Providing Education and Wellbeing Services for All
ABOUT US
Recreate-U is a Community Interest Company created by qualified educational specialists with over 60 years of combined teaching experience. We are passionate about helping people thrive, succeed and live fulfilling lives.
Our mission is to help people learn, grow and achieve their full potential by providing opportunities to improve mental health, strengthen overall wellbeing and increase educational attainment.
OUR VALUES
Bespoke
Our programmes are bespoke and tailored to individual needs to ensure our clients get the best from our programmes.
Journey
We go on the journey with you, creating opportunities to grow in your own way from attending a session to volunteering or working with us.
Learn & Grow
Education is at the heart of our organisation. We support people to learn and grow with new skills.
Professional
We invest in our staff and volunteers because we want the best for our Recreate-U family and friends.
MEET THE TEAM
Claire
CEO
Claire is a qualified, experienced primary school teacher who has taught in nurseries, schools and colleges throughout England and Europe.
Before founding Recreate-U, Claire was the CEO of CalmChildren, where she delivered whole-school professional development packages to support the implementation of a mastery approach to wellbeing and mindfulness.
Alongside teaching, Claire has created numerous programmes of proven positive mental health techniques for children and families. She also has a proven track record of increasing physical activity levels city-wide, leading co-produced projects with the voluntary and community sector.
Jennie
Director
Jennie is qualified primary school teacher who has worked in schools both in the UK and abroad, teaching both the British and IB PYP curricula. She is EAL-qualified and fluent in French and Mandarin, with a background in writing and the performing arts.
Before co-founding Recreate-U, she gained extensive experience working in the voluntary sector as both a volunteer and as a board member working in partnership with Erasmus+.
In addition to teaching, Jennie has contributed education articles for parenting blogs and is active in the outdoor wellbeing community.
Aimee
Non-Executive Director
Aimee uses her extensive experience in schools and as a parent to sense-check proposals and ensure Recreate-U stays on track in working to accomplish its mission.
Olja
Admin
Olja is a true people person who enjoys connecting with others and building positive relationships. With a background in Education Sciences, she has several years’ experience in customer service and recruitment.
She brings empathy, strong communication skills, excellent attention to detail, and a fantastic memory. As the Administrator at Recreate-U, she plays a key role in keeping the team organised and ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Outside of work, Olja is passionate about giving back and has volunteered for a range of projects, including Carlton Club in Whalley Range, the Manchester International Festival, and Barnardo's charity shop.
Naomi
Activity Coordinator
Naomi supports and engages people through meaningful activities that promote wellbeing and inclusion.
She is a qualified Mental Health Nurse with a strong passion for supporting people’s emotional and mental wellbeing. Before moving into nursing, Naomi worked as a qualified Nursery Nurse and went on to manage a nursery, gaining valuable experience in Early Years Foundation Stage development and leading high-quality provision for young children.
Her diverse background allows her to bring a thoughtful and well-rounded approach to her role, combining strong communication, empathy and organisational skills to support individuals and groups effectively.
Emma
Social Media
Friendly, creative Emma has used her background in Art and Design to create a diverse and dynamic career across blogging, floristry, and digital marketing. Her creativity extends well beyond her professional life - outside of work, she’s a true adventurer. Whether she’s hiking, running, or paddle boarding, Emma brings people together to join her on the journey.
Holiday Club Team
Our fantastic holiday club team jump in to help during school holidays, when we are working with up to 60 additional clients per day. Since our first holiday club in 2021, the team has grown to include teachers, teaching assistants, social workers, paramedics, counsellors, and students in fields such as education and health and social care. We have also been able to give at least one young person a year their first experience of paid work with our Work Experience positions.
From leading activities, teaching arts and crafts and playing games to serving food and cleaning venues, our holiday club team make sure children who come to our clubs are having the best possible time.
Placement Students
Our university placement students do a fantastic job putting their new skills to use. From Health and Social Care students working on designing activities for our families to audio editors supporting our podcast, film students helping us create videos to support learning and graphic designers working on our marketing, there is a place for everyone to work with us to develop their skills and help their community.
If you are interested in working with us to offer placements, please contact us here
Volunteers
From supporting at our sessions to being an extra pair of hands putting up flyers or helping to redesign our website, our volunteers are essential to Recreate-U's success.
By sharing their time, skills and energy, out volunteers help us help more people in more places, increasing our impact and helping themselves and others thrive.
If you’ve got skills you’d like to share, get in touch with us today:
Betsy
A loyal member of Recreate-U since day one, Betsy is a wonderful listener, especially when humans are upset. She practices mindfulness daily by watching the clouds and being at one with nature. Betsy helps people to be more physically active by joining our walking groups - woof!
Bonnie
Bonnie is a friendly face around the office and occasionally makes social media appearances. She loves to keep laps warm and smile at everyone on Teams calls. She is also very good at reducing Recreate-U's food waste footprint!
Learn. Connect. Grow.
Education and wellbeing programmes across Greater Manchester and beyond
Our work is guided by Recreate-U’s core values: creating meaningful journeys, offering bespoke support, helping people learn and grow, and delivering professional, high-quality experiences.