Our Team
Our Head Office team is small but mighty, comprising of four permanent staff members and additional seasonal support staff to assist with fundraising and programme delivery.
If you would like to get in touch with one of us, please contact us at info@universifyeducation.com
Alex Whitton - CEO
Alex has worked with Universify ever since he volunteered on the very first programme in 2016. Starting as the part-time Programme Co-ordinator he became the full-time Charity Manager in 2019 and CEO in 2021, overseeing the day-to-day running of the charity. He supports the team to prepare the programme, oversees the charity’s fundraising and as a certified, professional coach, also trains the Universify volunteers in coaching. In addition to his experience running and preparing Universify programmes, Alex brings insights from previously running a local social enterprise, The Charity Football League, and as a trustee of another charity.
As well as charity management, Alex brings puns and bad jokes to the team, which he thinks up while he’s pursuing his other passions, which are baking bread and cooking.
Bertina Ho - Programme Manager
Bertina first joined Universify as a volunteer in the summer of 2018 before joining the charity as an employee in November. As the charity has expanded, so has her role, becoming Universify’s first ever full-time staff member. She now oversees the running of the programme and likes to get involved in all aspects of it, from recruiting and training volunteers to communicating with schools, colleges and tutors.
Bertina is a part of Universify as much as Universify is a part of Bertina, which has led to her friends, family and even loose acquaintances becoming involved with Universify. Other major passions include Taylor Swift, bubble tea and food.
Heather McDade - Programme Officer and Fundraising Manager
Following on from her passion for access and outreach at university, Heather joined Universify in February 2020, where she hit the ground running, helping to adapt the programme for remote delivery during the pandemic from day 1. As well as managing Universify’s trusts and foundations fundraising plan, she is a jack-of-all-trades and loves to be involved in lots of different projects, helping with everything from student selection and impact data analysis, to programme admin and volunteer recruitment. She is passionate about working to make Universify as inclusive and diverse as possible, and as part of this supports Universify’s student council to run their own projects and consults with them on aspects of the programme design.
Heather can always be relied upon for book recommendations, particularly for science-fiction and fantasy, and is always on the lookout for more exciting books to add to her TBR! In her spare time, she also enjoys volunteering and playing football for a local team.
Kirsty Hardwick - Programme Officer and Communications Manager
After volunteering as a Course Director in 2019, Kirsty joined the Universify team full-time in summer 2020. As well as managing our communications strategy, Kirsty works on a myriad of projects across the charity, including tutor recruitment, volunteer onboarding and booking coaching sessions.
Amongst the team, she is known for her song-of-the-day recommendations, her love of student feedback surveys, and for over-ambitious fundraising campaigns, including knitting 16 animals for friends and supporters to raise money for our 2021-22 programme!
Martha Ground - Fundraising Support Officer
Martha joined the Universify team as Fundraising Support Officer in 2021 after graduating from a masters in Heritage Studies at Girton College, Cambridge. Having previously volunteered with events at local museums and community archaeological excavations, she is passionate about sharing her enthusiasm and helping introduce students to new subjects or options they hadn’t considered.
In her spare time she enjoys cooking (and eating!) adventurous meals, visiting museums and playing board games with friends.
Registered Charity
number: 1167240
Company Registration
number: 10114061