Meet the team
We have a fantastic staff team who are committed to seeing refugees thrive in their new home. They each bring skills, experience, passion and commitment to the work of Upbeat Communities.
Andrew Jackson - Chief Executive
Andrew leads the Upbeat team, overseeing the operational and strategic development of the charity. He’s worked in the refugee sector for 17 years, and still finds himself constantly inspired by the resilience of those who have had to rebuild their lives here in the UK. Outside of work, Andrew loves time with his family, cooking Mexican food, and following the high and lows of Darlington Football Club.
Einir Cooper - Head of Delivery
Einir manages a number of our delivery areas along with our resettlement work in Derbyshire & Lincolnshire. She is continually amazed and inspired by the resilience of the participants she gets to meet, and thinks it is an honour to be a part of their lives. Prior to working with Upbeat, Einir worked as a primary school teacher at home and abroad, and more recently, with families at Reach Derby. Her hobbies include walking in the countryside, having coffee with friends, and laughing!
Michael Gladwell - Head of Enterprise
Michael started Derby Language School 7 years ago as a social enterprise for Upbeat Communities. He continues to manage DLS alongside Upbeat Clean, our newer social enterprise that employs refugee mums. Michael loves working for an organisation that exists to empower and serve people who are in real need. He also really enjoys growing vegetables in his allotment and spending time with his friends and family.
Janice Azeb - Operations Manager
Janice oversees the running of our two social enterprises, Upbeat Clean and Derby Language School. Before this, she was an English Tutor with DLS and prior to that an Account Manager at Google. She is inspired by the committed, hard working group of ladies who work for Upbeat Clean. Janice love Bachata music and dance, learning new languages, and Classic 20th Century Literature (especially D. H. Lawrence).
Tanya Sharma - Business Administrator
Tanya supports the team with the running of Upbeat Clean and Derby Language School. Before joining the team, she worked in Operations for an Australian recruitment agency. Tanya is inspired by Upbeat’s non-judgemental acceptance and compassion. She enjoys spending time with her partner and dog, and watching football!
Maddie De Soyza - Communications & Fundraising Officer
Maddie communicates what’s going on at Upbeat with our supporters, volunteers, and participants, and inspires people to fundraise and donate to our work. She thinks it is a privilege to work for an organisation that welcomes and values every individual. Before joining the team, she worked with students at the Christian Unions in Nottingham. Maddie’s favourite way to relax is by curling up with a good book and a cup of tea, or else playing her guitar or piano.
Lauren Parton - Volunteer & Community Coordinator
Lauren takes care of all our volunteers, as well as helping local communities understand and engage with the work of Upbeat. Before she joined the team, Lauren did a degree in Theology and spent a few years working for local charities, coordinating volunteers and developing community projects. Lauren is inspired by Upbeat’s desire to see refugees and asylum seekers not only survive but thrive! She enjoys reading a good theological book, trying out new veggie recipes and playing board games.
Elliot Cooper - Integration Manager & Tutor
Elliot manages our integration work, as well as teaching English for Upbeat and Derby Language School. He loves the way Upbeat empowers participants and treats them with dignity, challenging the negativity often associated with refugees in the media. Before joining the team, he spent many years teaching in the UK and abroad. He loves spending time with his family, and is a keen cyclist and ice-cream eater!
Milad Arbash - Resettlement Manager
Milad manages our resettlement team as they support refugees being resettled across Lincolnshire & Derbyshire. He is inspired by the unconditional love, support and hope that Upbeat provides for refugees and asylum seekers, which he received himself when he came to Derby as an asylum seeker in 2016. Before coming to the UK, Milad used to help displaced people in his home country, Syria. He has a degree in Banking and Insurance, and enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and a good game of table tennis.
Grace Jackson-Reed - Refugee Integration Worker
Grace supports refugee families and individuals to rebuild their lives, and coordinates our weekly Upbeat Women sessions. She thinks it is a privilege to be part of the way Upbeat welcomes, dignifies, and empowers people. She grew up in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where her parents run a non-profit for at-risk women and children, before moving to the US to study International Relations. In her spare time, she likes to hike, read, and experiment with new sourdough or veggie recipes.
