We are proud to continue to offer our families the best support possible.
Our Team
Amy Whitelock Gibbs – CEO

Amy Whitelock Gibbs – CEO

Amy is a social justice campaigner and CEO of Tutors United from January 2023. Her career has spanned national charities, local government and Parliament, leading teams and organisations to achieve impact across children’s rights, healthcare, poverty and equity.

Amy was previously a Director at Unicef UK and The Children’s Society, working with young people to secure policy and practice change – such as a government strategy to tackle the impact of toxic air on children’s health and hundreds of local authorities adopting a council tax exemption for care leavers. As a local councillor in Tower Hamlets, Amy led in cabinet on education and children’s social care, building strong partnerships with schools, businesses, housing associations, NHS services, local charities and families to drive rapid improvement.

Amy was CEO of Birthrights from 2018-2022, taking over from the founder CEO. Amy led the charity out of its start-up phase and through the pandemic, growing the reach of frontline programmes, tripling income and headcount, winning rights protections from stringent Covid restrictions, and spearheading their flagship inquiry on systemic racism in maternity care.

She is also an experienced non-executive director in the public and voluntary sectors – currently independent Chair of Tower Hamlets Together, the health and care partnership, and a Trustee of her orchestra in South London.

Amy is a co-parent to two lively boys and loves eating cheese, playing the oboe, soaking up queer culture and dancing – whether at the kitchen disco or in Soho!

Close
Alina Monaghan-Gibson – COO

Alina Monaghan-Gibson – COO

Alina joined Tutors United as Head of Programmes in 2019 and leads the programmes team to ensure we are maximising our impact and continually expanding our offer to families.

Alina has worked in the field of social justice and education for many years. Before graduating with a first-class degree in Anthropology and German Language and Culture at the University of Minnesota, she held various roles in mentoring and education, including a teaching and research fellowship in Berlin. After graduating, Alina spent time in Vienna teaching English as part of a partnership between Fulbright and the Austrian-American Educational Commission.

The experience inspired her to go on to study her Master’s in Sociology of Education at UCL Institute of Education, focusing on the intersection of class, parental involvement, and educational structures. She completed her course with a Distinction in 2016.

Prior to joining TU, Alina spent years in the third sector, designing, delivering, and growing programmes for young people in schools and businesses across the UK.

Outside of overseeing all the programmes at Tutors United, Alina is tapping into her former life as a barista and making sure the team is well-caffeinated with endless pots of coffee!

Close
Olivia Meade – Head of Regions: South and London

Olivia Meade – Head of Regions: South and London

Olivia is the Head of Region for London and South at Tutors United. She works with a range of partners and manages many TU’s programmes, providing focused educational support to over 150 families across London. Olivia works alongside the programmes team developing new curriculum and programme features to ensure the tuition TU provides is top quality. She is also responsible for organising the annual graduation event, which sees hundreds of participants come together to celebrate pupil achievements.

Before joining TU, Olivia studied English Literature at Queen Mary, University of London. During her time there, Olivia worked as a TU Maths and English Tutor in Hackney and Tower Hamlets before becoming a Programme Administrator upon graduation in 2016.

In what little free time she has, Olivia loves cooking with her family and watching films.

Close
Greer Mulcahey Banks – Head of Regions: North and Midlands

Greer Mulcahey Banks – Head of Regions: North and Midlands

Greer is the Head of Region for Midlands and North at Tutors United and works with a range of partners and over 200 families across London and Cambridge to provide focused educational support. Greer maintains the English Curriculum and manages over 30 tutors across a range of locations and programmes, including the Summer Challenge, which she leads on. She also leads on designing and delivering our online programmes, including the Booster Series.

Before joining TU in 2017, Greer delivered GCSE revision workshops in schools across England and taught GCSE Sociology to Gifted and Talented secondary school students. Greer also coordinated advocacy campaigns with a healthcare organisation in Manchester and supported the provision of clean water access in humanitarian situations. Greer has always been committed to helping others but ensuring all young people have access to equal opportunities has been her primary goal.

Greer is never far from a book and chose to study English and American Literature at Keele University and was selected to study at Loyola University, New Orleans for a semester as part of the Keele University Study Abroad programme. Greer then spent a year working to fund her return to academia, where she studied for an MA in Literature at the University of Essex.

Greer loves spending time on a beach, her favourite being one near Mirissa in Sri Lanka, or chasing her crazy dog Luna around the family home.

Close
Leah Ives – Programme and Impact Manager

Leah Ives – Programme and Impact Manager

Leah is our Programme Manager at Tutors United, overseeing and coordinating the Programmes Team to deliver the Tutoring Young Residents programme to our fantastic families living in London and across the country.

Leah studied History at the University of Cambridge, and during her time as an undergrad developed an strong interest in educational equality through involvement with several student societies. She volunteered as a Project Coordinator with Schools Connect, running an after-school history programme for Year 7’s, and worked as an eCAMbassador, mentoring Year 8’s through an English programme. She also worked on multiple Access to University events run by her college aimed at widening participation to Oxbridge.

Before joining TU, Leah was Head of KS1 for an online maths tutoring provider, teaching maths classes to Year 1 and 2 students and managing the delivery of a range of KS1 activities and projects.

Leah is looking forward to the opportunity to work with TU’s families and communities to help more young people excel in their education. When not working, she enjoys reading, period dramas, and baking.

