About Us

OpenStoryTellers is a community arts charity supporting people with learning disabilities and autism.

We help people to find their voice and use it.

Because stories are what make us human.

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We started out in 2004, when Speech Therapist Dr. Nicola Grove found that supporting people with learning disabilities to share stories helped build relationships and challenge exclusion. We became a charity in 2009 and have been growing a lot since then! 

Meet The Team

Our Epic Employees:

Clemma - Peer Assistant

Clemma has been a member of OST for around 12 years. As well as being an amazing Storyteller and Poet, she also now works at OST as a Peer Assistant. She helps new people feel at ease when they join the group.

Emma - Operations Manager

Emma joined OST in 2010 and plays a very important role 'behind the scenes'. She comes from a commercial background. Having worked as a regional manager has broad experience of HR, health & safety and financial management. Emma has also volunteered, fundraised and campaigned for many charities.

Jade - Projects Manager

Jade has worked with people with learning disabilities since 2007 in various charities and arts projects. She studied the arts and has an MA in Participatory & Community Arts. She also runs The Craft Unit selling unique products made by craftspeople with disabilities. Jade joined OST in 2016.

Alex - Director

Alex has 25 years experience within adult social care, as a support worker, home manager, trainer and consultant. Specialising in innovation, change and a rights based approach to support. Alex lives in Frome with her wife, her dogs and occasional grown up son.

Ben - Facilitator

Ben has worked with children and young people with learning disabilities for many years as a Learning Support Assistant, and more recently at the National Open Youth Orchestra. He also runs Loops Music Project, making music accessible and running an inclusive disco night. He plays a wide range of instruments from banjo to autoharp!

Charlotte - Lead Facilitator

Charlotte started out working in community arts and theatre. She qualified as a Youth and Community Worker at Reading University. She has worked for many years with children, adults and families of people with learning disabilities. She taught Storytelling, Drama and Employability at Somerset Skills & Learning for 7 years. She joined OST in 2014.

Kay - Facilitator

Kay works on the Memory People project and is the Production Manager for the Fanny Fust and Peter the Wild Boy tour. She has been with OST since 2016 and worked with the Storytelling Group and facilitated a Storysharing Circle project previously too.

Leah has a broad experience as a Learning Support Assistant and a Support Worker for children and young people with learning disabilities. She is competent in basic British Sign Language. She used to teach baby signing to help parents aid communication with their children.

Mary - Facilitator

Mary is currently top secret...as we don't yet have her bio! 

Simon - Artistic Director of Storytelling Company & Memory People Project       Co-Ordinator

Simon is currently top secret...as we don't yet have his bio!

Tracey has been a member of OST for many years. She now works as a Peer Assistant at Get Connected. She is very organised and has a fantastic eye for detail. 

Tracey - Peer Assistant

Becky - Lead Facilitator

Becky is currently top secret...as we don't yet have her bio!

Cate - Lead Facilitator

Cate is currently top secret...as we don't yet have her bio! 

Jane - Lead Facilitator

Jane has been with OST from the very beginning, using personal narrative, story and music to support communication. Jane led the Storysharing in schools and social care settings projects and now runs the Sensory Book Clubs.

Jem - Lead Facilitator

Jem started performing in theatre in the 60's and as a musician from the 70's. He's been a professional storyteller for 20 years, weaving his stories with music. He has worked with people with learning disabilities for 30 years and has qualifications in counselling, creative therapy and education.

Bill Palmer

Bill is Director of the School for Experiential Education with branches in the UK and Spain. He developed a physical therapy approach to chronic illness that focuses on ability and not problems. He teaches postgraduate courses on this approach across the globe. He also co-founded Elderventure and Fair Housing for Frome CIC.

Gill Levy

Gill qualified as a social worker and worked with children and adults with learning disabilities for over 30 years. Gill has a broad experience with visual impairment having worked at RNIB, SeeAbility and with the Royal College of Opthalmologists. She has a special interest in accessible information.

Jane Flood

Jane is currently top, top secret...as we don't yet have her bio OR photo!

Juliet Solomon

Juliet was a teacher for many years, from primary to university level, she has also authored three books. She has been a councillor, a trustee and now sits on the central body of a charity called Music Camp Limited as well as being trustee for OST.

Angie

Having lived and taught in international schools around the world for most of her career, Angie moved to Frome in 2018 and is delighted to volunteer at OST.

Katy

Katy is an Easy Read specialist (amongst many other things!) and supports OST in the office with fundraising, admin and Easy Read.

Lesley

Lesley is a retired librarian and a keen amateur storyteller at several local story circles. Originally from the North East, she's lived in Frome for over 30 years. A long-time friend of OST, she has been volunteering with us since 2017. She enjoys the supportive atmosphere and wide variety of tasks within the groups.

Nicola Grove

Nicola founded OST with colleagues as a follow-on from a National Lottery funded project. She spent many years as a Speech & Language Therapist and is now a storyteller, researcher and trainer. She has authored several books and papers on narrative and disability. She is Honourary Senior Lecturer at the Tizard Centre, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Ruth Read

Ruth worked in education for over 40 years in a variety of secondary schools. She became Deputy Head in Tower Hamlets, line managing the special needs department. She was also the Child Protection Lead. Her MA was in Emotional Factors in Learning and Teaching, at the Tavistock Clinic. A major interest in her life has been telling and sharing stories.

Sarah Talbot - Williams

Chair

Sarah has been a senior leader in the voluntary sector for 20+ years, working as Chief Executive of a number of disability and health organisations. She now runs her own charity consultancy in strategic and governance review and advice. She is an Independent Lay Member for patient engagement for an NHS CCG. She is Vice Chair and Trustee for three other charities as well as OST.

Sue Paxton

Sue has a daughter with a learning disability and in 2013, opened the Pod Youth Club in Frome, enabling children to access staffed leisure provision outside of school, a chance to make new friends and give respite to parents. She is now the Charity Manager of Pod and it has grown a lot over the years. Sue also has a sister who attends OST. She is often seen out and about walking her very noisy dog - Molly!