Alison Stonham
Alison worked for the charity for nearly 19 years. She began working here as a team member in the classroom and was asked to temporarily take responsibility and manage the centre, subsequently becoming the Principal. Alison was in the forefront of reopening the school after it was forced to close back in 2015. She has given the last 19 years of her life supporting hundreds of families with additional needs. She has kindly agreed to stay on as a trustee to assist us with her wealth of knowledge and the ongoing tasks of fundraising and keeping the charity open.
David White
David was a primary school Headteacher for almost 30 years in Northamptonshire, Bromley and Suffolk and then worked as an Educational Consultant with Local Education Authorities, and also as an Ofsted Inspector. David has viewed the education system from a range of positions. Dedicated to improving practice and maximizing pupils’ attainment, David took part in various research programmes for the development of Children’s Language and Writing Skills. He is now involved in the Governance of two local Multi Academy Trusts. He is a keen Rotarian and a volunteer worker, having worked with Tools with a Mission in Uganda (TWAM) dedicating a large chunk of his time to supporting others.
Ivana Barron
Ivana joined as a trustee in 2021 and has lived in Suffolk for 23 years. She is married with 3 grown up children and when not working spends her time walking her dogs and riding horses. Ivana has spent a large part of her adult life working with children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) in the Early Years Education sector and is currently working as a freelance SEND and inclusion trainer. Ivana is undertaking a Masters degree in Education with a SEND specialism.
Julie Goodridge
Julie lives in Essex and has worked in education since training as a Primary Teacher in London in the late 1970s. She taught in Essex until 2007 in a range of roles, across several schools, from classroom teacher to Senior Leader. A significant amount of those years were spent working with EYFS/KS1. Since 2007, she worked as an Achievement Adviser for EdisonLearning Ltd delivering DfE funded school improvement programmes and more recently has worked as an independent adviser/coach and Director of Education for an Academy Trust in Sussex. She has always had a passion for early education and a belief that all children deserve to have the best chances in life. To continue to be involved in this area, and offer support as a Trustee of Bumblebees Children’s Charity, is a welcome responsibility and a pleasure.
Michael Scrivener
Michael is a chartered accountant working for a Big 4 audit Firm and has lived in the local area his whole life. Born and raised in Ipswich, he graduated from the University of East Anglia where he studied Management and accounting. Michael has been an auditor for 20 years working with a variety of local and international businesses. Michael now lives close to the Bumblebee Children’s Charity with his wife and children and values his role as a Trustee and supporting the local charity to help sustain its ongoing success.