After graduating with an arts degree, Shelly facilitated community arts projects and worked in mental health settings. She later went into teaching and specialised in SEND. She is a senior leader of education and for the last 12 years has been part of the leadership team at a local 5-19 academy for pupils with complex needs and learning difficulties. The frustration of seeing pupils leave education as young adults with skills and qualities that are often immediately overlooked by employers, has led to her departure from teaching and the development of the Plane Tree Independent CIC.

From the very start, the inspirational drive of the academy’s vocational lead, Mel Kirk and the executive principal Tracey Ydlibi has informed The Plane Tree vision. With amazing support, enthusiasm and expertise from friends, family and colleagues we can now offer young adults with additional needs supported work related training in a commercial retail setting right at the centre of Beeston’s community.

Emily is our volunteer Social Media Manager. She works as a full-time Software Engineer, meaning when the printer breaks at The Plane Tree it is her job to work out how to fix it!

Emily has previously worked as a Teaching Assistant at a tertiary training college in Australia assisting students with additional needs and so is really excited to be supporting such an important and needed service as The Plane Tree.