Meet the TITAN team

We have a great team at TITAN who are all dedicated to supporting young people to become independent travellers.

Everyone on the team has a passion for their work and one of the joys of working for the TITAN team is seeing how young people grow in confidence with every new step they take towards independent travel.

Read more about our team and we look forward to supporting you soon!

Karl Chapman, lead locality co-ordinator

What is your job?

I am the TITAN lead locality co-ordinator, so my job is to support the whole team and develop the TITAN programme. I've got lots of experience of working on programmes which help children and young people travel independently. Before that I spent 15 years working in further education. 

What makes your day?

Being able to offer support to a range of trainees and their families, creating a supportive learning environment and seeing how they flourish and achieve greater independence and increased confidence is extremely rewarding.

What do you like doing out of work?

I love being active, enjoying running, cycling and swimming. I am a coach for the City of Norwich Athletic Club in my spare time and of course not forgetting my dog Beatie who is a great companion to spend time with.

Megan Parsons, family engagement and schools co-ordinator

What is your job?

I am the family engagement and schools co-ordinator. My role is to communicate and build positive relationships with families and schools, to ensure that they know about TITAN and the how we can support them. I am working to develop and promote the take up of our TITAN Primary and Ready To Go! Programmes with schools and colleges across Norfolk. I have collectively been working in schools and Children's Services for 10 years now.

What makes your day?

I love being able to work on many different projects, collaborating with schools, families, and other members of the team to help bring positive changes to people's lives.

What do you like to do out of work?

Outside of work I enjoy doing workouts and taking my dog, Chia, on long walks - we especially like the beach. I also love going out for food with friends and family and stopping off for a tea and pastry on my morning walks is always a great way to start the day.

Aside from this I love interior design and home renovation, I am constantly making changes to my home, nothing stays in the same place for long!

Katie Cary, family engagement and schools co-ordinator

What is your job? 

I am the Schools and Family Engagement Co-ordinator. My role is to build and foster positive relationships with schools and families across Norfolk, to ensure effective engagement with the TITAN programme and best support those young people and adults in their journey to become independent travellers. Previously, I have worked in the education sector as a teacher and a drama practitioner for adults with learning disabilities.  

What makes your day? 

I really enjoy collaborating with schools and families to achieve the best outcomes - this looks different every single day! I am incredibly passionate about ensuring access for all, something I am able to champion in this role.  

What do you like to do out of work? 

Outside of work, I try to see as much theatre as possible! I love a wide range of theatre, from West-End musicals to Shakespearean plays, and tend to drag my family or friends out to see it with me! 

I enjoy baking and will always volunteer to make a birthday cake for my loved ones. Running and going to the gym are also some of my favourite pastimes, as well as being outdoors. 

If you live in and around Attleborough, East Dereham, Downham Market, King's Lynn, Hunstanton, Swaffham, Thetford then you'll be supported by our West and Breckland team.

Natalie Lewis - locality co-ordinator

What is your job?

I'm the locality co-ordinator for West and Breckland, I am the main point of contact for this locality, I communicate with parents and carers to make arrangements for young people and adults to participate in Titan+.

I'm here to help with any problems and to give advice! I joined the Titan team in 2022, before this I was a support worker; helping individuals with learning disabilities become more independent by teaching them different skills.

What makes your day?

I enjoy helping to make a positive impact on a young person's life; teaching them skills to become more independent.

What do you like doing out of work?

I like to spend time outdoors and exploring new places with my dog Betsy - I especially love the beach! I also enjoy; finding a unique bargain at an auction or antique centre, painting and spending time in my garden.

Elizabeth Jordan - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

I work face to face with young people helping them to develop the skills they need to travel independently. In this role I am able to provide a personally tailored programme of learning, which includes experiential learning travelling on public transport to gain valuable experience.

The aim is to give each young person an experience which is enjoyable and informative. I have worked with children and young people for many years in a variety of settings. In the last 15 years this has mostly involved SEND learners. My previous job was learning support for SEND learners in an education setting.

What makes your day?

I greatly enjoy my job as I get a lot of fulfilment from seeing the young people blossom and grown in confidence. I know this is such an important thing for them to do as it will change their lives so much and give them many more opportunities.

Knowing that I have had a part in this gives me a great deal of joy. Enjoying your job so much is quite rare, so I am very grateful.

What do you like doing out of work?

I enjoy walking and being outdoors. I like to potter around in my garden where I have a section set aside as 'wild' to encourage local wildlife such as hedgehogs and stag beetles.

Kate Madej - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

I work face-to-face with young people out and about training them and encouraging them to develop the skills they need to travel independently. I have worked as a travel trainer for quite a long time.

Before that I worked in care and support roles helping people in supported living and nursing and residential care homes around the county. While I was doing that work I used to take younger employees under my wing and mentor them and give talks on confidence and self esteem.

I've also done a lot of work with schools and Saturday clubs for children and young people with learning disabilities. So all this experience has really helped me in my travel training job.

What makes your day?

I enjoy being a travel trainer, and working one to one with young people, as I find they can learn so much from their own bespoke training session.

I am thrilled to see the young people I work with gaining confidence through their sessions, enjoying the training and becoming independent.

What do you like doing out of work?

In my spare time, I love to walk my dog Snoop, it really helps me get my 10,000 steps a day for exercise. I also dabble in amateur photography, taking photos wherever I go of landscapes and architecture.

I have always been very young at heart and love to sing and dance and crack jokes, but most importantly I love to live. I am also a keen gardener (very amateur!), and find this very therapeutic for my relaxation.

