University of the First Age

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 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

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 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.

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 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.