Lancashire Wildflowers Learning Hub
About Us
Director & Manager
Gemma Mills
Gemma developed the idea for Lancashire Wildflowers Learning Hub following some personal struggles with her own son and the limitation of mainstream educational settings; she could see that there was so many children and young people falling through the gaps and wanted to help. Her son now attends university and has thrived in a different setting that has supported his needs. He is an inspiration to her and a reason to push forward and provide a warm and safe environment for other children and young people.
Gemma is a graduate of Blackburn University for Positive Practice with Children and Young People, she also passed her first year of Social Work before becoming a mother to her daughter where her path went in a different direction.
Gemma went on to work at Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council. During her time with Blackburn with Darwen Council, she worked as an intensive family support worker with families on child protection plans, she focused on supporting the families to make positive changes and remain united. Furthermore working as a family time worker supporting children to spend quality time with their family members. During her time at Lancashire County Council she worked as a residential childcare worker and a child and family support worker in a primary school. All jobs she loved and learnt so much from.
She is a trauma-informed practitioner with a good understanding of neuro diverse challenges, in and out of the classroom. Gemma has spent a lot of time learning over the past 13 years and believes that anyone can fall in love with learning when it is something they feel passionately about.
Gemma is a Mental Health First Aider, Drawing and Talking practitioner, Lego Therapy practitioner and has multiple certificates regarding children's mental health, understanding trauma, the impact of domestic abuse and much more! She is currently completing an outdoor mental health practitioner training programme and is looking forward to supporting young people with her new knowledge and by making the most of the benefits of the outdoors.
Deputy Manager
Lorna Cookson
Lorna is a graduate of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and a qualified teacher of 14 years. After graduating in 2001, she became a professional Wingwalker and toured Europe performing aerobatics to crowds of airshow spectators. She continued her Performing Arts career as a freelance performer, teacher, director and choreographer, both in the UK and abroad. She has worked with people leading dance classes, dance modules and musical productions for colleges, universities, stage schools, amateur societies and community groups.
She has previously worked as a Youth Development Officer and as Dance Facilitator, setting up diversionary activities and coordinating dance classes and showcases around Preston. The focus of all her projects was to unite together young people of different social and ethnic backgrounds, enabling them to contribute and express their individuality, build confidence and realise their potential.
She qualified as a secondary Drama teacher in 2011 and has taught KS4 Drama & English as well as KS3 Dance, Music and Art. She has had a passion for extra curricular activities such as after school clubs, dance and drama performances in and out of school and whole school productions. She found all the events to be an invaluable learning experience for the students and working with them allowed her to really get to know them and build closer relationships with them.
In 2016 she was given the opportunity to work at an international school in Malaysia where she taught KS3/KS4 Drama and Dance. She took over the role of Pastoral Coordinator across the whole school, building trusting relationships with the students and an environment where they felt safe.
Many young people find school to be a challenge and Lorna is passionate about using her skills and experience to support each individual and to allow them to find their own sense of direction in a non pressured environment.
Forest School Leader
Emily (Milly) Glaister
Milly came to our open day and was so inspired, she started volunteering with us!
After completing her degree at Oxford University, Milly studied Fashion and Journalism at Central St Martins College of Art and Design. She spent 10 years working in Journalism and Marketing, writing and editing for international publications including The Independent, The Guardian, i-D Magazine and Arena Homme+. She developed her Journalism, Coding and Programming skills as a Online Marketing Manager at Liberty London historic department store, and won several industry awards for her innovative copywriting and marketing campaigns.
Milly grew up on a farm in Lancashire, and decided to return to her home county in 2014 to re-train as a Teacher so that she could share her love of our beautiful countryside with a younger generation. She has a wealth of experience in Primary and Early Years, and is passionate about bringing a play and curiosity based style of learning back to education. Milly loves learning herself, and really knows how to bring the fun!
Milly is a fully qualified Level 3 Forest School Leader, and loves nothing more than finding woodland treasures and having adventures in our local woodlands.
Milly has an excellent understanding of neurodiverse challenges, sensory differences and developing emotional intelligence for children and young people. During her career in London, she regularly volunteered assisting music therapy sessions for teenagers and young adults at The Priory Hospital. She has also held the SENCO role at two different settings in Preston, has a Level 2 in Understanding Autism & ADHD and is certified in using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Tools.
Milly is currently training to become a Mindfulness-Based Forest Therapist and is looking forward to using her new skills to support the young people we work with.