Meet the team
Peeple Staff
Our staff are based around the UK, united by a passion for working in partnership with families, professionals and volunteers to support young children’s learning and development.
We have a network of trainers and trainer mentors based around the UK and Ireland who work for Peeple on a sessional basis. They are experienced in working with families, and the use of Peep programmes. Several of our trainers also co-ordinate delivery of the Programme within their local authority area, and deliver the training locally within a Peep Training the Trainer Agreement.
Central Services
CEO: Dr Sally Smith
Sally leads the staff team, develops collaborative relationships with others working in our sector, and is responsible for the strategic direction and financial management of Peeple. She has been CEO since 2011 and has worked for the organisation since 2006. Sally has a background in research, including at the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. Her doctoral thesis was about the origins and uses of the ORIM framework (which underpins the Peep Learning Together Programme).
Finance Manager: Charlotte Oates
Charlotte leads on financial management across Peeple and Peep Learning Ltd, including budgeting, reporting, cash flow and financial compliance. She also supports the CEO and Board with financial planning and oversees governance, contracts and key operational processes.
HR Manager: Chloe Roberson
Chloe leads on HR across Peeple, helping to simplify policies and processes, tackle organisational challenges, and make sure staff feel valued and well supported in their roles. Before joining Peeple, Chloe spent five years in HR roles within professional services organisations in and around Oxford. She is particularly interested in social mobility and equal opportunity, and volunteers as a children’s reader in her spare time.
Fundraising & Policy Lead: Chloe Lidbetter
Chloe leads on building funding partnerships and analysing policy, so we can maximise our impact and ensure families’ needs are met locally and nationally. Before working for Peeple, Chloe worked as a researcher into gendered inequality, and supported undergraduate students across Oxford and Buckinghamshire for charity UCCF.
Project Development
Project Development Manager - STEM (Peep Exploring Together): Katy Baker
Katy leads on the development of our new Exploring Together (STEM) Programme (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and previously on several other Peep projects including Early Steps Together and the Peep Learning Together Programme. She has a background in community learning and development, early years education, and adult and family learning.
[email protected] t 07825 775459
Project Officer (STEM) & Early Years Consultant: Helen Stroudley
Helen Stroudley supports the Peep Exploring Together STEM Programme pilot and contributes to varied Peeple projects. Her long Peep experience includes delivering programmes, training practitioners, managing local Peep delivery and serving as educational consultant for CBeebies’ The Baby Club and The Toddler Club, and Moonbug’s Little Baby Bum, ensuring high‑quality early years practice is reflected across these programmes.
Local Delivery
Peeple Delivery Manager (Oxford): Camille Kalaja
Camille leads the local Peep delivery team and our work with families in the areas of Oxford surrounding the Peeple Centre. She ensures that the areas served receive the range of Peep groups and services on offer, as well as piloting new projects.
t 01865 395145 Email
Early Education and Childcare Manager (Oxfordshire): Lindsey Hart
Lindsey manages our Little Peeple Nursery in Littlemore, Oxford, and previously managed the Red Kite Children’s Centre in Thame on our behalf. She is an experienced NNEB and has set up and managed day nurseries at the local school and FE college, where she also lectured in Childcare and Education.
t 01865 397972 Email
Training, Support and Accreditation
National Training & Accreditation Manager: Liz Ersoy
Liz is responsible for the national and international development, delivery, quality assurance and accreditation of Peep training and delivery support. She has extensive experience in early learning, family support, staff training and management in the early years/social work sectors. Liz became Peeple’s Training and Accreditation Manager in autumn 2021, after several years as a freelance Peep trainer, Peeple Policy Officer (Scotland) and project manager for Family Learning Scotland.
Development Manager (England & Wales): Diane Campkin
Diane is responsible for the development, implementation and delivery support of Peep Training in England and Wales. She co-developed Peep TALK, our speech, language and communication programme. Diane has a long background in teaching and leading in Early Years, as well as delivering training and support to other Early Years professionals.
Development Manager (Scotland & Ireland): Vivianne McWhinnie
Vivianne is responsible for the development, implementation and delivery support of Peep Training in Scotland and Ireland. Vivianne’s background is in Early Years, where she found her love for Peep. She has delivered a variety of groups for many years as well as training and support to other Early Years professionals.
T 07934 587973 Email
Lead Trainer & Implementation Support Manager: Debbie Rudman
Debbie is responsible for developing and delivering training and implementation support based on all Peep Programmes, contributing to new programme materials, developing and piloting new courses, and inducting and supporting Peeple trainers. Before this she spent many years as a Peep practitioner in groups and Stay and Plays.
t 07774 329292 Email
Accreditation Manager: Debbie Holmes
Debbie leads on the Peep Progression Pathway qualification units for parents, and the Peep Learning Together Programme accreditation for practitioners, and contributes to Peep training development. She became a passionate advocate for Peep after delivering the Peep programme and parent accreditation to families whilst working as an Early Years teacher in both inner-city schools and children’s centres.
