About us
Who we are
FIRST is a learning and development agency, empowering enterprise skills and entrepreneurship in collaboration with government, employers, education and community organisations. Our accredited courses, workshops, consultancy and events inspire courage, self-belief and motivation, giving learners equitable opportunities to progress into meaningful education, decent work or resilient self-employment.
Meet the Team
Charlotte Windebank
As FIRST’s Managing Director, Charlotte is responsible for development, vision and quality. She supports the operations and communication managers and ensures all company outputs are aligned to objectives, values, and mission. Alongside her role as director, Charlotte is an advocate for social and structural change within entrepreneurship and is regularly invited to speak about research, innovations and positive actions towards increased inclusivity and empowerment for early stage founders, young people and junior staff.
Sam Clark
Meet Sam Clark, our new Engagement Coordinator at FIRST. Sam is passionate about building connections and creating inclusive opportunities for learners to thrive. We're excited to have Sam on board
Jack Havver
Jack works across our projects to support FIRST's community of learners, making sure they are comfortable and can fully participate in our courses workshops and events. Jack loves helping people and watching their courage and skills grow as a result of developing enterprise skills.
Cheryl Barkas
Cheryl works with all learners to share information about our courses, events and opportunities. She is brilliant at supporting learners with their options and loves to see the people he has worked with go onto achieve great things.
Julianne Percival
We're thrilled to introduce Julianne Percival, our new Learning Skills Facilitator! Julianne brings over 20 years of experience in education, teaching, and enterprise skill development. Her expertise will be invaluable as she works closely with our learners on the exciting programmes FIRST has in store.
Molly McGoldrick
Molly, our Communications Officer at FIRST, is here to make your learning journey smoother and more exciting. She creates engaging content, shares success stories, and keeps everyone informed about our innovative programmes. By connecting our community and promoting our courses, Molly helps you feel motivated and empowered. With her support, you'll gain the confidence and skills to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams, further your education, or find meaningful work. Join us at FIRST, where Molly helps turn your potential into progress.
Rachel Smith
We are delighted to welcome Rachel as our new Data Apprentice at FIRST. Rachel brings a fresh perspective and enthusiasm that we are confident will be a valuable addition to our team. We look forward to supporting her in developing her skills and contributing to our mission of empowering learners across the North East. Welcome aboard, Rachel!
Kimberley Cummings
Kimberley Cummings is an Engagement Specialist dedicated to fostering strong relationships and community involvement. She excels at connecting and empowering entrepreneurs, creating inclusive and impactful programmes. Kimberley's passion and expertise make her an invaluable asset to founders looking to grow their businesses and build meaningful connections.
Richard Chater
Richard Chater is a Learning and Skills Facilitator at FIRST. Passionate about education and empowerment, Richard excels at delivering engaging and effective learning experiences. His dedication to helping learners develop valuable skills makes him a key contributor to our mission.
Joanna Sam
Meet Joanna, our new Recruitment Coordinator at FIRST! With a passion for empowering individuals and a keen eye for talent, Joanna is dedicated to connecting learners with opportunities that align with their goals. Her role focuses on recruiting participants for our diverse courses and ensuring that everyone who joins FIRST feels supported from day one.
Cristina Booth
Crissi joins FIRST as the Skills and Events Officer, bringing expertise in event coordination and learner support. She’s dedicated to creating engaging, inclusive experiences that empower learners to grow and succeed.
David Stanton
David is a dedicated Senior Engagement Officer at FIRST, contributing to meaningful connections and supporting the team’s work across our programmes.
Joanna Thompson
Welcome Joanna! We’re delighted to officially welcome Joanna, our Senior Engagement Officer, to the FIRST team! Joanna has settled in brilliantly and is already making an impact in the Durham and Sunderland areas - She has quickly become a valued member of the team, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.
Bethany Thompson
Beth is the Interim Engagement Officer at FIRST, dedicated to connecting with learners, partners, and communities to create meaningful opportunities. With a passion for inclusive education and enterprise, she supports individuals in accessing the resources and networks they need to develop their skills and courage. Beth plays a key role in outreach and creating relationships that empower learners to progress into employment, further education, or self-employment.
Don MacMilla
As Financial Controller at FIRST, Don ensures financial stability and efficiency. His expertise in budgeting and planning helps maximise resources to support learners and entrepreneurs.
What we stand for
Our Vision:
An inclusive economy where everyone can access opportunities and contribute to a thriving society.
Our Mission:
To empower enterprise skills and entrepreneurship in under-resourced and underrepresented communities, promoting individual stability, social progress, and inclusive economic growth.
Our 'Big Hairy Audacious Goal'
By 2029, we want everyone within post 16 education and beyond to have access to FIRST’s enterprise skill and entrepreneurship education.
Want to join us?
Our values
From your first phone call to an end of project review, we believe in prioritising the following values for our stakeholders:
- Empowering others to achieve their dreams
- Expertise within enterprise skills
- Learning through fun
- Trusting relationships with stakeholders
Our services
We are passionate experts in empowering enterprise skills & entrepreneurship that drive meaningful change for individuals and economies. Here's how we can support you:
- Delivering accredited Enterprise Skill Qualifications at Levels 1, 2, and 3 to build practical knowledge and courage.
- Offering dynamic workshops, engaging events, and inspiring awards to make enterprise education accessible and impactful.
- Providing cutting-edge insights with our Enterprise Entrepreneurship Return on Investment Calculator (EERIC), helping you measure and maximise the value of your project.
- Delivering tailored Enterprise Skill Consultancy to design and implement solutions that meet your unique goals.
Partner with us to create opportunities, inspire growth, and achieve lasting results.
Our process
FIRST has helped thousands of people get the connections, skills and confidence they need to progress into jobs, self employment or further education.
Our work is developed using state of the art learning software and theory as well as skill frameworks such as EntreComp backed up by years of academic research and practitioner data.
By basing our work on solid foundations this ensures we are providing meaningful activities that create legacy, opportunities and impact long after learners and partners have worked with us. To find our more about EntreComp click here.
Our Public Sector Partners
FIRST are proud to work with local authorities to provide learning and development opportunities for residents in the North East.
We provide courses and opportunities under both the Adult Education Budget and Multiply funding and work with North East Combined Authority, Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Works and Sunderland City Council.
Scroll down to see some of our live projects and if you'd to speak to the team, send us a message by clicking the button below.
