Introducing Our New Trustees - Carla

We’re proud to introduce Carla Morris, one of Abianda’s trustees and our Safeguarding Lead - a dedicated advocate for social justice and a driving force for safer, fairer systems for women and girls.

With over 22 years of experience across safeguarding, care, and the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector, Carla brings exceptional expertise in supporting and advocating for and with young people. A qualified social worker, she has led frontline practice supporting those who have experienced exploitation, violence, and instability - always working to ensure that services respond with compassion, accountability, and integrity.

“Abianda’s unapologetic focus on centring young women’s voices, challenging stigma, and addressing systemic injustice aligns closely with my values and professional experience. Becoming a Trustee felt like a natural extension of my lifelong commitment to creating safer, fairer systems.”

As Abianda’s Safeguarding Lead, Carla plays a crucial role in maintaining scrutiny and quality assurance across safeguarding and service delivery standards. Her leadership ensures that our work remains grounded in best practice and that our services continue to offer safety, trust, and empowerment to the young women we support.

Carla brings authenticity and empathy to everything she does. She is deeply committed to amplifying young people’s voices, supporting our strategic objective to remain loyal to our participatory roots - ensuring that girls and young women are not just heard, but truly influential in shaping services and systems.

Carla’s work is also shaped by her strong belief in multi-agency collaboration, driving partnerships across health, education, and social care to create better outcomes for young people. Her insight into how systems can unintentionally perpetuate harm gives her a powerful lens for reform and advocacy.

“My hope is that Abianda continues to influence and reshape the systems that impact young women and girls — both locally and nationally. I want to see our model embedded more widely, so professionals respond with greater understanding, care, and respect.”

Beyond her professional life, Carla’s passions include food, music, and travel, and while the travel has slowed a little, she still finds joy in live music whenever she can.

We’re honoured to have Carla’s wisdom, leadership, and compassion on our board as we continue to champion systemic change, uphold the highest safeguarding standards, and ensure that girls’ and young women’s voices lead the way.