Meet the Team

The Sweet team are all educational professionals and have a wealth of knowledge and experience as teachers, tutors, and department heads. This gives us a genuine understanding of schools' needs and requirements and means that we are always on hand to help with your queries and support you in your delivery of Sweet.

Annabel Harries

Sales & Relations Manager

Before joining the Sweet team, Annabel spent several years working as a secondary school teacher in both Wales and Spain. After completing the Leadership Development Programme and obtaining her teaching qualification with Teach First, she went on to obtain a master’s degree in Education.

Annabel manages Sweet sales and ensures that centres are aware of the amazing benefits that the Sweet qualification can offer to learners.

Annabel is passionate about developing children’s mental health, wellbeing and life skills through application of the Sweet qualification.

annabel.harries@sweet.education

Lindsay Donovan-Lacey

Internal Quality Assurer

(Welsh & English Language)

Lindsay is a former Modern Foreign Languages and Welsh Second Language teacher with 8 years experience at an English medium comprehensive school. She has a passion for languages and is currently learning Italian, her sixth! 

During her career, Lindsay has embraced middle manager roles including Head of Department and Head of Faculty.

She is keen to communicate the benefits of the Sweet qualifications, which help young learners to gain valuable life skills and qualifications in an accessible way.

lindsay.donovan-lacey@sweet.education

Laura Atkinson

Marketing & Communications Officer

Laura joined Sweet in 2021 after 4 years in the medical device industry. With a degree in Photography and Journalism from the University of Chester, Laura has also spent time working as a reporter, before finding her calling in Marketing in 2014.

Laura is passionate about all aspects of marketing, but especially loves creating content and delving into analytics. She is the voice behind all of our social media pages, so don't be afraid to swing by and say Hi!

Working closely with her 'partner in design', Laura is responsible for the management and updating of the Sweet website and other Sweet marketing activities.

laura.atkinson@sweet.education

Martin Griffiths

Quality Manager

Martin is an experienced educator having held management positions at a variety of alternative education and employability-based learning provisions.
 

He joined the Portal Team in 2017 and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience on vocational qualifications from a teaching and quality assurance background.
 

Martin is passionate in supporting young people to gain a holistic education that can aid both progression and quality of life through learning.

martin.griffiths@sweet.education

Natalie Allsup

Internal Quality Assurer

(Welsh & English Language)

Natalie joined Portal’s Sweet Team in 2019, following nine years working in secondary education. Based at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen in Caernarfon, her focus was on supporting learners with behavioural and additional learning needs.

Natalie has broad experience in delivering the Sweet Personal and Social Development Programme and has seen its benefits first-hand. Natalie is the primary Sweet contact for schools and centres across North Wales.

natalie.allsup@sweet.education

Carys Watts

Administrator

Carys is a former Physical Education Teacher and has always taught at Welsh medium secondary schools. In addition to Physical Education, Carys also delivered BTEC Health and Social Care, as well as Public Services, to GCSE and A Level students.

Carys has experience of working at Sport Wales as a personal lifestyle adviser to elite Welsh athletes. Her main role was to help athletes balance their sporting careers with other aspects of their lives, such as part time work/courses, and to provide the tools to deal with life after sport. During this time, Carys learnt that having a life balance was essential to contentment.

Health and wellbeing is very important to Carys. She feels strongly about the Personal Growth and Wellbeing Qualification and is excited to transfer these skills to young people.

carys.watts@sweet.education

Michael Hargreaves

Internal Quality Assurer

Michael joined the Sweet team in 2019. He is an experienced tutor, coach, mentor and assessor with almost 15 years of experiencing enhancing the employability of students and graduates within schools, college and university.

Michael has delivered a wide range of qualifications from OCN units BTECs and delivered on City & Guilds and ILM qualifications.

mike.hargreaves@sweet.education

Amy Dunne

Internal Quality Assurer

Amy has over 11 years’ experience in teaching, which she spent in two of South Wales’ top secondary schools, specialising in Textiles, Photography and Product Design.

She has also worked in the financial sector, helping customers to manage their finances and offering financial advice.

While teaching remotely throughout the pandemic, Amy focused on her passion for creating exciting and pupil-friendly teaching resources.

Amy is passionate about the Personal Growth and Wellbeing Qualification and believes that in current times, it is more important than ever for learners.

amy.dunne@sweet.education