About Us
Our founder, Elise Pacquette, started Funpact as a reaction to her own experiences of guiding her children through adolescence.
“As a parent trying to raise my children in a world vastly different to the one I grew up in, it wasn’t until their teen years that I started to feel out of my depth.
I didn’t want to be ‘googled’ out of my role as a mum. I had been a volunteer for parenting courses and was involved in my community as a governor at the local primary school. If anyone should have felt confident steering children through their teenage years, it should have been me, but all I felt was daunted.”
While appreciating the great work PSHE and parenting courses already provided, Elise noticed that most courses spoke to children or parents separately, and what she really wanted was an environment where she and her children could explore and work through the challenges they face in the same room.
After a sleepless night in 2013, she created ‘Bridging the Gap’, an interactive workshop course for parents and their teens to attend and learn about the social, emotional, and practical aspects of growing up, together.
“During the development stage I went to Ofsted and had a meeting with the national lead of PSHE. She really encouraged me to run the course and I was amazed by the response from families, they just loved it!”
Growing on this success, Elise was soon asked to create a course for pupils struggling to engage in education (Ambition 2 Success) and then a two-part course focused on helping parents and children moving between primary and secondary education (Transition to Secondary).
With the support of like-minded parents, youth mentors, local organisations and funders who have supported Funpact on our journey, we hope to continue to inspire parents and their children to overcome the challenges they face by helping them to explore their paths to independence together.
Alongside the courses and workshops mentioned here we have also been commissioned to create bespoke workshops (Love White City (Hammersmith and Fulham), September Ready….GO! (Onside WEST) please do get in touch if you feel we can support a particular group of families.
Our Team
Elise Pacquette
CEO
Elise is a social entrepreneur passionate about empowering parents and carers to support their children by learning together. A parent herself and a passionate supporter of families, she has been a school governor and before starting Funpact volunteered at other parenting courses.
“It brings me so much joy see families having fun, talking together and sharing their ideas. It’s real honour and privilege to be part of Funpact and work with an incredibly dedicated and talented team.”
Lottie Morley-Fletcher
Education and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Lottie has over 25 years of experience working in education supports Funpact as the DSL.
Lottie is also one of the main facilitators for both the Bridging the Gap and Transition to Secondary sessions (part 1 and 2)
Aisling Forde
Course Development Lead
Aisling works in family support and as a group leader for parents.
She has a degree in Criminology and Psychology and has co-developed sessions for the Ambition 2 Success Bridging the Gap and Transition to Secondary Part two
Aisling is also one of the main facilitators for both the Bridging the Gap and Transition to Secondary sessions (part 1 and 2).
Our Trustees
Originally a facilitator for Funpact, Zainab is a mentor for young people 11-24 years old in schools and social care services (LAC). We are delighted that Zainab has taken up the helm as the Chair of trustees.
“I'm a trustee because I truly believe in the positive impact of parents working with their children to improve their academic and social progression.”
Zainab Awaleh-Chaces
Chair
Saba Hammad - Treasurer
Saba attended the Bridging The Gap course with her sons in 2017 and has supported Funpact ever since, she is now using her experince as a financial officer as Funpact’s treasurer.
Raha Hussain-Farnsworth
We are delighted to be welcoming Raha to the board of trustees. As a parent she is passionate about many of the issues facing families today especially regarding physical and emotional health with over 20 years experience supporting the community to make the most of who they are.
Can’t wait to see the wonderful ways Raha will support Funpact
Harry Audley
We are delighted to be welcoming Harry to the board of trustees. Harry has professional experience across a range sectors including inspections and assessments for the Audit Commission and Housemark. He also held many voluntary positions within Hammersmith and Fulham. These include serving as a school governor with both Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre and Bentworth Primary School. Harry served in other positions, with the Youth Offending Team, Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel, H&F Housing Commission, Hammersmith and Fulham Homes, H&F Healthwatch, White City Residents' Association, Urban Partnership Group, White City Neighbourhood Forum and White City Enterprise. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2014 for services to the community in London. He continues to work with residents to protect and preserve community assets and services in the borough.
Can’t wait to see the wonderful ways Harry will support Funpact
The Youth Board
We are delighted to be introducing a youth board to Funpact.
The youth board will be helping us make the most of their experience as long-term youth mentors using their lived experiences.
