Meet the Team

Meet the people behind the NPA — leadership, staff, and regional representatives.

Office Staff

Emma Williams

Office Manager & Finance Officer

Emma joined the office team in April 2023. Her background is mainly in administration, quality & office management. She works part time, flexible hours. Outside work Emma enjoys spending time with her family, travelling and enjoying the outdoors.

Lauren Kempson

Office Administrator

Lauren joined the NPA team in July 2021 as Office Administrator. She has previously worked as an Administrator and Complex Care Assistant within an SEN School. She currently works on a part time, term time only basis, with her usual working days being Monday to Thursday. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring… Read more »

Emma Williamson

Our Trustees

Pam Fry MBE

Chair

Pam has had a long career working across all areas of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). She believes wholeheartedly in the Portage principles and in working in partnership with parents, carers, and extended family members.

Glenys Creese

Vice Chair

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Fiona Jones

Chair of Training

Jenny Chapman

Services Trustee

2021 Co-opted to NPA Board 2022 Elected as Services Trustee Jenny formally began her interest in Early Years when her youngest son started preschool. He struggled to settle, so she stayed with him for a few sessions and enjoyed it so much that she never left! She worked in an amazing private preschool for seven… Read more »

Juliet Davies

Quality Assurance & Development Trustee

2021 Co-opted to Board 2022 Elected as Quality Assurance & Development Trustee Juliet’s professional heritage is firmly based within the Early Years sector, initially completing NNEB training and latterly M. A, ed with a dissertation focussing on the assessment of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Through the setting up and managing of… Read more »

Kim Hannay-Young

Services Support Trustee

2025 Elected as Serices Support Trustee Kim has been working within SEND for over 30 years. She trained as an NNEB and went on to complete a Foundation Degree as a mature student in 2005. She has held a variety of roles, including nanny, nursery nurse within a special school in London, area SENCo, 1-to-1… Read more »

Margje Nouwens

Treasurer

2021  Elected as Treasurer Margje has a BA in Social Work and an MA in Childhood and Youth and has more than ten years of experience in the special needs sector. She currently works for KIDS, a national charity for children and young people with disabilities and developmental delays, and is the service manager for… Read more »

Rachel Deacon

Members Trustee

2021 Co-opted to NPA Board 2022 Elected as Members Trustee Rachel has been working as an early years educator since 2012. She started out as a nursery assistant and also has experience managing tuition centres, supporting children aged 5–18. She spent four years volunteering in orphanages in Malaysia, teaching English and maths. She graduated from… Read more »

Sarah Moore

Members Support Trustee

2025 Elected as Members Support Trustee Sarah Moore is an experienced early years practitioner with over 15 years of dedicated service supporting children and families. Her journey into early years began after the birth of her two sons, initially volunteering as a committee member for her local pre-school. She later became a Home-Start volunteer, providing… Read more »

Sarah Worlidge

Social Media Trustee

2024 Elected as Social Media Trustee   Sarah has worked in child development for over 25 years. She began her career in nursery and pre-school and continued her studies to obtain a BA (Hons) degree in Early Childhood and Youth Studies. During her time in early years, she discovered a real passion for working with… Read more »

Vina Mistry

Vice Chair of Training

Vina started her journey in the world of SEND in her twenties, working for Social Care and supporting adults with SEND and their families. In 1986, her manager put her forward for a Portage Training Workshop, which literally changed her life. Children and Early Years then became her passion. She believes in the power of… Read more »

Trustee Vacancies

The NPA Trustees play a vital role in guiding the strategic direction of the charity, ensuring good governance, and supporting the continued development of Portage across England and Wales. If you are interested in making a difference and bringing your skills and experience to our Board, we would be pleased to hear from you

You can find details of our current vacancies here:

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