Our Family

Development Manager

Keely Burch

My name is Keely, and I am the Development Manager of Millfields Inspired. I have been working in the Health and Care/Childcare sector for 33 years now. During this time, I have been lucky enough to serve in various roles across the sector such as HE/FE teacher, early years nursery manager, parenting worker, early intervention worker, health and care specialist, managed teams of staff in children’s centres, and worked in social care alongside families on child protection and child in need plans. I am passionate about children’s outcomes and firmly believe that ALL children should have equal access to services that can provide them with the support they need to thrive and develop. With this in mind, after completing my masters degree in Social Policy with a focus on the impact of parenting interventions on children with SEN, I am now currently studying for my doctorate in Education, and my research area focuses on the lived experience of marginalised children.

Project Coordinator

Michele Fox

I’ve worked in the education sector for almost 30 years, from primary school teaching to postgraduate lecturing. During this time, I’ve also written a range of teaching resources for the BBC and British Council, as well as spending an amazing 18 months as an education advisor in Rwanda. It’s a real joy to now work alongside our partners and schools in Stonehouse and Devonport, developing real life contexts for children’s learning and their aspirations for the future.

Trustee

Professor Stephen Felmingham

Stephen Felmingham is an artist and educator and has lectured extensively in drawing, painting, print and contemporary art practice on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the UK, including Falmouth University, Norwich University of the Arts and Leeds Arts University. He studied at Middlesex University and the University of Arts London (Wimbledon) where he completed an MA in Drawing in 1999. He gained his doctorate from the university of Leeds in 2014 reading drawing, place and the contemporary sublime.

Trustee

Janet Ellard

I am a HLTA at the Cathedral School of St Mary and have worked there for 25 years. I work across all year groups but my ‘home’ is in years 5 and 6. I am also a Governor for Montpelier Primary School and have been for 40 years. I think that the specialty that I bring to Millfields Inspired is my knowledge of primary education, both with the working of our school, within Stonehouse, and of the pupils. The children that I work with daily come from some of the most deprived areas of the country and I feel that I have some understanding of their issues and problems.

Trustee

Nina Sarlarka

An Accredited Fellow of Chartered Management institute, post graduate qualified in Management Studies, an Associate of the chartered institute of Bankers and a NLP Masters Practitioner, Nina has a wealth of management expertise over 30 years covering private and public sectors, operational management and strategic leadership. She has set up and successfully run her own management consultancy over several years before her current role leading Enterprise and Inward Investment for Plymouth City Council. Nina has held a vice Principal level position in a large further education college in the South West, had sole executive responsibility for one of the UK’s fastest growing Science Parks, managed enterprise support services over Devon, Cornwall and Somerset delivering products such as start-up and early years’ service. Prior to that Nina progressed through a global retail bank on a fast-track management programme experiencing most of the positions within traditional banking with in-depth exposure to high net worth banking and the national sales function. Nina has previously held a wide range of non-executive board positions and other interest, such as Director of United Kingdom Science Park Association, Expert Panel Member on national grant schemes, South West Science Park and Incubator Leaders network, Director of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chair Plymouth Commercial Premises Group, Director Plymouth Access To Housing, Civilians Committee Member for Devonport 197 RAF Cadet Squadron, Judge on various regional business competitions. Outside of work Nina enjoys long moor and coastal hikes, sea swimming, huge batch cooking sessions, is an avid reader and simply spending time relaxing with her family and friends.

Trustee

Peter Barlow

Peter Barlow has lived in Plymouth since 2004. He is the Managing Director of Outersight (UK) Ltd which is based in Stonehouse and specialises in remote wildlife monitoring. He also runs Plymstages which provides mobile stages for live events, an area that he has been involved in for nearly 40 years. Having spent some time as Chair of Governors at St Georges Primary Academy he gained an insight into the pressing needs that many of our young people face and how small interventions at an early age can produce dramatic improvements in a child’s achievements and happiness later in life.