We set up Number Champions in 2018. Everyone involved in the charity is passionate about helping to improve children’s educational and life chances. We have a small professional team but all our support to children in schools is delivered by volunteers
Meet the Team
In March 2023, Number Champions was recognised with a Points of Light award by the Office of the Prime Minister for making an outstanding contribution to the community.
Our Volunteer Roles
Our trained In-School Volunteers span a wide age range, come from a variety of backgrounds, and share an enthusiasm to help children gain skills and confidence in maths.
Supporting our In-School Volunteers, we have Mentors all with extensive teaching experience in primary schools and some with specialist skills in teaching maths.
We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and have appointed a dedicated Safeguarding Officer.
We have other volunteers supporting us in specific areas or projects. If there is a way you would like to be involved with Number Champions, we would love to hear your ideas.
Our Professional Staff
Lorraine Gerrard was the Chair of Governors for four years, and, prior to that, a governor for almost ten years, of a four-form entry primary school. She has a background working in IT teams in the banking sector. She has been an In-School Volunteer for Number Champions for two years and is passionate about improving children’s life chances and is excited to be part of the Number Champions team. She has a degree in Political Studies from Leeds University and has three children.
Julie Cooke has worked in charities and non-profits for over twenty years in a range of roles, most recently managing a literacy based mentoring programme within New York City’s elementary school system. She is really excited to join Number Champions at this stage in its development and is looking forward to contributing to the charity’s growth.
Our Trustees
Bernard Manson is our chair and founder.
He has a postgraduate maths degree and both of his sisters are maths teachers. Maths education – and where it can be improved – has been an interest for many years. Following a career in banking, he is now taking the opportunity to contribute to maths learning in schools.
Lisa Baglin is an experienced Managing Director of consumer retail brands, most recently of Cass Art, a leading independent retailer of art supplies. She is now a consultant to a number of start-up brands. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant with a degree in Modern History from Oxford University. She has two teenage children and believes passionately that the early primary school years are key to laying the foundations for enjoying and understanding maths.
Ron Finlay is a communications consultant who is passionate about making the complex simple. With a degree in Economics from Cambridge University, he has always been as enchanted by the beauty of mathematics as bewitched by the power of language. He is an Associate Lecturer in Business Communication at the University of the Arts, London, and an experienced charity trustee.
Thomas Hyde is our Treasurer. He is a Director at Royal Bank of Canada responsible for managing credit and rates portfolios, and has nearly twenty years of financial services experience. Tom holds BA and MSc degrees in PPE and European Government respectively, and he is passionate about the importance of education. Having seen his own young daughter struggling with maths, Tom appreciates how critical it is for children to build confidence with numbers and is very excited to work with Number Champions.
Sarah Manson worked in academic and children’s publishing for many years, was a professional school librarian, and subsequently ran a literary agency. She has founded and run several charity projects and is excited that Number Champions can deliver much-needed support to young children and also provide a rewarding opportunity for volunteers.
Stephanie Sanchez Kuong is a Portfolio Manager at Enko Capital Management having previously worked as a rates trader. She has a degree in Finance from Oxford University and in Applied Mathematics from Ensimag, Grenoble. Having tutored many students, she realises that the first obstacle children face in maths is a psychological one, with small difficulties snowballing into big fears – so she is very enthusiastic about Number Champion’s focus on building confidence.
Olivia Timbs uses the skills from her editing and publishing career to teach effective writing, with clients including NHS trusts, universities, and the Greater London Authority. A trained scientist, she understands that confidence in maths is as important as confidence with words. She has pro bono experience as a school governor, as launch director of a medical charity, and as a trustee of the Children’s Society and of a grant-giving trust. She volunteers with The Access Project, tutoring a GCSE biology student.
Peter Weal has consistently championed the importance of maths in curriculum development. He brings a wealth of leadership experience from roles as Head Teacher and Deputy Head in primary education and as Assistant Headteacher in secondary education. He has expertise in implementing effective organisational development, and with a Master’s degree in Education, his commitment to advancing maths education is grounded with a strategic and informed perspective.