Meet the Recovery College team

Staffing

We serve the community in five areas, known as Care Groups, across Norfolk and Suffolk - East Suffolk, West Suffolk, King’s Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth and Waveney. 

Day to day operations are run by administrators and the Recovery College manager. 

Tutors 

All our courses are taught by practitioner tutors, peer tutors, volunteers and clinicians from mental health teams at NSFT.

We also work closely with peer support workers across the trust and are fortunate to have their help in the development and the delivery of our courses; they use their experience of mental health recovery to support others on their journey.  Find out more about the role of the peer support workers here.

Having a wide pool of support enables us to bring varied knowledge and expertise to our courses.

Close up of people round a table working on a project

Our core staff

  • Corrina Twell - Administrator
  • Simone Melo-Atherton - Administrator
  • Declan Burke - Practitioner Tutor 
  • Gayle Edwards - Administrator
  • Julia Hibberd - Administrator

Sharn Senior - Peer Tutor and Learning Support Adviser 

The Recovery College is the first place where I truly felt I belonged. The shared lived experience inspires hope and offers validation. I believe that focusing on our individual needs, strengths, and values, alongside learning skills to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, can empower us to live more meaningful lives. In my personal time, I enjoy listening to worship music and creating scrapbooks about my life. My faith has been an important part of my recovery journey, giving me both hope and a more positive sense of identity.

Mark Jennings - Peer Tutor and Learning Support Adviser 

Image of Mark

I have a background in music and art and in my own time I can be found listening to and making music or drawing and painting. I’m a big fan of creativity in mental health in general and you will eventually find me on a course waffling about it at great length. I think that the shared lived experience from tutors and students combined with the course content is one of Recovery Colleges biggest assets, it’s what drew me to recovery college as a student and eventually a lived experience peer tutor. 

Lydia Hall - Deputy Manager

Having previously worked in the third sector for over 12 years, I moved into mental health services in early 2019, using a person-centred, recovery-focused approach. The Recovery Model is something I am very passionate about, and I firmly believe that everyone can be in a recovery journey. Working within the Recovery College, meeting students, and hearing others’ experiences is a privilege and I learn so much from students through what they share. I live on the North Norfolk coast with my family. I enjoy reading, films, music, DIY, and anything creative!

Cassie Diggens - Peer Tutor and Learning Support Adviser 

Cassie Diggens

My lived experience of addiction and mental health issues have all lead me to The Recovery College. I have been on my recovery journey for ten years now after losing 23 years of my life to active addiction. I am passionate about recovery and to be given this opportunity to support others on their journey truly makes my heart sing! It has been my drive for the last decade to promote the awareness that recovery is possible. I am looking forward to working on the Addiction Courses timetable that we will be rolling out later this year, exciting and enlightening times are ahead. I truly feel I am living my best life, and I am honoured to be able to serve others in this role. When I am not working, I can generally be found walking surrounded by nature, practicing yoga, spending time with family or curled up reading.

Ash Moorcroft - Recovery College Manager

I have worked in mental health services for over 10 years, first qualifying in social work and then further studying mental health practice. I have previously managed community mental health teams, worked in safeguarding and acute hospitals. In my spare time I enjoy exploring nature, new cities and travelling. Originally from Essex, I am still getting used to Norfolk and Suffolk roads and accents (slowly!). My three dogs keep my occupied and entertained. I bring both lived and learned experience of mental health services. If you're anxious, I like to think about: travel and dogs.

Sarah Kennard - Practitioner Tutor

Portrait of Sarah Kennard

Sarah is an experienced Practitioner Tutor with over 10 years of work in the recovery college. Passionate about empowering others, she thrives on creating engaging courses that inspire and support learners. Outside of her teaching role, Sarah enjoys cold water swimming, exploring new places, reading, and immersing herself in sci-fi, with The Lord of the Rings being her all-time favourite book. Her dedication to both personal growth and teaching makes her a valued member of the community, blending creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm into every course she designs.

Danny Brown - Practitioner Tutor 

Portrait of Danny Brown

After working in the fitness industry for many years, I joined NSFT in 2009 after a year of travelling and worked on wards with patients providing physical activity sessions. I later joined the Recovery College and coordinated the Norwich area, whilst gaining a master's degree in public health, before becoming the Partnership Development Lead across Norfolk and Suffolk. I am always looking to work alongside other organisations to collaborate and improve how we can help people. I enjoy travelling and woodworking, when I can.

Hope Gunn - Practitioner Tutor 

Portrait of Hope Gunn

I have worked in mental health services for 7 years since graduating from the University of East Anglia and stayed living in Norfolk, which I love. In these roles, I have specialised in providing psychoeducation groups and 1:1 support to adults and providing CBT for young people in schools/colleges. My favourite courses to teach are our creative ones, I love being able to see people's growth through engaging with their unique creativity and curiosity. My personal interests include, weightlifting, cooking and hiking with my miniature poodle. 

Dani - Peer Tutor and Learning Support Adviser 

Records

I started attending the Recovery College some years ago after hearing about the service whilst receiving some support from NSFT  and it was one of the best things I could've done for my mental health and wellbeing. I've been on my journey of recovery for a while now and I do believe that it is possible to feel empowered to live a life that is meaningful again. I enjoy going for walks in nature, being with my family and collecting vinyl records. Recovery has taught me that things can and do get better!

ASD / ADHD Suffolk Project:

Rob Barker - Senior Practitioner Tutor 

Portrait of Rob Barker

Hi, I'm Rob, a practitioner tutor with the Recovery College for two years, and with sixteen years experience as a mental health nurse. My own diagnosis of Mental Health challenges and Neurodiversity have lead me down this path, and I love engaging with people about Neurodiversity. I am passionate about creating and delivering these courses, giving people the opportunities, knowledge, and changes I never had in my journey. Outside of work, I love to get immersed in Sci-Fi or Fantasy realms, doing a spot of Lego, woodwork, or metalwork, and engaging in historical re-enactment and living history and learning new historical facts. Asides aside, I love to engage in this role and will happily talk neurodiversity, empowerment, skills, learning, and adaptions to anyone who stops long enough. And if the conversation isn't a straight route, well, that adds to the learning and discovery of new things. "A straight line may be the shortest route between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting"

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