Meet the team
Meet the Team
Joanne
Founder & Director
Joanne is at the heart of Uplift, driven by her passion for helping people flourish.
She loves working with learners and inspiring growth. Outside work, she enjoys sea swimming and life on her farm.
Joanne
Founder & Director
Add text here about Joanne...
Adam
Head of Quality & Curriculum
Adam leads the development & improvement of programmes, ensuring quality teaching standards, strong learner outcomes and meaningful progression.
Outside of work, he loves football & is a huge Sunderland AFC fan
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most.
Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Zoe
Job Title
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Christine
Employment Advisor
Christine is passionate about supporting individuals to overcome barriers and find their path into employment. A compassionate listener, she understands the challenges of returning to work and is always approachable and open to any concerns.
She’s also known for keeping the office stocked with treats and is affectionately seen as the “mam” of the team.
Jo
Tutor
Jo delivers wellbeing and employability sessions, focussing on promoting a positive mindset and developing key life skills.
She loves getting outdoors, visiting new places and trying out the latest restaurants.
Stephanie
Office Operations Coordinator
Steph organises staff events and celebrations, and is often the first point of contact for learners and work coaches, as well as the friendly voice answering your calls.
Outside of work, Steph is a proud mum to two young boys and loves spending quality time with her family.
Bradley
MIS Data Operative
Brad supports our learners with the onboarding process, handles paperwork for our funders, and manages learner data.
Outside of work, Brad likes to travel, go fishing, play football, and spend time with his friends.
Zoe
Head of Operations
Zoe assists in overseeing the day-to-day running of the organisation with the front of house team. Zoe supports key HR functions and assists with the diligence processes, ensuring all requirements are met for funders and compliance is maintained across the organisation.
Zoe loves keeping active with yoga and sea swimming, and you’ll often find her watching football at the weekend. She enjoys a good drive with her favourite music playing, especially on sunny summer days!
Grace
Business Relationship Manager
Grace is our Business Relationship Manager and trainee tutor, passionate about building confidence and supporting people every step of the way. Grace works closing with organisations to promote Uplifts services and develop new business opportunities.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to concerts, and is a very enthusiastic Taylor Swift fan—maybe a little too enthusiastic at times!
Lauren
Learner Engagement & Development
Lauren helps learners to access different opportunities, connects with local companies, and promotes community development.
Lauren enjoys cooking, exploring new places, and spending time with her family.
Barbara
Tutor
Barbara is our wellbeing tutor, specialising in yoga and supporting learners to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. creating a calm and positive space for everyone to learn and grow.
Outside of work, Barbara has a real passion for travel and regularly explores India throughout the year, embracing its culture, spirituality, and way of life—which she often brings back into her teaching.
Tanya
Curriculum and Quality Lead
Tanya is quality focused ensuring teaching meets the highest standards, with a passion for supporting others.
Outside of work Tanya loves walking her dog Alfie on the beach and weekends away in her campervan.
Sam
Data Operative
Sam is a new member of the Uplift family. He is responsible for ensuring key information is accurate and kept up to date. He prints, scans, organises, and types away in the back systems, making sure Tutors have all the paperwork they need to deliver their courses smoothly.
In his spare time he loves his video games and anything cyber, alongside walking the dogs each day.
Carl
Tutor
Carl is a passionate Vocational Tutor in Lean and Warehousing, bringing real-world experience into the classroom to make learning practical, relevant, and engaging. He is focused on continuous improvement and efficiency. Helping learners develop skills that translate directly into the workplace.
Carl also delivers employability and functional skills, supporting learners to build confidence, strengthen core abilities, and take the next step in their careers.
Jed
Trainee Tutor Support
Jed supports both tutors and learners by fostering a welcoming environment and adapting guidance to suit individual learning needs.
Outside of work, he is an enthusiastic gamer with an interest in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons!
Stella
Volunteer
Stella is a volunteer who supports our tutors with day-to-day tasks, providing an extra pair of hands when learners need additional help or guidance. Although she’s new to the team, she’s already loving her role and hopes to build a long future with Uplift.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 4 children and is a huge fan of Gary Barlow!
Megan
Volunteer
Megan has been a volunteer at Uplift for almost a year. She has a strong passion for helping others, building confidence, and supporting people to recognise their true potential.
Gillian
Volunteer
.
Steph
Office Operations Coordinator
Stephanie supports coaches and learners by processing referrals, managing bookings, and coordinating parking. Friendly and organised, she helps connect people to the right courses for them.
Michelle
Business Operations Manager
Michelle works with the team to drive Uplift’s goals, bringing creative solutions and a passion for reaching those who need support most. Outside work, she’s a proud, busy mum of two boys.
Christine
Employment Advisor
Christine is passionate about helping people overcome barriers and find their path to employment. A caring listener, she understands returning-to-work challenges and is always open to concerns.
Lauren
...
...
Grace
Business Relationship Manager
Grace is our Business Relationship Manager and trainee tutor who loves helping people feel confident and supported. She enjoys time with family & friends, as well as going to concerts and is a huge Taylor Swift fan.
Zoe
Head of Operations
...
Adam
Job Title
...
Carl
Tutor
...
Jo
Tutor
...
Barbara
Tutor
...
Brad
MIS Data Operative
Brad supports our learners with the onboarding process, handles paperwork for our funders, and manages learner data. Outside of work, Brad likes to travel, go fishing, play football, and spend time with his friends.
Jed
Tutor Support
...
Stella
Volunteer
...
Tanya
...
...
