Hope English School is run by a team of passionate and experienced teachers and dedicated volunteers.
Anna Bollinger - Leadership Team
Anna is a linguist and has experience teaching in a variety of contexts and countries. She is a qualified ESOL teacher with a passion for social entrepreneurship. Anna also sits on the board of trustees.
Viktorija Sivousa - Teacher
Viktorija has a MSc in Developmental Psychology and during a module on language development was inspired to complete her CELTA qualification. Her own experience of emigration has helped her to fully appreciate the importance of language learning for integration, employment, improved quality of life and contribution to society.
Sarah Dobbs - Digital Marketing Volunteer
Sarah is a freelance social media creative, with more than a decade’s experience in creating digital content and building online communities. She has a background in journalism and local government communications, and completed her CELTA qualification during lockdown in 2020. She’s excited to use her experience in social media to support the Hope English School in it’s mission.
Pete O’Connor - Classroom Volunteer.
Pete holds an MA in Global Political Economy and has always been passionate about social justice and equality for all. He has been teaching English online for two years and also volunteers with another local organisation which supports asylum seekers and refugees. Both roles have afforded him a keen awareness of the difficulties faced by adult learners of foreign languages, including the added barriers refugees and asylum seekers are forced to overcome.
Katy Sturdey - Leadership Team
Katy is a qualified mainstream and ESOL teacher with over 15 years of experience teaching both in the UK and abroad. Passionate about the power of education and with a heart for refugees and the marginalised she loves working with like-minded people at HES. Katy also sits on board of trustees.
Natalia Smithson - Teacher
Natalia is an experienced ESOL teacher. She has taught English language and literature in Russia for over 12 years and worked with students of differing backgrounds, ages and levels. She believes that learning each others languages and cultures can make our world a better place to live.
Connor Bridgeland-Knowles - IT Wizard
Connor has worked in the IT Sector for a decade, collecting a handful of certifications along the way, like becoming a Secure Infrastructure Specialist early in his career. He's slowly moved from initially helping with ad-hock tech advice to keeping Hope English School in line with the best IT and security practices.
Jane Middleton - Class and Fundraising Grant Co-ordinator
Jane is an experienced ESOL teacher and has taught in France and Portugal as well as the UK. She enjoys working with refugees and asylum seekers and helping them to improve their language skills and confidence in order to build a positive future.
Lucy Morley - Events, Comms and Volunteer Co-ordinator
Lucy is a director of non-profit, business “Good Taste - The Sheffield Fair Trade Shop” and is passionate about improving the lives of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised and the role education plays in this. She is delighted to be able to use her skills and experience to help Hope English School in their mission.
Meera Shah - Fundraising Volunteer (Events)
Meera has a background in teaching with over a decade's experience in the UK and abroad. Whilst working in various educational institutions, she has seen first-hand how supporting individuals to gain essential skills to be able to live and work in a new environment has a far-reaching impact on their families and the wider communities. She is passionate about using her skills and knowledge to support Hope English School's work in achieving these goals.
Rhiannon Price - Teacher
Rhiannon came to Sheffield to study languages and made the city her home. She has a background in translation and was a volunteer supporting ESOL learners for several years, before completing her CELTA qualification. She’s excited to join the Hope English School team, meet new learners and see their progress.
Craig Lines - Teacher
Craig has an MSc in Strategic Business Management and completed his CELTA qualification in 2020. He has experience teaching online and in classrooms and loves to help people achieve their language goals. Having studied Japanese for several years, he understands some of the challenges faced by adult learners of foreign languages. He also believes strongly that everyone should have the right to a good education and the opportunities that brings.
Vanessa Lobo - Classroom Volunteer
Vanessa is an MSc student specialising in Psychology and Education, and is driven by a passion for understanding the intricate connections between the mind and learning. She has a keen interest in teaching, in particular how to apply psychological insights to the classroom to create dynamic and effective learning environments.
Our Board of Trustees
Phil Howden
Phil volunteers as a trustee alongside his job as the Operations Director for an international IT services business. He brings guidance to HES in the areas of finance, operations and HR and asks the difficult questions!
Hannah Peck
Hannah’s experience in the charity world is as founder and one time CEO of Baby Basics UK, she left Baby Basics in 2019 to retrain as a nurse. Whether it is in the charity or health sector Hannah is passionate about positively impacting those on the margins of society in ways that are meaningful to them. It was that desire that drew her to Hope English School where she currently acts as a member of the board of trustees.
Josie Taylor
Josie has worked as a teacher and teacher trainer for many years both in the UK and abroad. She loves teaching and working with students of all backgrounds. Josie is a teacher and trustee with Hope English School.
Solange Pouansi
Solange works as a cleaner in a special needs school and will soon be embarking on a Health and Social Care course at university. She wants to be able to share her lived experience of the asylum-seeking/refugee process to the board and help others along the way.
Paul Horton also sits on our board of trustees
We are always looking to grow the Hope English School Team.
teach
Do you have a CELTA or equivalent ESOL qualification? Do you have a desire to use your skills to help asylum seekers and refugees? If yes we’d love to hear from you.
Teachers are required to prepare and deliver classes. Classes are usually 1 -2 hours long and are held across the city in a variety of locations and contexts.
volunteer
Not a teacher but you’d still like to get involved? There are plenty of opportunities for you at Hope English School.
We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist learners in classes, help with fundraising, digital marketing and awareness raising.
trustee
We are looking for volunteers to join our board of trustees, we especially welcome applications from people with lived experience of the asylum-seeking process, either through frontline work or direct personal experience.
TRAINING
When necessary additional training will be provided in order to ensure you are happy and comfortable in your role.