Thinking Forward Initiatives

The company was founded in June 2011 by Buzz Bury, Sharon Phillips and Steve Burns after several months of discussions and business planning. The idea had been spurred on by significant cuts to public spending and the shift in emphasis for young people and community services to the development of social enterprise. Think Forward C.I.C. was created as the vehicle to provide services which benefit the local community, particularly young people and community groups.  The Team Steve Burns Steve has enjoyed a wonderful and challenging career in education for the last 22 years spanning the voluntary sector, social services, youth & community work, further education, and working with young people excluded from mainstream schools. His experience includes four years within a managerial position in a pupil referral unit in Blackpool. Steve is committed to life-long learning and has so far undertaken a MEd in special education, a post-graduate diploma in youth & community work and certificates in counselling, careers guidance, life-coaching and a Master Practitioner qualification in NLP. Buzz Bury Buzz is a qualified Youth and Community Worker with more than 28 years of experience ranging from club and issue-based work to management and staff development. He has significant experience in project management, particularly specialising in supporting art and creatively based activities and is an established and valued European Youth Work Trainer within the “Youth in Action” programme of the European Union. He has demonstrated innovative training delivery in the fields of “Youth Participation” and “Global Citizenship” as well as supporting international volunteer initiatives. Sharon Phillips Sharon has 16 years of experience working in services for young people, both in career guidance and in a leadership role for Integrated Youth Services provision. In her previous role at Blackpool Council she was the strategic and operational lead for training, development & accreditation for Blackpool Young People’s Services. Being passionately committed to youth workforce development, she is enjoying being back at the coal face delivering training and in her spare time (ha ha) is in the middle of studying for her Masters Degree in Youth and Community Work.