We’re a small, friendly team committed to building a supportive and welcoming community.
Shonge Holdgate
Shonge has been working in the Charity Sector for over 15 years at a strategic level focusing on financial and project management. This has included the development and delivery of inclusive services for children & young people with disabilities. Shonge is inspired by Whoopsadaisy’s commitment to the provision of conductive education and its unique package of support to children with physical disabilities. She completed an MBA which gave her the opportunity to research and explore the relationship between strategic management and stakeholder involvement in charity organisations.
Sophie North
Sophie is our newest member at Whoopsadaisy. She works alongside Zsofi mainly in the 5-12 sessions as well as in volunteer recruitment. She is dedicated to helping children to reach their full potential.
She recently graduated in Childhood and Youth with Psychology at the University of Sussex, which included her dissertation on Conductive Education, inspired by her time volunteering with us at Whoopsadaisy.
When Sophie is not at Whoopsadaisy she enjoys spending time with her friends, shopping in The Lanes, painting, yoga, or windy walks along the beach.
Nora Bajaki-Sipos
Nora is passionate about creating an accepting and equal environment wherever she goes. She graduated as a Conductor-nursery teacher at the Andras Peto Institute of Conductive Education and College for Conductor Training to become a Conductor in 2011. She also completed a Teacher of Inclusive Education master’s degree at Kodolanyi Janos University in 2015.
Nora joined the Whoopsadaisy team in August 2018 and since than she has been working towards creating an inclusive community and has developed the 5-12s services as well as Whoopsadaisy’s volunteer programme.
In her free time, she loves visiting historical places all across the country with her husband.
Caroline Matanle
Caroline is the longest serving in-house staff member at Whoopsadaisy. Her role has gradually changed over the last 12 years and her responsibilities and tasks have evolved with the organisation. Caroline is our Corporate and Community Fundraiser and has become a familiar face across the city through her tireless work to promote Whoopsadaisy and make sure its services can keep running smoothly. When she is not at Whoopsadaisy, Caroline enjoys walking along the seafront with friends and the dog she borrows and holidaying every year on Paxos.
Helen Peel
Helen has been a fundraiser for 25 years, and has worked with a wide range of charities. Eleven years ago she became a freelance consultant, specialising in trust fundraising. Helen carried out a 10-day strategic review for Whoopsadaisy in 2009 – and is still working with the team today! Her role focuses on building long-term relationships with the many charitable trusts and grant-makers who support Whoopsadaisy’s work. In her spare time Helen can usually be found watching live music, looking for bargains in charity shops or walking by the sea.
Our Trustees
Tim Fenton
Tim has practised as a solicitor in the Brighton area for many years and joined Whoopsadaisy as a trustee in 2011 to provide experience of business (he was the senior partner at a local firm at the time) and, when needed, some advice on legal aspects as Whoopsadaisy is a small but very busy organisation. In 2016 Tim became the Chair of Trustees, where his passion and pride for the work Whoopsadaisy does and the difference it makes to the children and their families has only grown!
Freddie St. George MBE
Freddie is excited to join Whoopsadaisy as a Trustee. In his business life, Freddie is the managing director of a publishing company and heads up a graphic design consultancy. He is also the Chair of a Campaign Board for a national children’s charity. In his spare time Freddie is a Classic Mini enthusiast and has since 1990 organised an annual fundraising event called the Italian Job, for which he received an MBE in 2021 for ‘services to charity’.
Michelle Westbury
Michelle is proud to be part of the wonderful Whoopsadaisy family, it’s a joyful place full of love. In her day job Michelle is a Chartered Certified Accountant. She has a background of audit, accountancy and advice for the charity and not for profit sector. She is on hand to support Whoopsadaisy in all things financial and can often be found at our coffee mornings, eating cake!
Grant Jennings
Grant and his company have been providing digital support to Whoopsadaisy since 2016, and after falling in love with the charity he was asked to join the trustee board in November 2018. Since joining the Whoopsadaisy family, Grant has had the opportunity to meet the families and children, and see what an impact our support makes. In his new role Grant provides guidance on marketing the charity as well as anything digital.