Adriana
Isla
Leonor
Watch this space for how they help Funpact support more pre/teens and their parents/carers and thanks to their own parents for supporting them in their role!
Youth Mentors and Parent Ambassadors
Isla
Youth Mentor
Isla attending the Bridging the Gap course with her mum in 2023 and has since then become a a youth mentor at both Transition to Secondary sessions, Bridging the Gap and also helping to update resources for worshops
Adrianna
Youth Mentor
Adrianna attended the Bridging the Gap course with her mum and has supported both year 6 pupils and their parents/carers as they both prepare to start secondary as well as sharing her lived experience during BTG sessions.
Leonor
Youth Mentor
Leonor attended the Bridging the Gap course with her mum at Parkview and has been supporting Funpact as a youth mentor with session development and sharing lived experience with current cohorts
Starr Rocco
Youth Mentor
Starr Rocco attended the Bridging the Gap course with his mum in 2023 and has been involved supporting Funpact as a youth mentor by co-running a stall at a local Fun day and attending youth mentor events
Hanan
Ambassador
Hanan has worked as a community leader for over 15 years supporting local families. She attended the Bridging the Gap course with her daughter in 2016.
Wafa
Ambassador
Wafa is an active member of the local community in W12 and attended the Bridging the Gap course in 2015 with her daughter. She then becamse a trustee for Funpact and has now become an ambassador supporting Funpact to grow.
Monika
Ambassador
Monika attended the Bridging the Gap course with her son in 2023 and recently became a parent ambassador for Funpact
Manon
Ambassador
Manon attended the Bridging the Gap course with her daughter in 2023 and her son in 2024 and is now a parent ambassador for Funpact. Manon is also a very active member of the Wormholt (W12) community
Facilitators
Jane
Alongside her many years working in various youth clubs Jane also visits primary schools with her trained therapy dog, Thwaite.
Christine
Christine has 20+ years experience in mainstream education, including leading PHSE, SRE, MHWB, EAL and SpLD. Christine also loves to dance.
Ayman
Ayman studied psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. She would like to continue studying to become a licensed counsellor. Ayman loves making trinkets out of clay, painting and crocheting clothes.
Melissa
Melissa has managed a gang prevention mentoring programme across Croydon, Southwark and Lamberth, she loves pizza, coffee and dogs.
Adebusola
Adebusola is an occupational therapist with over 9 years experience working in mental health care from CAHMS to higher education.
Shaneh
Shaneh is a psychology student at KCL, aspiring to be a Clinical Psychologist, who loves singing and is learning to crochet.
Financial Capability Facilitators
CA facilitators from Hammersmith & Fulham lead our session ‘The Language of Money’, which forms part of our Bridging the Gap course.
Join the Team
We have a number of ways in which you can get involved with us at Funpact.
Become an Ambassador
We would like to welcome any parents who have completed one of our courses to become ambassadors.
In this role you will be a helper on the course, supporting the facilitator and team leader during the sessions and welcoming attendees into the space.
You’ll also be invited to come to events and speak with families interested in attending future courses or those who might be interested in funding us.
If you haven’t attended a course before it might still be possible for you to get involved, please contact us and we’ll explore what options are available.
Become an Youth Mentor
For youth alumni of the Bridging the Gap and Ambition 2 Success workshops a brand new opportunity is being developed with The Kids Network.
Funpact highly values the lived experience and knowledge that youth can bring to the workshops, and the support they can offer to the team to ensure the workshops and resources are fit for purpose.
Youth alumni are welcomed to become part of the team both attending the Transition to Secondary sessions to offer their advice and experience to those a few years younger and also during session and workshop development activities leading the way to ensure information and activities are current, engaging and useful to attendees.
Become a Facilitator
Are you a qualified mentor or trainee psychologist? If so we’d be interested in hearing from you!
We provide training to all facilitators who join us. This requires them to observe sessions before they join the team and learn from experienced facilitators, shadowing and co-working with them, before leading the courses themselves. DBS certificates and other necessary training is provided. Working for Funpact has a real family-feel. Everyone who works with/for the charity is involved because they are genuinely passionate about its causes, which makes for a lovely environment. Shifts are flexible and varied, I would really recommend applying for a role”.
Facilitators receive a fixed fee as well as travel expenses.
Support Funpact with a Donation
If you’d like to donate directly to us you can via our JustGiving page!
Our Supporters
