University of the First Age

Caz Brader

National Manager

Caz joined the team in March 2010 after becoming a UFA convert. Her 'conversion' happened during a UFA fellowship in Bolton based around young people and their creative and cultural entitlement.

The cultural sector has featured heavily in Caz's professional life. Having studied Theatre and Education studies at University she has spent the last 12 years working as a drama practitioner, manager and trainer within participatory Theatre and within other areas of the youth arts sector. Much of this work has focused on young people at risk of missing out.
Through her involvement with the government pathfinder 'Find your Talent', Caz has advised third sector arts organizations and Schools on how to embed creativity and culture within their learning and teaching.
Caz is passionate about the UFA's belief that all young people have the potential to succeed and thinks creativity can play a major role in unleashing untapped talent.

Caz has no idea how to relax and fills every ounce of spare time with sport, music, food and friends.

Sarah Burgess

Director of Learning

Sarah Burgess has worked for the UFA National Team since it began in 1999, having previously worked for the UFA in Birmingham. Sarah taught English in secondary schools in Birmingham for 7 years before taking up her post with the UFA, and has always been actively involved in out of hours learning and youth work. Sarah enjoys gardening, strenuous walks in remote parts of the world, the odd novel, listening to jazz and the occasional glass of cava.

Lula Garner

National Manager

Lula's professional life has been an eclectic mix of ways to inspire people to transform themselves so that they can truly reach their potential. Roles have included
co-ordinating a national parenting network, leading family summer programmes, developing a rural family housing co-operative, facilitating non-denominational festivals and ceremonies and writing for parenting publications. Lula's decade of work supporting community based home educators across the country brought her into the out of school hours arena which is how her life with the UFA began.

Lula has been involved in the UFA for over 6 years now - 4 working for Derbyshire UFA and just over two years in the National Team.

Lula especially loves the chance she is given in the UFA to develop programmes in which people of all ages can reflect on themselves and take a close look at the range of possibilities open to them. Her favourite thing is challenge activities which create a space in which everyone involved can experience inspiration and energy for their lives!

Insia Ishaji

YoUFA Youth Ambassador

Insia's Journey with the UFA began whilst she was at school and trained as a Peer Tutor, she then completed a placement at the UFA whilst at University and has since joined the team as the Youth Ambassador.

She will be actively involved in working with young people across the country, developing and building the youth network and the youth wing of the UFA - YoUFA. Insia is committed to further enhancing the voice of young people and ensuring that their views and beliefs are at the core of the decision making processes of the University of the First Age .

Insia enjoys travelling, reading a good book, listening to music and anything yellow! She dreams that one day she will own a yellow VW Beetle!

Jan Polack

National Manager

Jan originates from Liverpool and went to university in Sheffield where she studied Music. She came to Birmingham to do teacher training and then taught in Sandwell and Birmingham secondary schools for 17 years. During this time Jan diversified from just Music to teaching Drama, Art, Expressive Arts, PSHE and GNVQ Health and Social Care.

In 1997 Jan became involved with the UFA hosting some workshops run by the then Director of the UFA, Maggie Farrar. Jan became a Fellow in 1998 and then in 2001 came to work full time for the Birmingham UFA. She is still based in the Birmingham office but is now part of the National team, training Fellows and young people in areas such as Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Coventry.

Jan still enjoys her music and plays viola with the Sinfonia of Birmingham. She met her husband through the world of circus skills and they have two beautiful children.

Manjit Shellis

Director of Learning

Manjit's journey with the UFA began as the one of the first group of Fellows in Birmingham when the UFA was launched. As a school based Fellow she was involved in running summer schools, out of hours activity and training for other adults. First hand she witnessed the tremendous potential of the UFA model and wanted to be part of that.
Manjit became part of the UFA team that took the programme national in 1999 and she has seen the national network grow from the original four partners to the vast network of over 40 partners we have today. Manjit has found this a fascinating and exciting journey and it has allowed her to work across many areas of the country building up a rich picture of the network and the variety of ways the UFA model can be developed. Currently she supports partners in both the North East (Darlington, Durham, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, East Cleveland EAZ, South Tynside) and in the midlands region (Coventry, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Walsall, Warwickshire).
As well as working with partners to develop their local UFA's Manjit has been involved in developing a lot of the UFA publications, resources and training programmes. She is fascinated by learning and how we can translate the theories into everyday practice for both young people and adults.
Before her life with the UFA Manjit was a teacher in a secondary school in Birmingham for 13 years working both as a head of the English Department, a pastoral head and a teacher of art.