The Team & Trustees
The Team
Our experienced team are from a variety of professional backgrounds including teaching, social care and health related professions and all are further trained in solution focused approaches.
Natasha Adams
Interim CEO
Natasha has a background in youth and community development work and completed her MA in Youth and Community Studies.
Sarah Holley
Schools and Operations Lead
Sarah Holley is the lead for school services and operations of the organisation. She has a PG (Dip) in IAPT therapies , and a background in Children’s social care, education and therapeutic organisations.
Emma Tapley
Autism Lead
Emma Tapley heads up our support for autism. Emma is teacher trained and has a MA in Education (Autism Studies).
Sue White
1:1 Lead
Sue originally trained as an Early Years Teacher. She has spent the last 20 years working with children, young people and their families in a variety of roles, most recently working with families with children with Special Educational Needs and Young Carers.
Stephanie Lee
Safeguarding
Stephanie has over 20 years experience working with children in a variety of settings. She is a qualified Social Worker with a background in education, child protection, fostering and early help.
The team is well supported by our administrators
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Title | Contact | Telephone | Email |
|---|---|---|---|
West Surrey (Guildford) | Vicky Gibbs | 07588 757638 | |
East Surrey (Redhill & Tadworth) | Tessa Niarchos | 07449 847027 | |
Neuro Diverse Team (East Surrey) | Joanna Findlay | 07907 336592 | |
Neuro Diverse Team (West Surrey) | Rebecca Bevan | 07413 385987 | |
Community Wellbeing & Schools | Lou Miller | 07861 893923 |
Our Trustees
Learning Space is registered charitable company and is governed by a board of trustees/directors.
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Stefan Nahajski (Chair)
Lesley Pitt
​Sue Jenkins
Mike Lightfoot
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We are always interested to hear from people who would like to explore joining the board. Please get in contact for an informal discussion to learn more about the charity, the work of the board and to tell us about yourself: [email protected]
Learning Space has been supporting young people and families for 25 Years
Learning Space sprung into life in April 1997 as a small community project in Dorking. At that time there was a rising tide of concern from several quarters around the impact that a number of vulnerable young people, all of whom had been excluded from school, were having on the town. These disenfranchised youngsters were, rightly or wrongly, blamed for an increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour as well as for stretching the resources of the local police and adolescent mental health services. Something had to be done.
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Enter Bruce Pearce. Bruce was something of a “before his time” social visionary, who was then working for Surrey Children’s Services. He began to search for alternative ways to address the needs of this group. Supported by Dorking’s two secondary schools, the local police and church representatives, Bruce set up an innovative charity called The Surrey Youth Initiative to apply for funding for local projects.
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