Eleni Venaki

Director

Eleni leads the team and is responsible for overseeing the direction of The Comfrey Project, including being responsible for fundraising and financial management.

Eleni is originally from Greece but has been in the UK since 2006 so she considers herself a little bit of a Geordie! Having grown in a small farming village she has a deep appreciation of the benefits from connecting with nature. She enjoys hiking, languages and books, and loves travelling and meeting people from around the world. 

eleni@thecomfreyproject.org.uk

Mike Blenkarn-Durning

Administration and Finance Officer

Having previously worked for The Comfrey project for three years, Mike rejoined the team in May 2023.

Mike’s role is crucial in making sure the organisation is in good financial health and it complies with laws and regulations.

Mike is very passionate about the charitable sector and has worked in similar roles for the past 17 years. His other passion is music; he has a PhD in music and plays regularly in a band.

michael@thecomfreyproject.org.uk 

Nicola Bushell

Session Coordinator

Nicola responds to the needs of our community by developing, coordinating and delivering a range of sessions and activities that support our volunteers and participants to use and develop skills that connect with each other, nature and our garden.

Nicola comes from a rural, farming town in Cumbria. She grew up in the hills and fields and found her love of nature at a a very early age. Even when Nicola is not working in our garden, you will find her in the hills, or making friends with the bees and the butterflies!

Mufida Abdualla

Session Coordinator

Previously a Comfrey volunteer and Peer Enabler, Mufida rejoined Comfrey in 2024 as a Session Coordinator. Her current focus is on helping our community build their English skills and develop confidence in speaking in their day-to-day life, as well as leading on our Afghan Women sessions. 

Since building her life in the UK, Mufida has completed her PhD Chemistry degree at Newcastle University. She lives locally with her lovely family and likes to spend time with people learning about their cultures. Mufida loves to cook, draw and read.

mufida@thecomfreyproject.org.uk

Rosa Graham

Administration & Communications Assistant

Rosa joined Comfrey in 2024 and supports the operational and administrative needs of the organisation, as well as taking the lead on communications and marketing. 

Rosa is dedicated to helping refugees and people seeking asylum rebuild their lives in the North East, and feels passionately about using nature and creative activities to help facilitate this.

She is a mixed-media artist and musician, and knows the joy creative activities can bring to people’s lives. After studying International Relations of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, she spent time abroad and has picked up various languages which she enjoys using at work. 

rosa@thecomfreyproject.org.uk

Eric Bamela

Bridge Builder

As a Bridge Builder for the Gateshead Bridge Builder project, Eric is part of the Coordination Team, ensuring that the voices of communities are included in the decision-making process.

Eric is originally from Cameroon and has been in the UK since 2014. He started volunteering for The Comfrey Project in 2017. He has been involved in many humanitarian and volunteering programs from Africa to North America. Eric is also a member of the African platform Handing Hand community (APHHC).

eric@thecomfreyproject.org.uk

Hakan Akarli

Bridge Builder

Hakan is also part of the Coordination Team of the Gateshead Bridge Builder project, and supports communities and local agencies to connect.

Hakan taught in Turkey and Azerbaijan for 16 years. He enjoys volunteering; he volunteered at The Comfrey Project when he arrived in the UK, he helps coordinate the activities of the Turkish community in the North East and helped establish the North East Diversity, Education and Solidarity group. Hakan also enjoys learning about different cultures and reading books.

hakan@thecomfreyproject.org.uk