The staff team
For any general enquiries please contact info@studentminds.org.uk
Alice Cooper Corporate Funding Officer About Alice
Alice works to create meaningful partnerships with corporates who want to champion student mental health and support Student Minds. After nearly two years as corporate partnerships officer at Brake, the road safety charity, Alice is looking forward to meeting a whole host of new businesses ready to showcase their corporate social responsibility. Outside of work, Alice is a keen netball player and rugby league fan - come on you Saints! She also enjoys travelling, experiencing the wonders of nature and can often be found with a good book in hand. |
Alice Wilson Clinical Supervisor About Alice
Alice is our part-time Clinical Supervisor, working within the Student Minds team on a consultative basis to provide supervision and support to our staff and team of peer-supervisors. Alice completed a Psychology degree at the University of Birmingham back in 2003 and trained as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist within the NHS in Oxford becoming fully accredited by the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) in 2012. She now works at Birmingham City University as a Mental Health Adviser and CBT Therapist within Student Services. As part of her role she also sits on the University Mental Health Adviser Network (UMHAN) committee as Development Worker Supervisor. Alice has a particular interest in Mindfulness and Compassion Focused Therapy and tries to attend workshops and training on these regularly. |
Andrea Smart Head of Operations About Andrea
Andrea has overall responsibility for administration, financial management, HR, policy development and compliance for Student Minds. Andrea has worked for over 30 years in the charity sector, mainly in the arts, in a range of project and senior management roles. Outside of work, Andrea can often be found in a corner of an art gallery or standing at the back at live music events, balanced with (attempting) to cultivate a small fruit and veg plot in the garden. |
Amanda Lilliefeldt Sector Improvement Programme Officer About Amanda
Amanda works in partnership with students, staff and organisations across the sector to deliver programmes which aim to enhance approaches to university mental health. She currently supports Student Minds’ two major sector enhancement programmes: the University Mental Health Charter and the Students’ Union Support Programme. Amanda loves binge-watching tv-series accompanied by a big mug of tea, experimenting with healthy-ish baking as well as campaigning for human rights issues. |
Dave Fisher Finance Lead About Dave
Dave is our part-time Finance Lead, helping to ensure Student Minds manages its finances well and makes the most of every penny it receives. Before Student Minds Dave spent 20 years in the charity sector in a range of finance and project management roles. Dave is a qualified accountant and loves seeing how good financial management can help an organisation achieve its world-changing goals. Outside of work Dave can be found doing anything hands-on creative, whether cooking, crafts, making music or even a bit of DIY! |
Dominic Smithies Student Voice and Equality Lead About Dominic
Dominic joined Student Minds in August 2017 after a year as the Community and Wellbeing Sabbatical Officer at the University of York’s Students’ Union. Dom takes a lead on our equality and diversity work, student engagement and co-production. He is also involved in our work with Students' Unions, supporting the campaign groups and understanding and tackling health inequalities. Outside of work Dom is an avid gamer and also spends his time volunteering with Pride In London and the NHS Youth Forum. |
Fay Dixon Executive Assistant About Fay
Fay is the Executive Assistant at Student Minds, providing support to Rosie (our CEO) and the senior management team. She is responsible for co-ordinating the quarterly Trustee meetings and Clinical Advisory Groups. Prior to this, Fay worked as an office manager and internal recruiter for an executive search business. Outside of work, Fay loves to cook and bake, go to gigs, watch films and documentaries, and bother cute dogs in the street. |
Gareth Hughes Charter Content Development Lead and Psychoeducation Lead About Gareth
Gareth is the content development lead for the University Mental Health Charter and the Psychoeducation Lead for Student Space. Gareth works with our project teams to ensure that what we do is evidence informed and supports positive change for students and universities. Alongside his part-time work with Student Minds, Gareth is a psychotherapist and the Research Lead for Student Wellbeing at the University of Derby. |
Grace Anderson Communications Manager About Grace
Grace leads on our communications activities, from running our social media accounts to working creatively with the staff team to communicate new exciting projects and research. She is passionate about giving people a platform to share their mental health stories, she supports our Press Ambassadors and the Student Minds Blog to ensure student's experiences are at the heart of our work. Grace is happiest when drinking tea, reading a good book or watching a documentary. |
Jenny Smith Policy Manager About Jenny
Jenny is our resident policy specialist, delivering research, briefings and analysis to empower the whole Student Minds team. She keeps a finger on the pulse of the higher education and mental health sectors, and is passionate about grassroots activism, co-production and student leadership. She previously worked as the Welfare Coordinator for Sheffield Students’ Union, where her love for all things policy flourished. Outside of work she is a dubious ice hockey player and all-round outdoorsy type. |
