Our people
We’re More Than Robots – we’re a global movement of educators, industry pioneers and influencers.
There’s power in community
FIRST UK is only as impactful as the smart creatives driving it. Our small but mighty HQ team is supported by a network of champion orgs, trustees and advisors on a mission to make STEM less intimidating, more diverse and inclusive.
“We need to empower young people today to take on the challenges of tomorrow – to prepare them for jobs which haven’t been invented yet.”
Vikrant Bhargava, Founder and Trustee
Lizzie
The Facilitator
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Lizzie is fuelled by her love of STEM education. Having experienced what it’s like to compete in a robotics programme herself, her priority is making sure every young person gets the most out of their experience with FIRST Tech Challenge UK.
Previously, Lizzie gained four years of experience in delivering STEM programmes at FIRST LEGO League UK. She's now on a mission to grow FIRST Tech Challenge UK in the South of England. At an event, you'll find her engrossed in robot matches, chatting to teams, team leads and volunteers about the challenge's incredible impact.
Vicky
The Assembler
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Vicky assembles our team with her passion and skills of adding insight and structure to ensure we are working effectively, and building quality programmes for our community. When she's not working, you can usually find her in the Peaks with her rescue Whippet Winnie, eating her way around Manchester or cooking up a feast with goodies she’s picked from her garden.
Paige
The Pathfinder
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Paige has a passion for STEM that would surprise her school teachers, but one that she puts to best use in her role as Programme Manager. She has taken on the stewardship of our “Middle England” region and can’t wait to get to know the teams in the East, Yorkshire & Humber, West and East Midlands, and the North West. At our events, you will find Paige, clipboard in hand, making sure everything runs smoothly, and in her free time, you’ll usually find her cooking up a family feast!
Toni
The Architect
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Toni is on a mission to grow and energise the FIRST Tech Challenge UK hub network across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and North East England. By working closely with Champion Organisations, she ensures that each hub thrives, supporting teams, coordinating events and providing essential STEM opportunities to young people.
Toni has 15 years of experience in STEM education, five of which saw her responsible for the delivery of the FIRST Lego League programme in Trinidad and Tobago. When she's not busy connecting the dots, Toni enjoys scenic walks and hikes with her family, exploring the stunning Scottish landscapes.
Vicki
The Curator
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Affectionately known as Vicki 2.0 in the team, but by no means taking second place, Vicki brings her knowledge of what good content looks like to help us communicate the #MoreThanRobotsUK story. She's responsible for ensuring we hero our community, amplify our voice and generally smash out stuff people want to digest. Working closely with our stellar Youth Ambassadors, she makes sure our content reflects the incredible work of our community and helps them achieve their most ambitious goals. When she’s not busy creating content, she’s probably off travelling the world.
Ed
The Disruptor
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Ed describes the mission as "making the charity go out of business" – a world where every young person is equipped with the technical knowledge and life skills to own their future. He’s focused on defining the pathway to impact and securing the sustainable investment and critical friendships to get there fast. Previously, Ed led innovation at Cancer Research UK and has brought three startups successfully to market since COVID-19. When he's not building More Than Robots, he can be found globetrotting, in or on the water with Zeb, Oz and Katherine.
Patrice
The Storyteller
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Patrice’s loves making sure we’re doing everything in our power to maximise our impact and work with phenomenal people to advance our mission. Working on our strategy and measuring our impact, she's obsessed with learning from our network and feeding knowledge back into the charity as we continue to evolve how we serve young people. When she’s not harping on about EDI, sharing inspiring insights, or speaking at events, you’ll find her hiking, mountain biking or pretending she knows how to ski with her adventure-loving family.
Champion Organisations
The bedrock of FIRST Tech Challenge UK. These schools and organisations act as outreach partners and support teams – helping us maximise our impact regionally.
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