OUR VOLUNTEERS

Florentine Bootha-King 

Project Development Manager
Florentine is the founder of Elsh. She has a specific interests in helping and supporting the community to enhance learning and in the modelling of behaviour and the developing of teaching spaces. 
Florentine's extensive teaching career began in 2010, working as an Ofsted registered childminder. She continued her career as a french tutor in 2013 in a variety of schools. She has a BA Hons degree from the university of Huddersfield, focused on the role of an Early years professional, she then subsequently gained a PGCE. Her Masters Degree is in International Education Development. Her research interests is mainly focused on NEETS study managing change in supporting Young people, through changing, settings and practice, looking at the process of change and how it is managed.
Florentine has been Volunteering for the past 10 years as a Home Start Volunteer visiting families, also with the National Youth Association as a volunteer visitor for young people and care leavers. 
Florentine has been doing CPD (continuous professional development) in Curriculum Development and Assessment, especially in TESOL and ICT. also within Informal Education and working with young people and other minorities from other countries. 

Lucy Platt

Volunteer Coordinator/ Employability Tutor
Lucy has been at Elsh since the beginning of February. She is our coordinator but really will do anything that is required; including taking classes at short notice and attending meetings, both internally and externally. She is a qualified tutor in both Health and Social Care and Employability. Added to this, she is also competent to deliver Warehouse and Logistics Apprenticeships. As well as the above, she also has her Level 3 Assessors award (TAQA) and is in the process of Achieving her Internal Quality Assurance qualification. Lucy is a single mum of 2 and has a partner who is also a Motor vehicle engineering tutor.  

Julie

Volunteer Talk English Tutor
Julie is a volunteer tutor for the Talk English course. The course is for speakers of other languages to learn and improve their English. Through the course the learners are able to build important life skills. Julie plans embedded individual and blended learning for groups and individuals and regularly assess the learners work.  Lessons are planned prior to learners attending the course. Julie ensures that ELSHs policies and procedures on Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion  are implemented and adhered to at all times, creating a stimulating and safe learning environment. Julie can emphasis, engage and motivate learners in their learning. Julie has a commitment to equal opportunities and use a variety of strategies and practices to promote the diverse cultural and equality issues in the classroom. Julie communicates to a range of audiences (verbal, written, ICT or other media teaching methods to encourage learners to develop self-esteem and respect for others.

Hazel Green 

Volunteer English Tutor
Hazel is currently retired from Adult Learning after a number of years working within the department as a Adult Learning Tutor in Literacy and Numeracy. At the present she is Teaching Esol to students within our Learning Support Hub. 

Eugine Tenghe Awa

Volunteer IT Tutor
Eugine is a fully qualified Accountant and also volunteers in teaching ICT skills to our students. He helps students understand the basics of computers and other IT skills that will help boost their confidence in future roles. As well as that, Eugine also deals with our website and social media presence.  

Paul W

Volunteer English Tutor
After graduating with a degree in Philosophy, Paul found us through a local service and is another of our tutors, teaching English. His role is to assist students in gaining the skills to adapt and live within the community as a fully English speaking participant. His course is varied and touches upon the many different parts of this country's language, from shopping to understanding directions. Most of his time outside of class is taken up by a TEFL course, as well as preparing for his lessons. When he manages to carve out a bit of spare time outside of his busy schedule, he does like to travel to meet up with his friends.

Jacob Hunter

Volunteer Receptionist
Jacob is one of the two people you will met on reception. Warm and friendly, that radiant smile will greet you the minute you walk through the door of Elsh. 
He has excellent computer skills and if anyone needs anything or needs any information he will either know what you are on about or knows how to get the information you require. 
He also has an amazing ability to cheer you up whenever you're down. 
He is our secret weapon and a perfect receptionist for Elsh. 

Misty Smith

Volunteer Receptionist
Misty is other of the two people you will meet on reception, she has excellent computer skills and if anyone needs anything or needs any information she will either know what you are on about or knows how to get the information you require.   
She also volunteers in a charity shop at the weekend, which means she has plenty of experience in dealing with a variety of people within the community and surrounding areas. This also means she has the patience to deal with pretty much anything that is thrown her way. 
She always has music on and, outside of volunteering, she reads too much and spends most of her time on her laptop. 

Nick James

Volunteer Head of Administration
Nick is our head of Administration. His main duties include inputting various important data onto spreadsheets and filing students information into locking filing cabinets for GDPR. As a student, you will barely see him, but as a volunteer, you maybe lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him.

Bethany Poole

Volunteer Administration
Bethany isn't someone you will see at Elsh if you are a student, but if you work as a volunteer, you will see her regularly. Warm, friendly and approachable, Bethany's role may not be generally seen, but her role is just as important as our more visible receptionists. Her main duties include inputting various important data onto spreadsheets and filing students information into locking filing cabinets for GDPR.

Farrell Dearman

Jack-of-all-Trades
Farrell's role at Elsh as a Jack-of-all-Trades. He's a combination of administration, receptionist and anything else that can be asked of him. You will see him both as a student and as a volunteer, busy doing whatever is needed at that moment in time.

Pooja Ramchandani

Student Teacher
Pooja is on a teaching placement from Northern College, focusing on English. She has a Master's degree in Finance and Commerce. he is currently pursuing a PGCE in Adult and Community Education. Teaching at Elsh helps her to assist adult learners from a varied set of backgrounds and circumstances. In Pooja's English lessons, she makes it a point to embed the necessary Maths and ICT skills to help them gain the most our of her lessons. This is so that they increase their chances of gaining skills to assist them in their next steps, whatever their next steps may be.

What we do!

We address the needs of our young people who will NOT attend traditional schools / college because of low self esteem, self worth and confidence. Special attention is given, on a one to one basis, by our teacher volunteers who motivate and encourage young students to re-engage with mainstream institutions.

Our provision of ESOL education is aimed primarily at lower level non English speakers who cannot attend mainstream educational services. Student assessments will take at the end of each term by the appropriate teacher and on attainment of a level 2 qualification can be signposted to the appropriate school / college.

Part our well-being approach to ethnic minorities and young people is to engage in group activities at our allotment in Barnsley where cultural differences in food production can be practiced and discussed.


Who can come?

Anybody can access this Educational Learning Support where we will help you Improve logical thinking concepts and develop independent strategies for future Education, Learning and Job Prospects.

ELSH is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of social inclusion among young mothers, teenagers not engaged in education, migrant workers and asylum seekers, who are excluded from society or parts of society, because of their social and economic position. By the provision of educational support in functional skills and drop in support, we will help them to develop and gain new skills and confidence.

A). Membership of the Group shall be open to any individual without regards to disability, political or religious affiliation, race, sex or sexual orientation who is:
  • interested in helping the Group to achieve its aim
  • willing to abide by the rules of the Group and
  • willing to pay any subscription agreed by the Management Committee.
B). The membership of any member may be terminated for good reason by the Management Committee: Provided that the member concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Management Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.