University of the First Age

Meet the team

The people who make up the UFA national team

National Team

 Sarah Burgess

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

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!

 Leadh Woolley

Leadh Woolley

YoUFA Youth Ambassador

Leadh joined the team in June 2012 after studying Psychology at the University of Derby. She is passionate about working with young people giving them the chance to realise their potential and help raise aspirations whether it’s within their school, college or in their community.

She believes that “it’s not where a young person is from but where they are going to…”

Before joining UFA Leadh was involved in plenty of volunteer work with young people with special needs and learning difficulties including working with a speech therapist in Ireland and volunteering at a special needs school in Derby.

Leadh also takes part in other programmes or events including being part of the UpRising Leadership programme, gaining knowledge and skills to develop her own Social Action campaign in Birmingham and the TedxBrum event development team. 

 

 Jan

Jan Polack

National Manager

I was born in Liverpool and studied Music at the University of Sheffield. After teacher training, I taught in Sandwell and Birmingham secondary schools for 17 years. During this time, I expanded my teaching portfolio from Music to teaching Drama, Art, Expressive Arts and leading on PSHE and GNVQ across the school.

I became involved with UFA in 1997, hosting workshops delivered by the first Director of the UFA, Maggie Farrar. I went on to become a Fellow and started working for UFA full time in 2001.

My current work involves devising and writing curriculum packages and resources, training adults and working directly with young people particularly in the field in student leadership.

It’s fair to say that UFA has changed my whole life but I still find time for music and I play viola for the Sinfonia of Birmingham and other groups across the Midlands and also find time to teach the piano, specialising in teenagers and adult beginners.

I am married to “The Great Raymondo”, a magician, entertainer and laughter facilitator and have two wonderful children.

 

 Manjit

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.

Dawn Gilderoy - National Manager

Dawn Gilderoy

National Manager

Dawn Joined the team in 2013, however her links with UFA go back to 2002 when she became a UFA Fellow. Working across Hartlepool she delivered Fellowship Training, Super Learning Days, Summer Schools and a Community Fellowship.

Dawn has worked in support of the Study Support agenda for the past 20 years, initially within a school then going on to work as a local authority officer before taking on national roles.

More recently she was the national lead for work to support the achievement of Extended Services targets and the School Gates Employment Support Initiative on behalf of the Department for Education and Child Poverty Unit.

All of Dawn’s work at both school and LA level has focused on support to children, their families and the wider community to overcome the barriers that hinder their ability to fulfil their potential.

In her spare time Dawn likes to run (fast walking in reality), read and watch sport particularly football and tennis.

 

 

Office Team

 Linda

Linda Gregory

Chief Executive of the UFA

Linda Gregory joined the UFA in September 2003 as the Director of Marketing and Research. She became Chief Executive of the charity in 2005. Linda has a background in marketing within the sector and has been working with education for over 15 years. As Director of Employer Services and Marketing at Birmingham & Solihull Connexions she has also worked on fund raising, business planning and employer skills sector development, a role which she expanded from her time at the education business partnership in Birmingham.

Linda has a business studies background and has always enjoyed being able to use the best practice between both the business sector and the education sector.

In her spare time Linda enjoys gardening, scuba diving and foreign travel.

 

Tracy Finnimore

Administration Manager

 

Wayne Harding

Wayne Harding

Relationship Manager

On behalf of the UFA, Wayne will be working with partners across the country to help ensure that the UFA’s vales are maintained while our objectives for quality and delivery are met on behalf of prime stakeholders.

Wayne Joined the UFA team in January 2014 from one of the UK’s largest awarding bodies. Wayne’s history is one of project/risk management coupled with curriculum and assessment services design, implementation and development. As part of the Cambridge Assessment group, Wayne spent the best part of the last decade supporting a wide range of education centres to recognise the achievements of their learners through accreditation of valid, meaningful and purposeful programmes of study. Wayne is a QCF and NQF qualifications design and compliance specialist who helped part of the Cambridge Assessment group to ‘write the book’ on QCF unit design.

Wayne’s previous position allowed him to work with a diverse spectrum of both young and mature learners and education centres from schools, colleges and universities to employers, charities and establishments such as HM Prison Service. This in turn gave Wayne the opportunity to  further develop a portfolio of relationship, project and risk management skills with regard to a wide range of stakeholders such as regulatory and industry bodies, partners, customers and learners.

Passionate about ‘opportunity’ and ‘recognition’, Wayne is fully engaged with the UFA’s mission and values and the resulting advantages these present young people from all walks of life.

 Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith

Marketing Officer

Kyle joined the organisation in 2009 as 'Modern Apprentice' after working with The UFA in his school and also nationally since 2006.

Kyle has a passion for everything UFA and really enjoys the fun that UFA can bring to everyday life. He is often found developing new print material or explaining the great opportunities available to young people. He works in partnership with members of the National Team to help keep the marketing of the UFA fresh and current.

Kyle is a Business Studies graduate and feels confident about using these skills to grow and expand the reach of UFA. Kyle has worked in customer advisory roles and is extremely passionate about delivering excellent customer service.

In other areas, Kyle teaches group exercise and brings the passion and energy from the studio right into the office.

 

Vaani Nirantharakumar

UFA Assistant Accountant

 

 Jade Durrant

Jade Durrant

UFA Administrator

Jade joined the team as a modern apprentice in 2010 and has now stepped up her role to adminstrator. Jade is involved in many projects within the organisation that require her knowledge and accuracy to complete and keep the wheels moving.

Jade is currently studying towards a business management degree which she undertakes part time with the open university.

In her spare time Jade enjoys foreign travel and travelling up and down the country to visit family and friends.

 

 

 

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