Hanna Kovtun - Host Coordinator
Hanna works to rematch placements between Hosts and Ukrainian refugees in Derbyshire. Before coming to Upbeat, she worked in a travel agency in Ukraine, and has had jobs in the financial sector and public administration sector, too. She loves the welcoming atmosphere and supportive staff of Upbeat. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, cooking, and travelling to different countries, learning about their cultures and traditions. Last year she visited 96 cities around the world!
Rama Hasan - Refugee Integration Worker - Integration Hub
Rama supports new arrivals, empowering them to integrate in UK communities. Before joining the team, Rama worked as a civil engineer in Syria, her home country. She also enjoyed supporting and volunteering for women's charities in Syria. In her spare time, she likes going to the gym - and was even a champion body builder in Syria in 2020! She loves to spend time with friends and family, and to experience new countries, cultures and foods.
Efrem Oumer - Youth Worker
Efrem supports refugee youth to be integrated into the local community, empowering them to explore their talents. Before joining the team, Efrem was a volunteer at Upbeat, and an interpreter for refugees. He also directed and produced a youth drama project in Germany. Efrem is inspired by the diversity of Upbeat Communities and the welcoming feeling we give to refugees. In his spare time, he likes to ride his bike, go to the gym and watch movies.
Ali Saee - Refugee Integration Worker
Ali supports refugees during their resettlement process in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. Before joining the team, he worked at Refugee Action supporting Ukrainian families with their resettlement journey in Birmingham and Solihull. He loves Upbeat’s commitment to empowering refugees and supporting them to a fresh start in the UK. In his free time, Ali loves to hike in the Peak District and other picturesque places in the UK.
Megan Boyce - Refugee Integration Worker
Megan supports refugee families in Lincolnshire to feel welcomed and equipped to begin rebuilding their lives in the UK. Before Upbeat she worked with disadvantaged young people to widen participation in university and support career development. Upbeat inspires Megan through its humble approach to supporting the needs of others. In her free time, she enjoys socialising over coffee, playing netball and seeing family.
Louise Mildenhall-Clarke -
Head of Operations
Louise believes that Upbeat Communities empowers refugees and enables the local community to learn about other cultures. Before Upbeat, she worked in retail and finance before studying International Relations, followed by a Masters in Nutrition and Global Health. She loves making clothes, baking and spending time with family.
Emma Molyneux - Administrator
Emma keeps Upbeat Communities running smoothly by providing the practical administrative support we need. Before joining the team, she worked in university administration, organising training and events for PhD students. She loves Upbeat’s positive and welcoming environment. In her free time, she enjoys baking, walking her dog anywhere with nice views, and doing tap or ballroom dancing!
Our trustees
We are grateful for the hard work and commitment of our trustees. They are:
Coco Kambala
Being a migrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Coco is inspired by the way Upbeat welcomes participants and offers them hope. He loves the way staff and volunteers offer guidance during the settlement process in a way that makes participants feel truly at home. Coco works as a Post Officer, and is married to Betty. They have three daughters, and enjoy spending time together as family. Coco also enjoys travelling, reading, writing, and playing the guitar.
Dave Priestley - Chair
Dave is motivated by the opportunity to make a positive difference to the disadvantaged, especially where that person has been forced to leave the place they've called home. Dave used to work in local manufacturing companies before he and his wife started their own business to help young people further their education and improve their future. Outside of work, he enjoys going to the seaside, but is equally happy gardening and watching live sport.
Helen
Helen is passionate about seeing people welcomed into community and supported as they rebuild their lives. She works as a mental health social worker based in a hospital, but before that, she spent many years living and working in Russia. Outside of work, Helen enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going to church, and reading.
Lesley So
Lesley is inspired by the way Upbeat and its amazing team work tirelessly to help those who have been marginalised in society. She loves how Upbeat doesn’t just love people who are like us, but cares for those who are different – day-in, day-out. Lesley had the privilege of working for Rolls-Royce for over a decade in a wide range of roles. Nowadays, she’s an entrepreneur starting up a kombucha business in Derby, with the vision of hiring and training refugees.
Tim Ringer
Tim is driven by the inspirational stories of people who have had to give up everything. He is inspired by Upbeat’s part in rebuilding the lives of participants and giving them a positive future. Tim works for Nottinghamshire Police, is married to Becca, and together they have two grown-up sons. He loves any kind of competitive sport, and plays and coaches basketball during his spare time.