People

Since 2022, Marie has led Bite Back's national campaigns on free school meals, corporate accountability, and junk food sponsorship of sports. Previously in charge of all Global Citizen's UK activities, she was also Head of Hunger and Nutrition at Save the Children UK. "I'm constantly battling to make sure my son isn’t bombarded with junk," says Marie. "From family days out, to the ice-cream van that passes our house every day, to the high street where unhealthy food is marketed to us at every opportunity."

While working at Scope, the equality charity for disabled people, Carlotta developed an interest in accessible design – and she brings extensive experience from her Masters in Ethnographic and Documentary Filmmaking to Bite Back's visual content. "I cannot wait for a day where I can leave my house and not feel constant pressure from junk food giants to eat their food," she says. "If we replaced junk food ads with beautiful art, wouldn't our streets look a lot better?"

Our cities are flooded with fast food, and as our Senior Comms & Content Manager Ella-mai points out, even high streets at the heart of small-town communities have become a "mono-culture of junk." She urges Councils to intervene: "Provide incentives to smaller businesses to offer affordable and nutritious food, so they can compete and offer us all genuine food diversity," says Ella-mai. "There should also be restrictions on wrapping products high in fat, salt and sugar in cute, cuddly designs to appeal to babies, toddlers and small children."

"Once you become aware of how surrounded we are by junk food ads, you see them everywhere," says Korane, Bite Back's Head of Youth. "Walking to meet a friend: at the bus stop. Train to work: on the platform. Checking an update from a loved one: all over the app. Watching something on-demand: staring at you when you press pause. Tying your shoes: a leaflet on the floor. If you have to highlight something, please – show me what's yummy, good for me, and affordable in my local area instead."

After collaborating with Bite Back in her previous role at the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), Caroline saw the power of youth voices to get political attention. Before the OHA she worked on the Department of Health's first childhood obesity plan, and led various campaigns for Cancer Research UK. "The incessant bombardment of marketing glorifies and normalises unhealthy food for every possible eating occasion," she says. "Healthy food should be accessible, affordable and rightly recognised as delicious.

With eight years' experience in public affairs, Ayesha has previously worked at ACCA, the NUS, and Macmillan Cancer Support. At Bite Back, she builds and maintains relationships with MPs and Government officials, lobbying for effective policy change. "Ever since I was little, big junk food companies have always been present," she says. "Over time this has had a massive effect on the types of food I eat. At Bite Back I had my 'penny drop moment': now I'm constantly questioning clever advertising tricks."

Zoë has spent the last decade fighting for social equality – from building a movement to end extreme poverty as Digital Campaigns Director at Global Citizen, to co-founding Nakuru Children's Project, an NGO that improves education for kids in Kenya. "It's deeply unfair that access to healthy food is too often a privilege of the wealthy, especially in one of the world's biggest economies," she says. "Young people should all be able to live healthy, more equitable lives – no matter where they grow up or how much money they have."

Sam has campaigned to end factory farming, invest in social housing, and tackle climate change with a nature-based approach. He played a key part in CPRE's successful campaign to end fracking in the UK. Sam's amazing dog Rummi, meanwhile, likes eating, running and sleeping. "When low price is the goal, everything else becomes less important," says Sam. "Cheap, unhealthy food is produced in a way that abuses animals and has no regard for human health and the environment."

After a 15-year career as a BBC presenter, Nicki went on to hold various senior leadership roles – including Chief Communications Officer at education charity Achievement for All. She leads all Bite Back's external relationships. "Supermarkets have always been a battleground where consumers are manipulated – and in the worst instances, deliberately exploited – by clever, enticing and colourful packaging and promotions. How different would it be if healthy options were the stars of the supermarket shelves?"

Nabeeha believes young people have the power to create real change in the food system – and leverages an impressive Instagram following to help spread the word. "There's no honest labelling on food. Children are attracted to food with colourful cartoon packaging – and those food products tend to be filled with excessive amounts of sugar," says the Birmingham-based campaigner, who moved to the UK from Pakistan in 2019. "I'd like to see a world where we aren't brainwashed by junk food ads."

Having dedicated her career to campaigning for social causes – from reproductive health to a clean energy transition – Beth has worked with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WaterAid, UNHCR and the Jamie Oliver Group to mobilise the public and influence policymakers. "Our broken food system makes life harder for children and families who are already struggling," she says. "Evidence shows that junk food advertising is targeted more heavily at people in lower socioeconomic groups and healthy options are harder to come by in low-income areas. It's outrageous and unjust."