Meet the Team

Saffron Walden Mencap Society employs a small team of dedicated staff to run their clubs, many of whom have several years of experience of working with individuals with learning disabilities. Volunteers also play a vital role in our activities.

All staff and volunteers hold current DBS checks.

Cath Read - Go With Our Flow

Cath has been working with individuals with additional and complex needs, and their families, for nearly 20 years. She is passionate about ensuring that individuals can make choices about their lives and to make sure they have a voice, regardless of the way they communicate.
Cath has a BA Honours Degree in Children’s Special Educational Needs and Inclusion and has worked for many years on behavioural therapy programmes with individuals with autism.
Cath is currently working part time as a Learning Support Assistant at Thaxted Primary school. She also works in a variety of roles with other children, young people and adults with additional needs, in the local community.

Favourite book: Where the Wild Things Are.
Favourite film: Educating Rita.
Superpower I would choose: Telekinesis

Dianne King - Go With Our Flow

Dianne has worked in Primary Schools for over twenty years. She enjoys supporting children and young people with their learning and seeing them grow in confidence and maturity. Dianne has continued to learn herself by taking part in numerous training and online courses. In recent years, she studied and completed her Foundation Degree in Primary Teaching and Learning, then going on to achieve a BA Honours Degree in Childhood and Youth Studies.

Dianne currently works full-time at Thaxted Primary School as a Learning Assistant. She also works with a number of young people with additional and complex needs. Being passionate about making a difference, she strives to give young people with additional needs a voice!
Favourite book: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Favourite film: Pretty Woman
Superpower I would choose: To be able to see into the future!

Kathryne Gill - Go With Our Flow

Hi I’m Kathryne. I have been working with children and families for over 25 years. I have worked in various settings. I am particularly known for being a childminder, where I encouraged all children to have fun through play.

I have 3 girls of my own who are now older teenagers and I know how important their friends are to them. I have enjoyed working with Go with Our Flow to enable the young people the opportunity to build friendships and have fun going out in small groups.

Currently I am a mature student about to start my 3rd year of a BA Hons degree in social work. Why social work you may ask? I would wish to work with children and families as I am passionate that every one deserves their best life and some people need a support hand to achieve this.

My favourite book: Harry Potter the whole series

My favourite film: Grease

Super power: would be to get dinner ready like they do in the first Fantastic beasts and where to find them book.

Julie Brassington - Go With Our Flow

Julie is passionate about enabling people with special needs to lead a full and fun social life, and to encourage decision making and independence wherever possible. As
well as working for GWOF, Julie also works with other children, young people and adults with additional needs, in the local community.

Julie trained in Art at Middlesex Polytechnic and The Chelsea School of Art and Design, and has worked for many years as a specialist Art and Design Technology
teacher, both in schools and with home-educated children. She enjoys bringing her creative approach to Mencap projects such as the design and making of this year’s
carnival float.

Favourite book: All the Harry Potters!
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Superpower I would choose: To be able to fly

Abby Fenton - Go With Our Flow

After having previously worked in the charity sector and undertaking many volunteer roles, Abby is excited to support young people with additional needs at Go with Our Flow. She’s very interested in different forms of communications and the different roles types of communication can play in supporting minoritised groups. Abby has an intermediate level of British Sign Language after initially taking level one as an extracurricular whilst completing her degree at Durham University. Abby has read many books (especially as she did an English Literature degree!) but her favourite is Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.

Steve Lee - Side by Side Leader and GrowAbility Leader

My name is Steve Lee, I am club leader at Saffron Walden Mencap’s Side by Side club. I have been involved with Side by Side ever since my daughter Amanda started attending the club shortly after the club was first started.

Being the club leader allows me to use some of my past experience built up over the past 30 years. I have worked with adults and children with learning disabilities ever since my son Stuart was diagnosed with autism and my daughter Amanda developed a blood clot, leaving her with cerebral palsy and a learning disability. I started working as a part time support worker locally and progressed my way into care home management, managing a group of care homes in the Cambridge area. I have also worked in the care sector for Essex County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, and at the St Elizabeth’s Centre. I used some of my experience as a trainer for organisations across East Anglia for 4 years.

I have also been a volunteer for Riding for the disabled and with Accuro for 12 years. I love working with people with learning disabilities as they can teach us so much and never cease to amaze with their knowledge and talents. I warmly welcome any new members to join the Side-by-Side club. I am supported at the club by my deputy Holly Howard and a handful of very willing volunteers who will also warmly welcome any members, new or old.

Holly Howard - Deputy Leader of Saffron Walden Mencap Society.

I am the Deputy Leader of the Saffron Walden Mencap Side by Side Club.

I previously worked in a care home for young adults with learning disabilities and absolutely loved it and thrived which actually led to me being late diagnosed autistic. I had to step back from working because I had my children but in my spare time I took various courses in neurodivergent conditions, mental health and counselling, to get under my belt because I found my other passion.

My first passion was art and I love bringing that to the Side by Side club with craft sessions because I believe everyone has creative ability and can be enjoyable for all capabilities. I also do window painting and I volunteer at St Elizabeth's charity shop in Saffron Walden, doing their windows for each season and occasion, I absolutely love it and how much joy it brings people to come and see what has been painted in the window.

Jacquie Lucas - Administrator and GrowAbility Volunteer

I became involved in Saffron Walden Mencap through volunteering at the Side by Side club - I occasionally helped out for my daughter Aimée on the nights she couldn't volunteer - that was several years ago and I had so much fun I became a Trustee and never left!

I enjoy helping out at our GrowAbility allotment club on Wednesdays where we do everything from planting seeds to harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables together. I also write a regular GrowAbility blog and share photos of our hard work. You might also see me driving the minibus or car to events and clubs, or helping out at fundraising events.

More recently I've become the administrator for our charity, mostly doing a lot of work on my computer - forms, policies, emails, helping to plan for events and meetings and making sure everything we need to help us run our charity is up to date.

The best thing about being part of Saffron Walden Mencap Society is getting to know and work with such a fabulous group of people, our members, volunteers, staff and trustees are all part of a friendly and supportive community and there is always something to look forward to!

Julia Dimmock - Volunteer

"Alone we can do so little; TOGETHER we can do so much"

By Helen Keller