Who we are
We are a widening access initiative that supports young people from local secondary schools into Higher Education; that’s any course from a HNC to a Degree.
We work with S3 – S6 pupils throughout Fife, Dundee and Angus.
Our Objectives
Our objective is to increase our target pupils’ aspirations and support their transition into Higher Education destinations.
In doing so we aim to:
- Increase progression rates to Higher Education (HE) and other positive destinations for target pupils.
- Raise awareness of opportunities to access Higher Education.
- Raise aspiration to Higher Education.
- Enter into agreements with partners to support achievement of aims.
- Work with partners to develop an inspiring programme of activity.
Our Partners
As a partnership organisation, LIFT OFF works alongside all the Higher Education providers and local authorities in the Fife and Tayside region. Our immediate partners are outlined below:
LIFT OFF is also supported by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) outwith the Fife and Tayside region, most notably Edinburgh Napier University, Heriot Watt University, Queen Margaret University, The University of Edinburgh, and University of Stirling.
Our Schools
Meet the team
Mairi McKinnon
Programme Manager
m.mckinnon@abertay.ac.uk
I’m a farmer’s daughter from Fife. In between helping with lambing (mainly feeding all the pets!) I managed to get my Highers (and even some Advanced Highers) from Bell Baxter High School then went onto study Psychology with Biological Sciences at Edinburgh University.
Following a few years travelling the world after graduating, I fell into the employment world of Education and have been here ever since; I’ve even been back studying whilst working to gain some postgraduate qualifications.
I’ve been with LIFT OFF since 2011 and I’m passionate about advocating for the young people we work with. The best part of my job is seeing people succeed knowing I have been part of their journey.
Mel Rookes
Depute Manager
m.rookes@abertay.ac.uk
I am the Depute Manager here at LIFT OFF and officially joined the programme as a Development Worker in 2014, although I did first work with the Team as a LIFT OFF Learning Skills tutor in 2013 during my Master’s degree. My educational background is in Applied, Forensic and Consumer Psychology and I studied both my Undergraduate and Master’s/MbR at Abertay University beginning my HE journey way back in 2005.
My favourite thing about working with LIFT OFF, aside from the fantastic team of colleagues, is watching our pupils grow in confidence throughout their time with the programme. It’s such a great, rewarding feeling watching them move into their next destinations after school and thinking of all of the awesome experiences and challenges they have ahead of them.
Julie McLaughhlin
Administrator
j.mclaughlin@abertay.ac.uk
When leaving school I had no idea what I wanted to do. I decided to go to college where I studied Business Administration. Since leaving college I have worked in various administrative roles.
I also went back to college and gained a qualification in Human Resources and worked in this field for a few years. I’ve now worked with LIFT OFF for nearly 12 years so feel like I’m part of the furniture! I really enjoy helping to arrange all of our amazing events for our pupils and seeing them gain so much from the LIFT OFF programme.
Hannah Campbell
Development Worker
hannah.campbell@abertay.ac.uk
I left school in 6th year MANY moons ago, with a variety of Highers under my belt and a not so well-thought-out plan! I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but knew I enjoyed working with people. I originally thought about teaching or social work, but ended up settling on Social Sciences, and left university with an HND, only to return and complete my degree a few years later part time while working.
Before joining LIFT OFF in 2019 I worked in Further Education for a long time, with a focus on transitions and support. I find working in education hugely rewarding, and I am passionate about inclusion and lifelong learning. Working with LIFT OFF is fab, not only do I have the support of a fantastic team, but I get to work with young people from around Scotland achieve their potential and goals!
Helen King
Development Worker & Volunteer Co-ordinator
h.king@abertay.ac.uk
I left school after S5 as I knew that staying in school would mean taking subjects I didn’t like just to fill up a timetable! I went on to college where I studied a foundation course in Art and Design. College was a great steppingstone for me as I was able to explore different specialisms and the qualification allowed me to apply directly to year 2 of a degree programme.
I achieved a first-class honours in my undergraduate studies in Art Philosophy and Contemporary Practices and later a Master’s in Art, Society & Publics. Since graduating I have worked in various community outreach and widening access settings before joining the LIFT OFF team in 2020.
Shauntelle Islam
Development Worker
lift.off@abertay.ac.uk
During high school I wasn’t shown the endless opportunities and fascinating subjects there are out there to study and needed a little more time to find out what I liked doing.
After a gap year in Malawi, I continued to seek out other volunteer opportunities that allowed me to travel. It was this experience that sparked my interest into global affairs, past and present and I decided to study International Relations at the Open University. I graduated just last year and since then have enjoyed working with different Access and Widening Participation programmes in Fife that help students gain access and advice the opportunities available in Higher Education. Having the opportunity to work with Lift Off helps me continue this journey. The main lesson I learned during this time is that you are allowed to study something that you enjoy and there really is a course for everything.
Shaunie Anderson
Development Worker
shaunie.anderson@abertay.ac.uk
After leaving school in S6 I was unsure about what I wanted to do careerwise. I had been working in a hairdressing salon as a Saturday girl, so I applied for Level 5 Hairdressing at college and done this alongside working in the salon. After I qualified as a hairdresser, I knew that I was not passionate about the job and that I wanted to make a change. This was when I decided I wanted to go travelling and Australia was where I was headed! I spent this gap year having fun, taking on new challenges and making decisions on my future.
When I returned from Australia I went to college and completed an intense 6-month course where I gained 2 Highers, Higher Sociology and Psychology. I then studied HNC Social Sciences which, upon completion, lead me on to study MA Hons Psychology at St Andrews University. In my final year of study at St Andrews I worked on a research project centred around widening access in education. This gave me the knowledge and experience I needed to work within LIFT OFF.
Flo
Paper Shredder Pupfessional
flo@pupfessionalpapershredding.ac.uk
Hi I’m Flo (Florence if we’re being posh!) I’m the LIFT OFF office dog. I’m a 1 year old Sprocker Spaniel who loves long walks, chasing things and provide in-house shredding services to the LIFT OFF team.
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