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
I coordinate engagement for our learners to help them access wider business support, coordinate post-16 activity with schools and colleges alongside our Learning & Skills Team, and coordinate events like the annual Startup Awards North East. My role ensures the entrepreneurs we support are at the heart of everything we do, by connecting them with the right partners to take their next steps, whatever that looks like for them.
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.
Julianne Percival
I’m the Curriculum Lead at FIRST, where I design, develop and deliver our accredited courses and workshops. I work with community partners to build connections and deliver empowering learning experiences that support learner progression. As the Designated Safeguarding Lead, I help learners feel safe, build courage and stay encouraged throughout their journey. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more about what we do at FIRST
Molly McGoldrick
"I’m the Communications Officer at FIRST, where I manage our platforms, plan and deliver campaigns, and share the impact of our work through creative storytelling. I’m passionate about connecting with people, building meaningful engagement, and celebrating the achievements of our learners. You can find me on LinkedIn, where I love sharing updates, stories, and successes from across our community."
Rachel Smith
I’m the Data Analyst Assistant at FIRST, where I collate the data from the business. I search out the trends and patterns beneath all the numbers to be able to find the golden nuggets of insights underneath; what works, what doesn’t, and what can be targeted to improve the journey undertaken by our learners!
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 FIRST's quality lead. 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
With a blend of master’s degrees in HR, Marketing, and Computer Science, I bring a diverse perspective to talent acquisition, employer branding, and digital engagement. As Senior Engagement Officer at You Are FIRST, I streamline the hiring process through strategic sourcing, candidate engagement, onboarding support, and data management. Beyond recruitment, I lead presentations, workshops, and public speaking engagements to inspire and connect with our community. If you're looking for support, want to pursue a certification, need guidance on starting your business, or are seeking to collaborate for events or workshops.
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
Hi, I’m Bethany, an Engagement Officer at FIRST. I’m all about connection, creativity, and community. My role is rooted in bringing people together, sparking conversations, and helping our learners feel confident and celebrated for who they are. I believe that growth starts with feeling understood, so I love creating moments, big or small, that make others feel seen, valued, and inspired to keep moving forward. Every story shared, every achievement recognised, and every smile along the way reminds me why I love what I do. You can find me on LinkedIn, where I post updates about the different events I am attending so you can come along and chat with me about how FIRST can help.
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.
Billie Jenkins
As the Research and Development Lead, I support FIRST to pursue new opportunities to empower enterprise skills and entrepreneurship through funding, partnerships and advocacy. For 10 years I have worked with organisations and projects that create social value by supporting individuals and communities to thrive. I’m always seeking to connect to people with an ambition to change lives through building skills, nurturing networks and supporting self-employment.
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 2030, we want every learner aged 16+ to have access to FIRST’s enterprise skills 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.
