashid
Volunteer & Community Outreach Assistant
Zakariya has a background in sports and holds a Level 3 diploma in sports qualification.
currently he has a passion for boxing and that has driven him to hone his skills over the years and seek new challenges to push himself further. When he’s not in the ring or working on Living Well projects, he dives into his external passions for personal development and business. He is a dedicated and hardworking individual who is committed to achieving his goals and making a positive impact in the world.
A fun fact about Zakariya is, he has a strong fascination for the Egyptian pyramids and the conspiracies on how they were built.
Zakir Rahman
Volunteer & Community Outreach Assistant
Zakir has always loved getting creative with technology, and consequently studied video game development and computer networks & security at college and university respectively. Zakir initially joined Living Well Consortium in 2021 as a “Digital Coach”, delivering essential digital skills training to Living Well’s service users and staff. In late 2022, as Living Well’s digital coaching project concluded, Zakir moved on to work in the IT services industry but was still eager to work in the third sector. Therefore, he jumped on the opportunity to rejoin LWC as “Community Outreach Assistant” when the opportunity arose in 2023.
Aside from his knack for tech, Zakir also has a strong passion for sports and sees them as a great way to develop, socialise and bond with friends and family. He first explored blending these two interests together when he started coaching martial arts locally while studying at college and university. Zakir firmly believes in the importance of balancing both mental and physical health to achieve optimal wellbeing.
Over the years, his passion for coaching and community driven change prompted him to pursue new and innovative mediums in which he could support the wellbeing of communities around him. This included work in Sports, eSports, Martial Arts and now Community outreach with Living Well.
Fun fact: Zakir is a keen gamer and advocate for using video games as a form of therapy due to their high levels of engagement, expression and accessibility for patients.
Eden Gessese
Community Psychological Wellbeing Assistant
Eden is a Community Psychological Wellbeing Assistant who joined Living Well Consortium in 2026. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Worcester.
She has experience working across a range of educational settings, including both primary and secondary schools. During this time, she worked as a SEND 1:1 Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant, and Cover Supervisor, supporting students with diverse learning and wellbeing needs. She has also gained valuable experience volunteering as a Crisis Text Line Volunteer providing confidential text-based support to individuals experiencing distress.
Eden first became involved with Living Well Consortium as a volunteer supporting community activity sessions for young people, before progressing into her current full-time role as a Community Psychological Wellbeing Assistant. She is passionate about supporting children and young people, improving access to mental health services, and promoting community wellbeing.
In her free time, she enjoys music and singing, spending time with friends particularly trying new restaurants and travelling to new destinations.
