Our team

Rob wanted to give to others what his father gave to him; quite simply a belief that he could achieve anything. Rob passionately believes that there is nothing more empowering than inspiring people to be the best that they can be.

Outside of his Chairmanship of the Starr Trust Rob is also CEO of the Seico Insurance & Mortgage Group, having founded the company in 1990 at age 21. Rob is also the author of the book “From Starr to Starrfish” about his journey to learn to swim and conquer the English Channel and is currently completing his first fiction novel. Rob has also written four plays and co-written two full length musicals, all of which have been staged. Rob is currently heading a team to turn Brighton & Hove’s dilapidated King Alfred Leisure Centre into a modern Community Hub offering the City new seafront living along with a hub for Leisure, Theatre and the Arts.

Outside the Trust he is a singer, coach, therapist and trainer and is the creator of many programmes designed to expand the potential of individuals and groups. He works internationally as a facilitator and project leader in the fields of personal, cultural and community development, is a qualified trauma therapist, a Certified High Performance Coach and has appeared in opera all over the world.

Darren is co-founder of The Human Hive which trains volunteer and professional teachers to work in non formal and emergency situations and is on the steering team and head of pastoral care for The Complete Freedom of Truth, an international youth-led project developing global youth citizenship through culture and the arts.

Darren is also an international trainer for Musicians Without Borders where he trains musicians to use music for peace building with refugees and in post conflict communities. You can find out more about him at www.darrenabrahams.com

She enjoys being part of something which is constantly evolving and working to support others. Her role is to take the vision of the Starr Trust and put the processes and structures into place to help achieve them, managing the internal departments. Prior to working at the Trust, Melanie was a Team Manager at BUPA International, which included auditing in Malta. Before that, she worked for Eagle Star Insurance Company in Brighton, Cheltenham, Newcastle and Liverpool, writing tests and processes for a claims handling system. Melanie has also worked for Headway, where she helped individuals settle into their surroundings after having suffered from a brain injury.

Melanie works part-time for the Trust; she is also a singer with a close harmony girl group The Doo-Wop Dolls, a singing coach and part of an Abba Tribute band.

They head up the fundraising department of the Starr Trust. This is the core of the charity and has many different roles.

Working with a team of regular in-house volunteers the many exciting and sometimes mad events are created, from the annual Golf Day and the Masterchef-style cooking competition to the black tie Winter Ball and the incredibly fun Starr Water Wars held on Hove Lagoon.
The highlight of the Starr Trust year is always the bike ride which has taken local cyclists all over the UK and more recently though the Dutch countryside and the south of France.

Being the face of the charity they are known through the area and when visiting local businesses always come away with a new supporter for their cause. When individuals and businesses get involved in events it’s surprising what else tends to spin off and so many new events then get created.

Trosie said “without our volunteers including Trish Starr the event team couldn’t do the amazing job we do!”

She works with daughter Tracey as an Events Coordinator, and also attends networking meetings, letting people know what we do and just how we try to help young people achieve their ambitions.

Trish says: “I really enjoy working in the Trust in all capacities, as we are growing from strength to strength, and being part of such a worthwhile cause helps keep Edward’s name alive, and helps so many young individuals.”

She continues to have her own business in Cornwall – a bar/restaurant – which gives her the understanding and experience to be able to work out new systems and keep accurate records for the Trust.

Alex says: “I really enjoy my work with the Trust as I like making sure it all runs smoothly financially and being able to report on how much we have raised!” Because of her experience starting her own business, it’s important for Alex to be involved with an organisation which encourages young people to succeed and helps support their goals.

Anthony's role is primarily behind the scenes, providing maintenance of the infrastructure that allows the Trust to function efficiently. In addition, Anthony is responsible for the processing of applications for Awards and serves as the first point of contact for applicants.