Kevin Grigg - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

I'm a senior travel trainer, which means I work face to face with trainees supporting them and encouraging them to develop the skills they need to travel independently.

I always work to provide a supportive environment to help a person learn and thrive while training. I like to give a bespoke and tailored practice to each young person to give them an enjoyable and informative experience.

What makes your day?

I enjoy working with young people and get immense satisfaction from helping them develop in themselves and their future.

What do you like doing out of work?

I enjoy most sports, but my passion lies in board games (a board game geek). I also love reading, cooking and eating.

If you live in and around Diss, Loddon, Norwich (including Taverham to Hethersett and Costessey to Thorpe St Andrew), Wymondham then you'll be supported by our City and South team.

Dan Kelly - locality co-ordinator

What is your job?

I am the locality co-ordinator for the City and South Team, which means that I am the main point of contact with the families and carers of the young people that are currently being trained by our fantastic travel trainers.

Having worked as a travel trainer within the TITAN team I know how valuable it is to build and continue to develop the relationships with everyone involved in the young person's journey to become an independent traveller.

What makes your day?

Hearing feedback from everyone involved in the young person's travel training journey that our bespoke programme has had a positive impact on their lives.

What do you like doing out of work?

My spare time is spent looking after my young son but where I have the opportunity, I enjoy playing the guitar and online gaming.

Briony-Rose Burchell - travel mentor

What is your job?

I am a Travel Mentor, which means I work in the community supporting trainees 1-2-1 to help them develop skills and confidence, so they are able to travel independently. One day I could be supporting a young trainee travelling to and from school and the next working with a trainee to access services in their community.

What makes your day?

Seeing the confidence of a person grow, alongside their independence and getting to know them and what they will use their new travel independence skills for in everyday life. The positive changes I see in both our trainees and their parents and carers after we have helped someone become more independent is fantastic to see.

What do you like to do out of work?

I love lots of types of music; especially anything by Taylor Swift! I use it to relax and enjoy a sing-along in the car. I love musicals and try to see them when I can. I also have a cat named Cupcake, who loves nothing more than to curl up next to me in the evenings.

Nicky Garrett - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

My job is to help trainees gain confidence in travelling independently and safely, which is achieved by practising all aspects of their journey until it is very familiar. The travel training is adapted to fit the needs of the individual, and progresses at their own pace, building on the skills they already have and introducing new skills where necessary.

What makes your day?

Seeing a trainee blossom into a confident independent traveller, with new skills that will be of use to them throughout life.

What do you like doing out of work?

When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, especially my grandsons, who keep me on my toes!

I love being outside, regardless of the weather, pursuing my hobbies of birdwatching and wildlife photography. I enjoy walking and can often be spotted wandering around nature reserves along the north Norfolk coast, binoculars in hand.

Ellie Edwards - travel mentor

What is your job?

I work 1-2-1 with people in their communities, supporting and enabling them to gain the knowledge and skills which will help them to travel independently. Sessions are tailored to each person's specific requirements or needs.

Prior to taking on this role, I worked and volunteered in the education sector for 8 years, being involved in schools, outdoor education and local sports clubs.

What makes your day?

I enjoy enabling others to achieve their goals and enabling them to progress along their individual journey towards independence. Seeing trainees' confidence and skills build during the course of their sessions is very rewarding. It is great to be a part of someone's development and see all their hard work and effort paying off.

What do you like doing out of work?

I am a member of local sailing clubs and I like to spend my weekends and sometimes evenings, racing and cruising the broads in my variety of boats. I also like to explore new places, going on walks and bike rides around Norfolk.

If you live in and around Acle, Aylsham, Cromer, Fakenham, Great Yarmouth, Holt, North Walsham, Wells next the Sea or Wroxham then you'll be supported by our Great Yarmouth and North team.

John Carr - locality co-ordinator

What is your job?

I'm a locality co-ordinator and so I'll be the main contact between parents and carers and TITAN+ .and I'm always happy to help make arrangements and talk through any issues.

I've been working with the team since 2019 and have worked with lots of young people. Before that I was a police officer for 30 years, one of my jobs was working in child protection.

What makes your day?

I have always really enjoyed working with young people and I find it hugely rewarding to be able to help them develop the skills to be as independent as possible.

What do you like doing out of work?

I love the great outdoors, especially open water swimming and running (although not at the same time!).

Debbie Bailey - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

As a senior travel trainer, I work on a one-to-one basis with young people and adults. My role is to support them while they are gaining the skills that will enable them to travel independently. Each person will receive an individualised learning plan to suit their requirements.

I have over 17 years experience as a SEN Teaching Assistant working within a school setting.

What makes your day?

I find it extremely rewarding to watch someone's confidence grow. Having such a rewarding job that allows me to be part of a young person's/adult's journey and watch them flourish is a privilege.

What do you like doing out of work?

I enjoy walking and exploring different places, I am part of a small local running group and a gym member. The thing I most enjoy is spending time with my family.

Zena May - senior travel mentor

What is your job?

As a senior travel trainer, I work with a variety of young people and adults out and about in the community, training and encouraging them to develop the skills they need to be able to use public transport to travel independently.

What makes your day?

I find it very rewarding seeing individuals grow with confidence when they learn new skills to help them become more independent.

What do you like doing out of work?

I enjoy being outdoors, especially walking, running and swimming. I also spend a lot of time in my new garden growing flowers and trying to grow some vegetables.