Close
Rachel Kwok – Programme Officer

Rachel Kwok – Programme Officer

Rachel is our Programme Officer, joining Tutors United in April 2023. She monitors the Tutoring Young Residents programme, ensuring the smooth running of the programme and that children are engaging in the programme and reaching their full potential.

Rachel studied Law at King’s College London. After graduating, she went on to train as a solicitor at a specialist family law firm, providing legal advice to families from various backgrounds. After working in a law firm for four years, she decided to change career and move into the education sector. Rachel worked as a teaching assistant at a primary and secondary school, working with different groups of pupils in a school setting. She has a passion to see children’s lives transformed, which is the reason why she joined Tutors United.

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys sports and is a keen fencer. She has competed locally and internationally, and is a role model for the young children at her local fencing club. When she doesn’t have a fencing sword in-hand, she likes to cycle and meet up with friends for a good meal!

Close
Sadika Begum – Programme Officer

Sadika Begum – Programme Officer

Sadika is one of our Programme Officers, managing the Tutoring Young Residents programme across the Midlands, South of England and East of England, ensuring we deliver the best possible results for our pupils.
Sadika studied Politics and Sociology at Aston University, where she developed a strong interest in social issues and educational equality. During her degree, she worked as a Student Ambassador and spent a placement year volunteering at a local school in the Midlands, supporting pupils in their studies and personal development. This experience strengthened her passion for working with young people and contributing to their growth.
Since graduating, Sadika has been involved with various educational charities, focusing on programme management and pupil support across diverse school settings. Her roles have consistently focused on making a positive impact on young people’s lives, ensuring they have the guidance and resources needed to reach their full potential.
When not working, Sadika enjoys exploring the nuanced storytelling of Studio Ghibli films, appreciating their intricate animation and cultural themes. She also enjoys reading and is always keen to learn and try new things, as well as spending quality time with family and friends.
Close
Salma Begum – Programme and Impact Coordinator

Salma Begum – Programme and Impact Coordinator

Salma joined Tutors United in October 2022, and has brilliantly progressed into the role of Programme and Impact Coordinator. Ensuring the smooth running of the day-to-day operations at TU, Salma also captures and maintains all of the data we need to understand the impact of our work.

Salma graduated with a first from City, University of London studying Criminology. Alongside her degree, Salma was part of an internship programme with Tutors United in 2019, supporting with the tutor recruitment process at TU over the summer. Her work with TU sparked her interest in educational inequality and motivated her to work within the education sector. Following this passion, she went onto become a teaching assistant in various schools across London to help children achieve their best despite their circumstances before coming back full circle to join our team.

Salma loves her tea, enjoys cooking and baking as well as spending quality time with her friends and family. 

Close
Joe Flynn – Tutor and Partnerships Manager

Joe Flynn – Tutor and Partnerships Manager

Having joined Tutors United in June 2023, Joe is our Tutor Officer, responsible for driving our tutor strategy and managing tutor recruitment, training, and development activities. Joe’s role also involves fostering university and employer partnerships, designing and running campaigns to attract new tutors, alongside the Tutor Management Team.

Before joining Tutors United, Joe worked as a teacher and Programme Lead in a school in Seoul, South Korea, helping students apply and prepare for university abroad. Joe has also worked as a volunteer teacher in Vietnam and Peru, where he developed a passion for addressing inequalities in education. These experiences led Joe to pursue an MA in Education and International Development at UCL.

In his free time, Joe loves spending time with friends, exploring new places, and taking part in outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, surfing and camping.

Close
Emma Hain – Tutor Coordinator

Emma Hain – Tutor Coordinator

Emma Hain is our Tutor Coordinator, joining Tutors United in September 2024. She is the first port of call for our fabulous tutors, ensuring they are fully supported in their role and development.

Before joining the TU team, Emma graduated in June 2024 with a first class degree in Theology, Religion, and the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge. During her time at university, she worked in various charities and activist societies – including a year of working as her college’s elected Women’s Officer – developing a passion for social justice. She also worked as an online tutor, and a creative-play facilitator in a school for people with special needs, which informed her interest in educational equality.

Alongside working, Emma keeps up hobbies of dancing and rollerskating, and always enjoys music, poetry and being outdoors (whether camping in summer or rainy hikes in winter), and is a keen lover of a coffee and a chat!

 

Close
Kyle Hilton – Communications Officer

Kyle Hilton – Communications Officer

Kyle joined us in late 2021 as Communications Officer, taking the lead on sharing all of the wonderful stories, activities, and results that Tutors United are so proud of with the world.

With a background in filmmaking, Kyle graduated from London Metropolitan University in 2012 and went on to work on several documentary projects, where he followed student entrepreneurs running an ethically-sourced bag company that donated equipment to Cambodian school children, explored the rise of the London’s innovative tech scene around Silicon Roundabout, and travelled to Hong Kong to capture the student-led Umbrella Movement and pro-democracy protests.

Although Kyle has been a team member since November 2021, he’s actually been working with Tutors United since way back in 2013. After meeting TU founder, Joel Davis, Kyle began creating promotional, pitch, and case study films for the newly-founded Tutors United. This collaboration also introduced Kyle to the education sector, in which he has now worked with dozens of small, medium and large charities and organisations to create films, photography, and marketing media over the last ten years.

Away from work, Kyle spends his time following in the family tradition of supporting Burnley Football Club, training to participate in his first ever triathlon in 2023 (if he can figure out how to swim), and he still plays Wordle every day.

Close