The Team
Please meet the small but dedicated team of staff who are key to us achieving our vision.
Paula Gascoigne
Chief Executive
Former investment manager Paula became the first Chief Executive of the charity in 2008. She is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity, which she does with passion and professionalism. Her role as CEO requires many skills, including providing leadership in administration and financial management, strategic development and compliance and of course being the public face of the charity.
Kate Riley
Executive Head Chef
Kate is our wonderfully creative and talented Executive Head Chef. Having gained experience in some of Newcastle’s finest eating establishments, she has created a menu packed with variety and flavour, making the café a must-visit for local food and drink lovers. And we can’t forget Kate’s dachshund Cooper – our office dog who is good as gold.
Tracey Gray
Young People Co-ordinator
We are delighted to introduce you to our Young People Coordinator, Tracey Gray. Tracey comes to us with a wealth of experience, having spent many years in the education sector, particularly with disabled adults and those with learning difficulties. She is passionate about creating opportunities for our young people and works closely with them, to create a bespoke support and development plan which will enable them to achieve their aspirations.
Joel Gascoigne
Charity Officer
Joel has been a part of Smile for Life for many years. He understands the needs of our young people and knows how to support them correctly. Joel became our Charity Officer in September 2024. He supports the team in all aspects of daily operations and is passionate about facilitating a fun and accessible learning experience to all our youngsters.
Niamh Gray
Café Co-Ordinator
Our wonderful new Café Co-ordinator Niamh has recently joined us after returning from her travels around the globe. Niamh has a great amount of familiarity with our young people and is exceptionally organised, she is well prepared to keep our Café running efficiently and effectively. Niamh understands perfectly, not just how to maintain our Cafés, but also how to develop them to provide the best service we possibly can to our young people and our lovely customers.
Julie Bell
Charity Administrator
Julie joined our team, in March 2023, to manage the administration at Café Beam, Ouseburn Farm. Julie has enjoyed a long and successful career in office management, administration and finance, and, as a passionate supporter of our charity, was delighted to take the huge step from the corporate world into the charity sector and is looking forward to enjoying this rewarding phase of her career.
Keegan Ferry
Chef
Hailing from Portland, Oregon Keegan has brought her All-American culinary skills to our Café in Ouseburn Farm. Beginning her role in late 2024, Keegan has already made her mark as a fantastic and efficient part of the chef team. With an excellent understanding of ingredients and nuanced approaches deriving from her American background- she will undoubtedly bring a new level of creativity to Café Beam.
Issy Wilkinson
Volunteer Co-ordinator
We are delighted to be welcoming Issy to the team as our Volunteer Co-ordinator. Having worked as both a Café Volunteer and Weekend Manager at Café Beam Ouseburn Farm, Issy has a thorough knowledge of the volunteer role and has gained the skills and experience to support our volunteers and young people.
James Middleton
Café Chef
Having completed his apprenticeship at Café Beam in October 2023, James is now thriving in his permanent role as Café Chef. Following a successful front of house work placement in Café Beam Gosforth, James showed a great flair and passion for cooking which was soon noticed by Executive Head Chef Kate, who supported him to complete his Level 3 Hospitality Management and Level 3 Professional Cookery. You might spot him in both our Gosforth or Ouseburn cafés, supporting the team with his positive and diligent manner.
Thomas Fretwell
Café Supervisor
Having successfully completed a work placement at Café Beam Gosforth, Thomas stepped up to the challenge of becoming a Café Supervisor at Café Beam Ouseburn Farm. Thomas now leads morning briefings, supports café coordinator Niamh with stock checks and helps other young people to take orders, make coffees and provide the warm a welcoming service which Café Beam is known for.
Josh Hardie
Café Supervisor
Former Café Beam barista, Josh worked his way up and become the first young person employed by the charity. Josh oversees our young people and helps to create the fantastic, happy atmosphere always present in the café.
Paul Duncan
Young People Development Officer
Paul was initially a volunteer with Café Beam and has been appointed to this new position which is intended to support our young people with CV preparation, interview skills, job search, job application and potentially a day of chaperoning into a new role. As his role progresses, Paul intends to develop a cohort of employment sectors who are willing to support the objectives of The Smile For Life Charity. He has already secured a 14 week training and skills development course for one of our young people through The Kings Trust. Paul is looking to gather as many potential employers from as many sectors as possible, so if you have connections or contacts, Paul would love to hear from you.
Amber Studholme
Café Supervisor
Having been part of the team since our initial launch of Café Beam on Ashington road in 2014, Amber was made supervisor. With her keen barista skills and leadership qualities’ she was the ideal candidate for the role
Andrew Yates
Kitchen Porter
Having worked diligently on his placements at both Café Beam venues, we were delighted to offer Andrew the role of Kitchen Porter at Ouseburn Farm. He plays a vital role in keeping the kitchen moving and supporting the team during busy weekends.
Contact Us
Get in touch with the team at Smile For Life