Our team

Meet the team!

Meet our staff team who help run the charity day-to-day and our Consultants, who are members with learning disabilities paid by My Life My Choice to get involved in a range of projects and opportunities.

If you would like to join the MLMC team, check out our latest job and volunteer opportunities.

MLMC team photo

Bryan Michell, Charity Coordinator

Bryan helps the trustees to run the charity. The trustees tell Bryan what needs to be done to keep improving My Life My Choice and Bryan works with the staff to make it happen. It is also his job to raise the money to keep My Life My Choice going and growing.

Email: bryan@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Yazz Davies, Deputy Charity Coordinator

Yazz looks after our training, research, inspections and some of our consultancy work. It is her job to make sure our training is the best it can be and to get us more business. She also helps Bryan to run the charity and support other members of staff. She also co-facilitates the Banbury Self-Advocacy Group.

Email: yazz@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Kalpna Patel, Finance and Administrative Officer

Photo pending

Kalpna looks after the money at MLMC.

Email: money@mylifemychoice.org.uk

James Sheard, Inspections and Campaigns Coordinator

James supports our Experts by Experience and coordinates the Quality Checkers project. He also supports the Champions group so we can campaign on the issues that matter to our members, in addition to co-facilitatating the Chipping Norton group and Oxfordshire group.

Email: james@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Rachael Fraser, Travel Buddy Coordinator

Rachael runs our Travel Buddy project. She trains and matches travel buddies with people who want support to gain the confidence and skills they need to travel independently. She also co-facilitates the Women’s Group.

Email: rachael@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Eliott Thompson, Travel Buddy Assistant

Eliott supports the delivery of our Travel Buddy project, alongside the Travel Buddy Coordinator. He also co-facilitates the Didcot Self-Advocacy Group.

Email: eliott@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Sophie Bolton, Communications and Project Coordinator

Sophie is responsible for MLMC communications, which involves putting together our newsletter, looking after our website and social media, and managing media enquiries.

Email: sophie@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Paula Kennelly, Gig Buddy Coordinator

Paula runs the Gig Buddy Project. She works with members to pair them into Gig Buddy pairs, supports the Stingray team to run MLMC’s inclusive nightclub and organises monthly social events for members. She also co-facilitates the Bicester Self-Advocacy Group.

Email: paula@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Eleni Eldridge-Tull, Gig Buddy Assistant

Eleni supports the Gig Buddy Project. She works with members and the project coordinator to organise monthly social events for members such as theatre trips, museum visits and different activities. She also co-facilitates the Witney Self-Advocacy Group.

Meg Smith, Training and Groups Coordinator

Meg coordinates the training delivered by the MLMC consultants, plans and delivers the Wantage and Young People’s self advocacy groups and supports with the delivery of Quality Checks. Meg also runs our Computer Buddy project, which supports people to get and use technology.

Email: meg@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Iarfhlaith O’Connell, Research and Projects Coordinator

Iarfhlaith organises the research and easy read projects at MLMC. This involves helping members choose what projects they want to do and assisting them throughout the research process. They also make sure any easy read translation requests are completed to standard. They also co-facilitate the Oxford and Abingdon Self-Advocacy Groups.

Email: iar@mylifemychoice.org.uk 

Consultants

Dawn Wiltshire

Dawn has worked with MLMC for over fifteen years and has been a consultant for over five. She is an expert in all things MLMC having worked on everything from campaigns and research projects to managing Stingray nightclub. Her proudest work has been with the Travel Buddy project as she loves knowing she has helped people gain independence.

Gina Regan

Gina has been with MLMC for thirteen years and has worked as a consultant for four. Gina has been heavily involved in all aspects of the charity where she has had a huge impact on people’s lives, from her work as a researcher and a dedicated Travel Buddy to her work on the quality checker project which she is most proud of. She likes to see how different living environments work and to know that she is helping keep people safe and well.

Jackie Scarrott

Jackie has been a member of MLMC for thirteen years and has been a consultant for the last four. Jackie is a very active consultant who is passionate about healthcare and making sure people are connected. She has worked on a variety of research projects focused on improving healthcare for people with learning disabilities and has enjoyed being a Travel Buddy for many years. Her favourite thing to do is go out with her Gig Buddy every week and spend time in the community.

Pam Bebbington

Pam has been with MLMC for fourteen years and has worked as a consultant for five. She is an experienced quality checker, Travel Buddy and Stingray organiser but her proudest work is her involvement as a researcher. She is particularly proud of her work on the Growing Older project, which she presented at a conference in Iceland. She loves to get to know different people through research and to change things for the better by sharing information.

Shaun Picken

Shaun has been involved with MLMC for the last nine years and has been a consultant for five of those years. He has worked across all of MLMC’s projects and is an experienced Travel Buddy and Gig Buddy. Shaun always stands up for the community and is a strong advocate through his campaigning with the Champions group. Shaun is most proud of his work with Champions as he identifies as a very political person and wants to be a voice for the issues he cares about.