Kate Mitchell Fundraising Officer About Kate
Kate works with our network of community fundraisers and corporate supporters, providing practical support, advice and encouragement. She is also responsible for bringing in income for the charity’s activities through other channels, including donations and grants. She has worked in the charity sector since graduating from university in 2017. In her free time, she can usually be found curled up with a book, in an art gallery or halfway up a mountain. |
Krishna Lad Design and Office Manager About Krishna
Krishna works with all of the team members at Student Minds, assisting with various operations and HR processes such as recruitment as well as managing the design of the charity. Since joining the team in 2016 Krishna has refreshed the brand of the charity as well as relocating the office up to Leeds. Krishna can be found relieving stress by punching a bag (through supervised boxing!) or doing some drawing and watercolours. |
Leigh Spanner Sector Improvement Lead About Leigh
Leigh works in partnership with students, staff and organisations across the sector to deliver programmes which aim to enhance approaches to university mental health. She currently leads on Student Minds’ two major sector enhancement programmes: the University Mental Health Charter and the Students’ Union Support Programme. Leigh loves being surrounded by nature and is always on the lookout for new music, gigs and festivals. |
Ollie Kasper-Hope Head of Engagement About Ollie
Ollie oversees all the work we do to engage students with the charity. He has oversight over campaigns, policy, research, health inequalities, student voice as well as being our strategic lead for our work with Students’ Unions and movement building. Ollie is a self-confessed SU geek having worked in 4 different Students’ Unions over a 10 year period prior to joining us here at Student Minds, occupying different roles relating to student welfare and engagement. Outside of work Ollie enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as reading and binge-watching everything he can get his hands on. |
Michelle Robins Digital Consultant About Michelle
Michelle has wide commercial experience and over 20 years’ experience of delivering successful digital projects. Michelle is excited to be working with Rosie, Seb and the team to ensure that Student Space is set up for success and to achieve its outcomes. Outside of work Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, art and walking her dog, Bella. |
Pete Gaffney Student Engagement Officer About Pete
Pete came to Student Minds after a diverse career - including a stint as a first responder - in universities, healthcare charities and public affairs organisations. His role is focused on ensuring that the charity is listening effectively to the needs and desires of students across the UK, supporting student involvement in our campaigns and activities, and championing the principle of student co-production in our work. In his own time Pete enjoys resistance training, American football (go Pats!) and studying 19th century history (particularly of the USA and Caribbean). |
Rosie Tressler CEO About Rosie
Rosie leads the organisation, working closely with the staff team, trustees, student advisors, clinicians, professionals and our cross-sector partners to develop the charity’s direction, strategy and future opportunities. Rosie has been undertaking a Churchill Fellowship to explore preventative approaches to student mental health, and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to Mental Health in Higher Education. Prior to joining Student Minds in 2013 Rosie worked in a range of student facing organisations in roles involving campaigning, volunteer management, fundraising, and programme development. Outside of work Rosie enjoys being inspired by a book, play or film, often those with feminist vibes. Twitter: @rosietressler |
Seb Baird Product Lead for Student Space About Seb
Seb is the product lead for Student Space, leading the digital development of the platform. Seb is happiest when designing websites and content that meet the needs of students. He has five years experience of digital delivery in the charity sector, having worked most recently at Australian Red Cross and Time to Change. Outside of work, he enjoys swimming, basketball, and developing his amateur ceramics skills. |
Sophie Cohen Jones Training Manager About Sophie
Sophie is the Training Manager at Student Minds. She provides support for the network of trainers, facilitates the various training sessions and courses Student Minds offer and contributes to the development of the training programmes. Prior to this Sophie worked in education as a Secondary School Teacher for 6 years. Sophie enjoys nothing more than a long stroll in the forest with Wilbur (her four-legged friend). |
Zoe Maggs Programme Officer (Men's Mental Health) About Zoe
Zoe is the Programme Officer for the Men’s Mental Health project; she is responsible for recruiting, supporting and training volunteers and evaluating the effectiveness of volunteer-led interventions. Zoe interned with Student Minds over the summer before this post, and has a background in widening participation work. In her spare time, she is an avid reader of crime, horror and mystery fiction, and she is a keen mental-health rights campaigner who also volunteers as a peer-support facilitator for Leeds Mind. |