Communications & Marketing Manager: Charlotte Holmes
Charlotte leads on communications and marketing across Peeple, including our website, newsletters, case studies and promotion of Peep programmes and training. She oversees our brand and communications strategy, using feedback and insights from parents and professionals in our sector to help increase our reach, online support and impact.
t 01865 397976 Email [email protected] LinkedIn
Communications & Marketing Officer: Keira Garrigan
Keira creates and manages digital content across our social media, newsletters and website, helping to promote Peep programmes and training and communicate with our different audiences, helping strengthen our online reach and engagement.
t 01865 397976 Email [email protected]
Training Team Support Lead: Lucas Pratt
Lucas leads the administrative team, coordinating the implementation of new courses, and ensuring an effective and consistent delivery. With a background in Training and Development, He works closely with the wider training team to support the growth and development of Peeple.
Senior Training and Accreditation Administrator: Farnaz Keshmiri
Farnaz is usually busy making sure the courses are running on track behind the scenes, from organising the training at first instance to sorting out the details that make sure everything runs smoothly.
T 10865 397970 Email or [email protected]
Senior Training and Accreditation Administrator: Susanne Addis
Susanne is part of the team helping to organise our training courses.
T 10865 397970 Email or [email protected]
Training and Accreditation Administrator: Jo Wood
When not helping to bring Peep’s training courses to fruition, Jo is likely to be out somewhere wild and woolly, preferably watching wildlife or snuggling up with a good book.
t 01865 397970 Email [email protected]
Training Administrator: Simon Wood
Simon oversees the printing and timely delivery of training resources.
t 01865 397970 Email [email protected]
Peeple Trustees
Chair of Trustees: David Bailey
David became our Chair of Trustees in April 2023, having been vice chair. He is a self-employed finance consultant, advising on Board development, financial management, competitive tenders and developing business cases, particularly in the health sector. He is a qualified chartered accountant with experience in marketing. David was Board Director of South West Environmental Parks Ltd, including Paignton Zoo, Newquay Zoo and Living Coasts and has been a trustee of Peeple since 2012.
Vice Chair of Trustees: Nancy Stimson
Nancy joined the Board of Peeple in June 2019 and took up the position of Vice chair in 2023. She had previously been a volunteer consultant through the Cranfield Trust, reviewing and updating Peeple’s employment contracts and policies. Having retired as Group HR Director for an IT organisation, Nancy supports various charities from an HR perspective, is a volunteer Adviser for Citizens Advice, and mentors women entrepreneurs through the Cherie Blair Foundation. She recently completed a doctorate in Communication and Linguistics, and has a particular interest in early years language acquisition.
Laura Barbour
Laura has 30 years of experience in the voluntary sector. As the first employee at the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, she had a wide ranging role. She then focused on developing the Trust’s Early Years strand, leading on research, policy initiatives and practical programme delivery. Laura developed a strong network across the early years community, which included working closely with Peeple. In June 2024 Laura joined Chimo Trust, supporting the creation of a community of best practice in social prescribing for young people’s mental health.
Kwasi Owusu-Asomaning
Kwasi joined the Board of Trustees in June 2024. He is founder and CEO of OAK Agility, a business consultancy firm operating across UK, Europe, US and Africa. Kwasi has worked with organisations in several business sectors to navigate significantly large business transformations. He leads several practitioner communities across Africa, UK, Europe and the US focusing on adult learning and personal growth. Kwasi is advising on business development, project management, technology strategy and some HR aspects connected to organisational culture.
Marie McQuade
Marie is Head of Educational Systems, Curriculum and Policy at the School of Education, University of Glasgow, teaching across a range of courses including PGD/BA Childhood Practice, M.Ed Childhood Practice and M.Sc. Educational Studies. She has more than 20 years of experience in education and childcare leadership, policy development and professional learning. Her PhD and research interests focus on social policy design, development and articulation, and screen education.
Krystyna Grant
Krystyna is an expert in innovation and fundraising having worked in the charity and private sector in fundraising, marketing and innovation for over 15 years. Krystyna was Head of Innovation for the British Heart Foundation and is now at London Business School as Director of Innovation, where she is responsible for developing new products and services for the higher education sector. Krystyna is a proud mum of two young children and passionate about education, supporting families and early years learning.
Annie Jameson Allen
Annie joined Peeple’s Board of Trustees in June ‘26, having previously supported the charity as Interim Finance Consultant. Annie has over three decades’ experience of leading financial operations, transformation programmes and systems implementation within retail, banking and telecommunications sectors as well as not-for-profit organisations.