Yma is a not-for-profit social enterprise, existing to create possibilities for exceptional care for the people of Wales now, and for future generations

The viability and future shape of our health and social care system is being tackled by many different organisations and agencies in Wales.

The lens through which we undertake our work, advocating from grassroots, being open to all possibilities without being tethered to the status quo (even rejecting it where needed) and actively seeking alternative ways for the system to exist, sets us apart.

This makes Yma unique in Wales.

Meet our team

Samantha Horwill
Samantha Horwill
Co-founder & Managing Director

Sam has 15 years of experience working in and with the NHS across the UK, developing and delivering new community-led service models to aid collaboration and innovation.  In 2019 she was invited to share her work in the NHS in Wales by TEDx Aberystwyth.

As co-founder and MD of Yma, her role is to bring alive our purpose – to create the conditions where primary care in Wales can thrive now, and for future generations.

Sam is also a passionate advocate for renewable technology and an electric vehicle enthusiast, seeking ways to accelerate progress in this area at a local and national level.

Sarah Bartholomew
Sarah Bartholomew
Company Director

Sarah’s focus is on connecting the journey of Yma to the wider world, ensuring we support people to live better lives.

She looks to develop new partnerships, collaborations and opportunities to further our purpose.

Julia Pirson
Julia Pirson
Projects Lead

Julia is a post-doctoral chemist with a background in lithium-ion battery materials and teaching.  

Julia joined Yma in 2020 and is leading our project management function. The project management team takes on a variety of projects both external and internal, some of which are on our Projects page. We are always interested in doing new things, or learning how to do familiar things better.

Julia enjoys finding creative solutions to problems, playing with spreadsheets, and illustration.

Matthew Riley
Matthew Riley
Data Protection Officer

Matthew is the Data Protection Officer ‘DPO’ for Yma. This means that he works with the team at Yma around all aspects of information governance and data security. It is easy to just see this as a security role: Matthew thinks it is more about using information in a way that creates a learning culture and supports innovation, whilst at the same time keeping the promise that we make to our staff, partners, customers and patients to keep it safe.

Matthew has a long-standing connection with Yma, having worked with Sam Horwill when ‘Here’ was founded in Brighton, in 2008, where he is still a Non-executive director and Chief Information Officer.

Kari Greengross
Kari Greengross
Pathway Sharing Facilitator

Kari has a background working with children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Despite a long career break, Kari hit the ground running with Yma. Having first joined our team as an Office Administrator in September 2022, by March 2023 she transitioned into a Project Support Officer and in September 2023 she was promoted to a Pathway Sharing Facilitator on the HealthPathways Programme. She brings her experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and a passion for helping underserved and vulnerable communities. At home, Kari's ideal pastime is reading and writing poetry, but in reality, she spends a lot of time building with and deciphering Lego instructions.

Kimberley Watkins
Kimberley Watkins
Office Administrator

Kim is Yma’s Office Administrator. Kim joined Yma following a career break to care for her young family after relocating from Manchester. A former MD, she has a strong background in Operations Management with a varied history of departmental development, policy compliance, planning and strategy, marketing, and design. With a wide-ranging business knowledgebase and an eye for detail, Kim hopes that her skillset will further Yma’s growing reputation and development. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family and their Border Collie, Vivienne.

Mathew Mead
Mathew Mead
Programme Manager

Mathew, a seasoned Programme Manager, brings diverse expertise from healthcare, events management, and operations. His career highlights a variety of essential skills, including a natural aptitude for connecting with people, a strategic mindset, and a proven ability to drive success through innovative ideas. Transitioning to Yma in September 2023, Mathew's prior roles in health boards across NHS Wales showcased his adeptness in project management, working as part of Mental Health Services and corporate transformation. Skilled in risk assessment and stakeholder engagement, he drives strategic initiatives, advocating for sustainability. His collaborative spirit contribute to Yma's mission of enhancing primary care in Wales and beyond.

Ewan Lawry
Ewan Lawry
Project Support Officer

Ewan joined the team in October 2023 as a Project Support Officer. He is in the final stages of completing a doctorate at Aberystwyth University, where he taught for two years until May 2023. Originally from Birmingham, Ewan relocated to Aberystwyth in 2016, in which time he has developed his passion for research and organisation through university, work, and his engagement with multiple local charitable bodies. In his time at Yma, Ewan has taken great satisfaction in applying his skills to meaningful work that has tangible results for health and social care bodies across Wales. Outside of work, a lot of Ewan’s time is currently spent on writing his PhD thesis and he is looking forward to regaining this time after submission.

Stan Kollarik
Stan Kollarik
Project Support Officer

Stan was studying to become a Biomedical Scientist before shifting his focus towards a career that involved more direct contact with people - service users, customers, clients and patients. This led him to gaining diverse experience in numerous fields, including higher education, social services and the voluntary sector. Stan always wanted to observe a difference at the level of the individual, but with his distinct blend of roles he quickly learned that to achieve this, there needed to be a "change" across an entire system. Stan joined Yma hoping to further fuel their innovation, making a real difference to the average person. Work aside, he enjoys long walks, cold showers and getting creative with various multimedia projects.

Alumni

We're proud of our people, and our past colleagues.
Laura Kingdon
Role within Yma
Deputy Managing Director

Laura joined Yma in April 2023. Originally from Cardiff, Laura is now based in Southwest Wales. With over 20 years of delivering technology and organisational change within the Welsh health and social care sector, Laura joined Yma as a skilled communicator, coach and leader. Laura’s purpose is to create meaningful change for the benefit of the Welsh community. Laura brings the underpinning values of empowerment, learning and empathy to all areas of her life. Laura lives in a bilingual home, is a mum to teens and can be occasionally found on a paddleboard along the Carmarthenshire coast.

Chloe Crowl
Role within Yma
Project Support Officer

Chloe worked with us as a Project Administrator and later as a Project Support Officer from July 2021 to March 2023. During her time here Chloe supported the development of the team's project and programme management processes and was able to develop her interests in planetary health, social prescribing and health access equity. Chloe will be undertaking an MSc in Public Health and Promotion and is looking forward to growing her knowledgebase further.

William Mackintosh
Role within Yma
Interim Clinical Director

Will has worked as a GP partner in West Wales for 10 years and has a special interest in medical education and leadership.  Will worked as part of the Yma team providing clinical leadership, in particular ensuring that the core values of primary care are at the centre of our projects for the benefit of patients across Wales. 

Dawid Rumian
Role within Yma
Project Administrator

Dawid worked as a Project Administrator at Yma for approximately eight months in 2021. During this time, he supported the company's financial and administrative activities while completing his bachelor's degree at the university. This was his first professional work experience, and he learned many transferable skills, such as task prioritisation, communication, and teamwork. Afterward, he held leadership positions in the logistics and banking industries. Currently, Dawid is working as an Accounting and Administration Manager for Private Equity Funds at State Street.

Rhys Jones
Role within Yma
Product and Partnership Lead

Rhys worked at Yma from 2021 to 2023 as the Product and Partnership Lead, supporting practices in seeking solutions for their needs. After creating excellent connections both within the team and across the country, Rhys moved on to pastures new as an Accounts Development Manager for Lloyds Pharmacy Clinical Homecare.

FAQs

Here we hope to answer some common enquiries.
If you'd like to know more, please feel free to get in touch.

Where is Yma based?
We are based in AberInnovation just outside of Aberystywth, making us well placed to work across Wales

How can I contact the Yma team? 
To contact us you can email Yma@dymani.cymru or phone 01970 823003

We’re here for you
If you have any ideas on how we can accomplish our goals within Health and Social Care, or would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch
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