We are an organisation ran by volunteers and supported by a wider team.
We have been so lucky with the amazing people (past and present) who have been part of our organisation and the work that we do.
Our network committee is a team of volunteers all of whom work in education. They help steer the direction of our network arm working with our wider group team to deliver the very best for our network community. The network leaders each have oversight for a particular area and jointly contribute towards the overall facilitation and hosting of events and other aspects of our offer.
Our social enterprise team is a small team of talented professionals with a wide range of skills and experience. We love what we do, and we do it with passion. We look forward to working with you. We are all volunteers and therefore Step Up is only part of what we do.
This year we have expanded our team to include a number of freelancers who work with us and form our ‘Group Team‘. They provide all of our behind-the-scenes operation and work in relation to our paid content to ensure that our community receives the very best value from all that we do.
Our Network Committee
Adam Brett-Aguirre
Role
Senior Pastoral Operations Manager Adam has been a founding member of our team mainly leading on media based aspects of our work. Whilst volunteering for Step Up, Adam made the big decision to relocate for his well deserved senior leadership promotion moving from London to the Midlands. A passionate advocate for trauma informed practice, Adam regularly speaks, writes and promotes the subject with a number of external organisations.
Azuraye Williams
Role
Azuraye is an assistant headteacher at a primary school in the East Midlands; she leads on DEIB across her Trust of 24 primary schools. Azuraye is passionate about equity for the teaching profession, is a BAMEed Network Lead and an alumni of the Aspiring Heads programme. Azuraye has written a chapter in the recently published WomenEd book discussing equity for teachers.
Dr Nasima Riazat
Role
Dr Nasima Riazat is a teacher and curriculum leader in Nelson, Lancashire and leading on Business Studies, vocational learning, careers and PHSE/RSE provision. She is a network co-lead for the charity WomenEd and a leadership coach; she holds a PhD in educational leadership and regularly publishes on school based and leadership research. Nasima has a particular in interest in improving student outcomes through quality first teaching and using research and practice around memory to help students to retain their learning and become more confident learners.
Olivia Saunders
Role
Dr Rachael Jackson-Royal
Role
Secondary Head of Religious Studies Rachael joined our team shortly after our launch. Since joining, Rachel has primarily assisted with the running of our face-to-face events in both a host and organiser capacity. Rachael is heavily involved in a number of networks and organisations particularly around her passion of religious studies; as a highly qualified educator, she is regularly called to speak, write and contribute to the sector.
Vina Sondh
Role
Vina is an assistant headteacher in a large primary school in Slough, Berkshire. She joined our team in 2024 primarily working on delivering our face-to-face events and managed the logistics of our London Coffee, Chat and Connections event in the Autumn of 2024.
Our Social Enterprise Team
Nicolle Thompson
Co-CEO (Strategy and Operations)
Mussa Abulaid
Head of IT
Nina Szemborowska
Head of Virtual Events
Richard Smith
Head of Volunteering
Our Group Team
Ben Hobbis
Founder and Group CEO
Serving primary school teacher and leader, Ben is our figurehead and visionary for the whole organisation. Ben has steered Step Up whilst maintaining a demanding full-time day job. In his role as founder, Ben is the face of the organisation and often represents us at external events; as Group CEO he works with the network committee and social enterprise team to steer the organisation further forward.
Charlotte Haggerty
Head of Operations, Events Manager & Executive Assistant
Charlotte is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organisation and manages all of our events and programmes as well as being the first point of contact for our partners and members. As an experienced executive assistant, Charlotte founded Assistant on the Go in 2023 and provides virtual assistance services to a wide range of senior executives across different sectors.
Join the Team
If you’re interested in volunteering with us, developing lots of different skills and attributes whilst contributing towards a developing and growing organisation, then check out our vacancies below.
Step Up Network CIC 