Corinne Botten - MA, NPQH LRAM

Corinne has a career in education spanning over 50 years as teacher, Secondary Headteacher, School Governor, Trustee and latterly as Chair of the Board of Illuminate Minds Academy Trust.

Her career in secondary education spanned 37 years at schools  in Kent, Croydon Bromley and Bexley -specialising in Drama, creative arts and English -before taking up the Headship of Westwood College, a mixed secondary school in Bexley, from 2003 -2008. She retired from her educational consultancy in London and the South East in 2012

Corinne became a governor at Oakwood Special School in 2006 and became the Chair of Governors at New Horizons Federation at its inception. With the CEO she led this group of Academies in Bexley, which provided services for SEBD pupils and their families in the borough, into the LSEAT Academy Trust in 2018. She was also a Trustee of LSEAT academy group for 5 years.

Currently she is a Vice-Chair of governors at St Michael’s CofE Primary Academy in Bexley and a Governor of the East Wickham WW1 Memorial Trust. Formerly, as Chair of Bexley Governor’s Forum Executive Committee she was a member of Bexley’s Strategic Education Partnership Board and is Vice-Chair of Bexley School’s Forum.

Corinne is committed to the provision of high quality educational opportunities for all students.

 

Sally Williamson

Sally Williamson is a founding member and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Salus.

Throughout her career, Sally has demonstrated her commitment and passion for securing services that really make a difference to children, young people, their families, school and communities. Leading a ground-breaking social enterprise has provided the opportunity to continue to develop ways to do this creatively and efficiently while achieving the best possible outcomes.

Prior to establishing Salus, Sally had more than 20 years’ experience of working across education and children’s services through strategic management for a number of Local Authorities and the Government Office London (GOL).  Roles included Head of Attendance and Behaviour (including Alternative Provision) for Kent County Council (KCC) and Children and Learners Strategic Adviser for GOL.  Both Sally and the services she has been responsible for, have won numerous awards and accolades in recognition of their impact.

Sally is a keen advocate for the role of the voluntary sector and is a VCSE representative on many Boards and Steering Groups, including the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Partnership Group.  

Sally has a BSc in Psychology (hons), Post Graduate Diploma in Systemic Approaches, an MSc in Occupational Psychology and is in the final stages of qualifying as an Occupational Psychologist.

 

Nick Bolton

Following an early career in financial services, Nick started his first business researching social policy issues and organising conferences.  Exploring some of the most challenging and complex issues within social policy including child exploitation, homelessness, domestic violence and honour-based killings, Nick realised that conferences allowed for the sharing of ideas but did not efficiently catalyse change.  Nick formally trained as a coach and opened his first coaching school in 2008, completing a Masters in Psychological Coaching alongside the development of his business model.  Nick’s interest in dialogue, reflection and inquiry developed towards an approach which drew on the individual’s lived experience and led to the launch of his own coaching company which focuses on transformative coaching.  Since this time, Nick’s company has trained and supported over 4000 people and build capacity globally through the training of coaching supervisors in over 25 countries.

An adventurer at heart, Nick also enjoys challenging physical experiences and has trekked in the Himalayas and completed a solo cycle tour across Europe.  He enjoys travel and reading history with a particular focus on the Middle Ages.  Nick brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience, academic research and a passion for aspirational change to his role as a Member of Illuminate Minds Trust.

 

Mark Hall

Mark Hall is a Chartered Accountant working in one of the United Kingdom's leading construction compainies . Mark managed finances for several sites and has worked on all levels of financial processing, reporting and management. Prior to working in the construction sector, Mark was employed  in the audit sector completing financial audits for large companies including Multi Academy Trusts. Throughout his career, Mark has gained extensive experince leading and managing teams as well as in the development and implementation of strategic plans. Mark holds a degree in Economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of  Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. 

 

 

 

Dr Lisa Cherry

Lisa is the Director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd leading a dynamic and creative organisation that provides a 'one stop' approach to delivering on research, consultancy and learning and development. Lisa is an author, researcher, leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting schools, services and systems to create systemic change to the way that we work with those experiencing and living with, the legacy of trauma. Lisa has been working in and around Education and Children’s Services for over 30 years and combines academic knowledge and research with professional expertise and personal experience. Lisa has worked extensively with Social workers, Educators, Probation Workers and those in Adult Services, training and speaking to over 30,000 people around the world including in the US, Australia and Pakistan and across the whole of the UK.

Lisa has produced multiple pieces of research for various settings and Lisa's own MA research looked at the impact on education and employment for care experienced adults who experienced school exclusion as children in the 1970's and 1980's. In February 2024 Lisa completed her DPhil research at The University of Oxford in the Department of Education. The research asked "How do care experienced adults who were also excluded from school make sense of belonging?"

Lisa is the author of the hugely successful and award winning book 'Conversations that make a difference for Children and Young People' (2021)and ‘The Brightness of Stars’ 3rd Edition published in June 2022. A new book contract has been signed for publication in 2024/2025 on cultivating belonging.