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Can you donate £3 a month to help raise empathy-educated generations? Donate today
Managing Director
Imogen joined EmpathyLab in 2024, after a role developing the impact and reach of the Royal Opera House National Schools Programme. Originally trained as a theatre director, and specialising in creating interactive theatre for young audiences, Imogen’s work has often placed empathy, curiosity and creativity at its heart. For 15 years she worked at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond as Education and Participation Director, up until the pandemic which prompted a step into being a school librarian to feed her love of children’s literature. Imogen now lives in Rotherham, South Yorkshire (where she grew up) with Panda the cat.
Schools Team
As a teacher Mari spends as much of her time as possible talking books! If there is a book to go with a lesson, then she will find it!
Mari has the privilege of still being in the classroom on a part-time basis and working for the EmpathyLab school’s team spreading the empathy message to schools across the country. She has experienced first hand as a teacher the power of an empathy text whether that is with children recognising themselves within a character, developing the vocabulary to express themselves freely and confidently or by simply enjoying a class read aloud together.
Mari says:
“Being part of this team fills me with a great sense of pride as schools develop a passion and love of books to help them on their empathy journey.”
Operations and Impact Manager
Lilly joined EmpathyLab after an inspiring role as a coach and practitioner, working with individuals facing systemic barriers. She later went on to develop and facilitate training, growing a network of community-based practitioners dedicated to challenging systemic inequality and adopting a strengths-based approach to supporting individuals and their communities.
Lilly provides operational support across all of EmpathyLab’s programmes and campaigns and works closely with the team to capture the organisation’s impact and reach.
As a parent, Lilly has firsthand experience of the important role books play in children’s development.
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Empathy Day Lead
Kirsten is a freelance brand, comms and marketing consultant. She is the former Director of World Book Day (2011-2020), leading the world’s biggest celebration of reading for pleasure.
Previously, Kirsten spent 15 years at Penguin Books, latterly as Puffin Marketing and Campaigns Director, spearheading and delivering campaigns for some of the biggest brands in children’s books including Roald Dahl, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Puffin’s 70th anniversary.
Schools Team
Paul is a former secondary teacher who joined the Empathylab team in 2019 after ten years serving as Head of Drama at a school in Lancashire. He currently works within the schools team to deliver training to teachers across our Affiliate Schools Programme as well as with the wider team to deliver Author Masterclasses and other corporate training.
Paul is passionate about writing and performance, working as a children’s poet in schools across the UK alongside his EmpathyLab role. He also has a strong interest in building a cohesive society for all, working as a volunteer in community radio since 2018.
Schools Programme manager
Helen first joined EmpathyLab as Deputy Head of one of the Pioneer Schools in 2017. With a background in and passion for leading literacy, reading for pleasure, drama and social and emotional learning, she embraced the role of Empathy Lead in school. Since then, around having a young family, she has worked with EmpathyLab as a consultant helping to develop the schools programme, write core materials, support training and report on the impact of EmpathyLab’s work. She now works part time as our Schools Programme Manager. As well as working for EmpathyLab, Helen works with children and families as a mindset and wellbeing coach. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her partner and children, spending time outdoors including cold-water swimming and eating (a bit too much) dark chocolate!
